Antichrist - By Lars Von Trier

I recently reviewed Melancholia, and now i will be reviewing the controversial film Antichrist, also by controversial danish director Lars Von Trier. The film is much more controversial that Melancholia, and remains unrated in the united states and was not given a theatrical release there. The film however deals with similar themes as melancholia, and acts as the first part of the Depression Trilogy. The film stars Willem Defoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as 'Him' and 'Her', a couple that goes to live in a wood after the death of their child, who falls out of the window, and he uses this time to attempt to 'heal' his wife.

I feel that i should warn people that this film is graphic, the film was released in two forms, entitled the catholic and the protestant versions, the former being the censored edited version, and the latter being the uncut and generally unrated version. The film was however released in the UK uncut, gaining an 18 certificate. I will be reviewing the unrated version here, however the two are very similar, having the same plot and events. The film is a blend of genres, and can most accurately be described as a blend of a horror film, an exploitative thriller and a porn film. I feel that it is important to clarify that this film is not torture porn, a genre which I loathe, and each act of violence has a purpose and a place in the plot, and it is really for this reason that I chose to watch the unrated version, as i feel that the censored cut robs the piece of some of it's majesty, and power.

The film was controversial as soon as it premiered at Cannes, with some ridiculously referring to it as the most controversial film of all time. The film is about a couple who retreat into the woods after the death of their son, where the woman manifests increasingly violent sexual behavior, as she transforms into the ultimate manifestation of pure evil. Thematically the film deals with evil and humanity, and the main character expresses the same revelations as in Melancholia, and expresses the evil of humanity and the evil of nature. The female lean, known as She, a woman who researched murder crimes against women, and who comes to believe that all women and nature are evil.

The film was controversial upon its release, in part due to it's use of untsimulated, 'real' sex scenes. To be honest I have a sense of ambivalence towards this, while I'm not sure if the film benefits from the use of these scenes, I also don't find these parts of the film particularly shocking, and so I guess I am not the person to say whether these add to the film or not, for me they were a part of the film, and were not more or less shocking than anything else. The film is also tied in to Melancholia with its use of musical motifs, the film uses Lascia Ch'io Pianga, by Handel to bookend the film, and to use as the prologue and epilogue, much like Melancholia uses the Wagner prologue. The film is split into four chapter, each of which deals with a certain aspect of the madness that encircles this couple.

In short I will say that this film is masterfully shot, and wonderfully filmed, atmospheric and dark, but like melancholia, it is also perhaps more interesting to discuss than to watch, and may be too gruesome for some to watch, however the film remains a masterpiece of the horror , and is perhaps my favorite horror film, a branch of cinema that I have been known to despise. Surely handled and well filmed this film stands out among the Lars Von Trier canon. Rating: B+

She: Nature is Satan's church.