WARNING: THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS SPOILERS IN THIS ARTICLE.
I think I’ve seen enough of Willem Dafoe’s ass. How many more movies must I be subjected to his hip writhing and facial contortions? I’ve seen him have sex with Madonna. I’ve seen him have sex as Jesus Christ with Mary Magdalene. I’ve seen his ass so much, that I’m pretty sure I know his ass better than my own. It’s true. I hardly ever look at my ass, but I see Willem Dafoe’s ass at least once a year. The sad thing is Dafoe’s ass is not the most disturbing thing about Antichrist .
Lars von Trier wrote and directed Antichrist. He wrote it during a self-proclaimed depressive period in his life. The production was plagued with bouts of his crying and an inability to commit to the film both physically and intellectually; yet he still succeeded in making one of the most baffling horror films of the decade.
Antichrist tells the story of a man, He, played by Willem Dafoe and a woman, She, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg, who lose their son in the opening of the film. He is a therapist who has taken on the task of healing his grief-stricken wife. They venture into Eden, a secluded cabin in the middle of an ominous forest. Whilst in the forest their relationship becomes abusive and violent physically, mentally and sexually.
I don’t really know what to say. It’s easy to simply state that Antichrist is designed only to shock and appall the audience. Which it does through a collection of progressively more violent sex scenes and emotional confrontations. However, this is probably one of the most beautifully shot and most well-acted films in years.
This movie has been called many things: vile, misogynistic, perverse…the list can go on and on. I can’t argue against any of those points but believe me I’m not defending the film. I have no doubt that it is a terrible film but why? I don’t know what went wrong. Like I said, the performances are brilliant. The cinematography is breathtaking. The story is even solid. The story, not the screenplay. But in a world where the dominant horror films are throwaway garbage like the Saw series, Antichrist doesn’t have far to climb to be a great horror movie. And it is a horror movie.
So what is the goal of a horror movie? Scare the audience? Create a feeling of fear and dread? What is it? I think all of these. Horror films have a very specific goal. Mainly to disorient the audience. It’s about creating an uncomfortable feeling. So with that in mind Antichrist is an extremely successful horror film.
I don’t know. I’m at a loss for words. I want to write it off but I can’t. I can’t help wondering what the film might have been like if von Trier were at the top of his game. If he were in Breaking the Waves shape. (Although reading about his antics and his depression I feel a lot of it was made up to create more of a buzz for the film. But if his depression was real then I’m judging him. I feel depression is more of a private matter and publicizing your pain is just to be noticed. Maybe he should seek help for both his depression and his need to attention.)
Basically don’t watch Antichrist if you don’t like disturbing images. And these images aren’t like Saw. You won’t be able to forget them the moment the film ends because you know that imagery is fake. I fear I won’t be able to get the images of Antichrist out of my head for days.
I feel like I’m dancing around this because I don’t want to give anything away, but I’m afraid I might be peaking your interest and encouraging you to watch the film, which is not my intention. So I’m just going to write some of the stuff that happened in the movie. Don’t read beyond this point if you don’t want the film spoiled.
- She slams a block of wood into He’s penis. Then she gives him an hj until he ejaculates blood and semen.
- She drills a hole in his leg and then attaches a sharpening stone to his leg to prevent him from getting away.
- A deer wanders through the film with a dead fetus hanging from its womb.
- She cuts off her clitoris with a pair of scissors.
Those are some of the big ones. A little messed up no?
Maybe the beauty of the film is what makes it so disturbing. A well shot film definitely brings a viewer into the story. Maybe if it was shot like a Saw or a Texas Chainsaw Massacre it could be easily forgotten. Perhaps its strength is its downfall.
I don’t know. I really don’t. I wish I was more articulate. I wish I was better able to explain this film to you, but alas I am not. Antichrist has baffled me. If there is one thing you take away from this “review” it’s don’t watch Antichrist.
What is the most disturbing movie you’ve ever seen? Tell me in the comments.
