Drew's

Date Reviewed	11/6/2009
Title	Antichrist
Rating
Directed By :	Lars von Trier
Starring :	Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg
Review	Lars von Trier has made some unconventional special films over the past decade and a half including “Breaking the Waves”, “Dogville”, “Manderlay” and “Dancer in the Dark.” Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg star as unnamed husband and wife. The film is broken up into five sections. There’s the opening table setter aptly named prologue. The three that make up most of the picture are grief, pain and despair. They wrap it up with an epilogue. Lars von Trier enjoys focusing on those that react with difficult decisions faced. Whether it’s a moral choice or a peace keeping action, his characters always have a daunting challenge. The movie opens with a riveting episode. In slow motion with opera as our temporary narrator, the married couple is engaging in primal and passionate intercourse. Their young and only son Nick awakes from a nap. A surprising full blown visual enters the screen. An incident surfaces leaving irreparable consequences. Gainsbourg’s character has an immense amount of sorrow and self blame. Dafoe’s character is a therapist trying to help his spouse more than his own personal grieving process. They decide to travel to their cabin in the woods to mend their wounded hearts and preserve their marriage. Dafoe as “He” appears stoic, controlled and ready to move forward. Gainsbourg as “She” appears resentful, bitter and perplexed with a bubbling cauldron of rage beneath her misery. Getting to the bottom of this emotionally puzzled madness is morbidly fascinating. It takes a unique vision to construct an entire film basically with two characters. There’s nothing settling about the plot as it becomes darker and darker. Once in a great while I’ll see something in a film I’ve never seen before. There are two moments that stand out for sure and another I’ll consider a tribute to Vincent Gallo’s “The Brown Bunny.” Hence the joke, I wonder who played Dafoe’s “stuntcock?” Sometimes a scene is displayed for shock value. Other times the filmmaker wants to make sure your own vision doesn’t cloud his or hers original on screen, so you see everything. There are many times I just need a director to lead me to the climax, then back away and allow me to comprehend the conclusion. Instead of quiet and peaceful woodsy marriage counseling, “Antichrist” morphs into a psychological work of terror. Most audiences will likely remember the visually haunting moments involving sex, violence and torture. The post traumatic responses by She escort us on a sinful journey into an eroding mind. Drew's Reviews, copyright 2009, Drewsmoviereviews.com, property of Drew Bean.