Breaking the Waves

Tags

1990's, Adrian Rawlins, Breaking the Waves, Drama, Emily Watson, Jean-Marc Barr, Katrin Cartlidge, Lars Von Trier, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier

Film Title

Breaking the Waves

Director

Lars Von Trier

Starring

• Emily Watson as Bess McNeill
• Stellan Skarsgård as Jan
• Katrin Cartlidge as Dodo McNeill
• Jean-Marc Barr as Terry
• Adrian Rawlins as Dr. Richardson
• Udo Kier as Man on the trawler

Breaking the Waves is the devastating and very powerful story of faith, sacrifice and love. Crafted by Lars Von Trier, it doesn’t make for the easiest viewing but boasts an emotionally complex performance by Emily Watson and a dizzying visual style that haunt the mind.

Bess McNeill is a naive, childlike and devoutly religious girl brought up in an austere Scottish coastal town in the 1970’s. The elders of the town rule with a dogmatic power and are strictly religious to say the least, their actions include giving sinners a pauper’s funeral and not allowing women to voice opinions in church. Bess falls for Jan, an oil rig worker who is deemed as an outsider to the community. They eventually marry although this isn’t without a few eyebrows being raised. During the blissful days after their wedding, Bess is shown the love and sexual relationship that can be had between a couple. It is when Jan has to go back to his work that Bess finds it most difficult. She becomes distant and panics as she can’t bear to be without her beloved. She prays for his return from the rig. Jan does return yet not as Bess had hoped. He is severely injured in a working accident and most of his body is now rendered paralysed. Unable to sexually express his love to her, Jan asks Bess a strange question. He asks her to take other lovers and report back to him regarding the encounters, thereby making Jan feel like he is still a part of Bess. Bess is initially shocked by his question and refuses it. But she later becomes convinced that this will help Jan and so she goes out to perform these favours which start out innocent enough, but slowly evolve into dangerous and ultimately devastating consequences. Starkly powerful, uncomfortably shown and startling performed, Breaking the Waves makes for an uncompromising but astonishingly told story of the singular power of love and the horrifying sacrifices one is forced to make.

As is often the case with movies by Von Trier, Breaking the Waves is not for everyone and will polarize many. The grim quality to the story and the visual style won’t be for all audiences, but for those with a strong stomach it may be watchable. Von Trier employs a delirious, handheld camera to capture the escalating events that befall the beatific Bess. The colour appears to have been washed out which compliments the austere and horrifying community and its beliefs. A well-chosen soundtrack of 70’s rock and pop give the events a certain immediacy to the audience and provides a brief moment of happiness in the uncomfortable saga that soon arrives.

What really gives Breaking the Waves a haunting and shocking power is the emotionally shattering central performance from Emily Watson in her movie debut. She encompasses the pixie like innocence of Bess and the deep and heartfelt love that she holds for her husband. There isn’t one emotion that Watson doesn’t encompass in this story and her raw, intense and heartbreaking performance anchors the startling story. Whether crying out for Jan’s return, telling her doctor her talent, speaking to God in a childlike voice( before answering back in His voice) or marching up her strange path of martyrdom, Watson is a revelation.  Stellan Skarsgård is well cast as Jan, bringing an alternate tenderness and strangeness to his role. Katrin Cartlidge and Adrian Rawlins provide stunning support as the best friend of Bess and her local doctor, who both begin to worry for Bess. Jean-Marc Barr provides some humour as one of Jan’s co-workers, while Udo Kier is frighteningly sadistic as a sailor.

Uncomfortable and shocking in equal measure, Breaking the Waves is also a heartbreaking and powerful saga of religion and the strange power of one woman’s love and the shocking consequences which arise as a result of it.

Melancholia

Tags

2010's, Alexander Skarsgård, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Charlotte Rampling, Drama, John Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland, Kirsten Dunst, Lars Von Trier, Melancholia, Science Fiction, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier

Movie Title

Melancholia

Director

Lars Von Trier

Cast

• Kirsten Dunst as Justine
• Charlotte Gainsbourg as Claire
• Kiefer Sutherland as John
• Alexander Skarsgård as Michael
• Stellan Skarsgård as Jack
• Charlotte Rampling as Gaby
• John Hurt as Dexter
• Udo Kier as Wedding Planner

The Melancholia of the title refers to two things; a rogue planet that has been hiding behind the sun and is heading towards the Earth and the frequent bouts of depression that Justine, one of the main characters suffers from as the movie progresses. As with most of Von Trier’s films, this one will polarize viewers. People seem to either think of him as an artistic genius or violent sadist, there never seems to be a middle ground when it comes to people’s opinions on the controversial director. Although the film’s pace maybe too slow for some viewers tp watch, I personally enjoyed the film for many reasons that I will go into further detail in this review.

The plot revolves around young bride Justine on her wedding night and the events that follow on from it. At her lavish wedding to groom Michael and the ensuring reception organised by her sister , various incidents begin to take a detrimental effect on Justine.  Her mother and father bicker during the speeches, her mother tells her  “Enjoy it while it lasts” words that take on a bigger meaning and resonance as the film unravels. During these scenes, the up close camera work clearly captures the characters off guard, especially Justine whose face reveals hurt and pain as she tries to smile.  It also helps create a sense of confusion and isolation within her character. Her relationship with her sister Claire is explored and reveals a distant feeling between the two of them.  With all the feelings of melancholy beginning to engulf her, the rogue planet of the title begins to emerge ominously and seems destined to strike the Earth.

Split into two parts named after the sisters, the film explores the frail relationship between the two and how they react the impending planet.  I thought that each half was remarkably different, the first half is more slow-moving whereas the second half gains momentum and becomes more dramatic as it goes on to reach its climax. If there is one thing that kept me engaged when watching the film it was the performances, especially from Dunst, who I believe gives one of the best performances in her career. She is a revelation as Justine, giving an emotionally raw and bruised portrayal of a woman close to breaking point. Even when she isn’t speaking her intensity is felt, as her eyes reveal the deep sadness and emotional bruises inside her. In other word she is the embodiment of melancholy. Also giving a great performance is Gainsbourg, who returns for her second venture in a Von Trier movie after her harrowing role in the highly controversial and much discussed Antichrist. Even though she scolds her sister for her despondency, she is equally troubled and becomes highly strung as the thought of Melancholia begins to get to her. Sutherland does well in his role as Claire’s amateur astronomer husband who tries to convince her that there is nothing to worry about but fails. Also the cameos of Charlotte Rampling and John Hurt add to the acting honours, as well as Von Trier regular Udo Kier as an impatient and extremely surly wedding planner.Stellan Skarsgård and his son Alexander Skarsgård appear as Justine’s boss and her new husband in the first part of the film.

Aside from the acting, the stunning visuals are amazing to behold. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an apocalypse look so strangely and hauntingly beautiful before. Especially, the aesthetically and visually outstanding opening sequence, filmed in extreme slow motion to the strains of an epic Wagner score. The movie itself is full of so many bold symbolism and imagery that you will find it hard to forget them long after the credits have began to roll, they are that haunting. Although the film seems to follow some of the conventions of the sci-fi and disaster movie genre, it is essentially a drama about the depths of loneliness within a person and how it can take a hold over you and your whole existence.

As I have mentioned earlier, this is a film that will definitely divide opinion sharply down the middle. But if you are looking for a visually enthralling and well-acted hybrid between disaster movie and intense drama, Melancholia is a film that I would vocally advise you to give a look and judge for yourself.