Starring: Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Directed By Lars von Trier
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0870984/
That “Antichrist” can shock, appall, outrage and disgust as much as it does is perverse testament to writer-director Lars von Trier, a man of outsized passions and talents and underdeveloped humanity and empathy. More than most of his work, this arthouse horror film teems with misogyny, cruelty and childish spite. It’s also, damnably, quite well made.
Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe lose a child to a tragic (yet beautifully rendered) accident and then suffer devastating waves of guilt and grief. He (neither has a proper name) is a therapist and rather rashly decides to counsel her through her anguish. They retreat to a cabin in the woods which, inevitably, is surrounded by dark forces and filled with objects that can be used as weapons by, say, a woman in the throes of inchoate sensations of loss and lust.
Infamously, Gainsbourg inflicts grueling tortures on Dafoe and herself, and they’re as bad as you can imagine, and you will not easily forget them. But, too, you won’t easily forget the very real feelings of sensuality and trauma at the heart of the film. At the same time, you may not forget or, indeed, forgive the palpable contempt that von Trier holds for his heroine -- for all women, in fact, as it seems. There’s a lot of hate in this film. But a lot of talent, too. It borders on despicable, but you can’t ignore it.
Overall Rating ( * * * )
Mr. What?
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