Posted on 05/17/2009 3:43:27 PM PDT by traumer
CANNES, France (Reuters) - Danish director Lars von Trier elicited derisive laughter, gasps of disbelief, a smattering of applause and loud boos on Sunday as the credits rolled on his drama "Antichrist" at the Cannes film festival.
The film, starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as a couple seeking to overcome the grief of losing their only child, has quickly become the most talked-about at this year's festival, which ends on May 24.
Cannes' notoriously picky critics and press often react audibly to films during screenings, but Sunday evening's viewing was unusually demonstrative.
Jeers and laughter broke out during scenes ranging from a talking fox to graphically-portrayed sexual mutilation.
Many viewers in the large Debussy cinema also appeared to take objection to von Trier's decision to dedicate his film to the revered Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky. Applause from a handful of viewers was drowned out by booing at the end.
Antichrist opens with a heavily stylized, black-and-white, slow-motion portrayal of the child's accidental death set to soaring music by Handel.
Dafoe's character, who is a therapist, tries to help his wife deal with her grief and encourages her to come off heavy medication that sedates her for weeks after the death.
They decide to go to an isolated wooden cabin in an unspecified forest to recover, but the woman Gainsbourg portrays loses control of her senses.
The abuse she submits herself and her husband to drew shocked gasps from the audience.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
When does Barry make his appearance??
Nifty, something light to watch while I wait for the evil Harry Potter #6 to screen in July.
Did the socialists boo the film because it was objectionably anti antichrist?
Lars von Trier, one of the most unnecessary filmmakers of the 20th century. But he has a lot of competition/
He belongs in a special rogue’s gallery of directors whose appeal is STRICTLY limited to idiot cine-elitists, who say things to each other like “I can’t wait to see the latest vonTrier”.
No shock that Dafoe is one of the stars.
Anyone who has seen Mr. Bean’s Holiday will delight in the irony of casting Dafoe in this film.
This director produced some interesting movies
Theis is the trailer: warning-it is graphic:
Is that a film Rowan Atkinson (The Black Adder) did?
I never saw it, was Dafoe in it?
Willem Dafoe is pure evil.
Best pick to play the Antichrist, JMFO.
He certainly has no trouble portraying it in some of his films.
His best movie, to me, is To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). Great picture.
I have Solaris sitting out ready to watch, is it good or boring?
lol!
“...shocks...”
######
No higher Badge of Honor for the no-talents infesting the “art” world currently.
Atkinson’s Mr. Bean had a trip to Cannes where he has a run in with Dafoe as a hyper-pretentious, self-absorbed director of a very boring, moody art flick. Hence, the irony.
I’ve not seen the Black Adder series. A quick look at IMDB.com piqued my interest.
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