Antichrist

If you had to guess which directors latest film contained shocking scenes, had mixed reviews and caused people to faint (not too mention walk out) at Cannes, it wouldn’t take too long until you got to Lars von Trier’s name. As with the majority of his films, von Trier’s latest, Antichrist, has people up in arms and the usual moral judgements and accusations being made. That aside (for once) lets look at the main issue. The man is a film maker. This is his new film. Is it any good? The story concerns He (Willem Dafoe) and She (Charlotte Gainsbourg) who, after the death of their young son, retreat to their cabin in the woods to finish their grieving and to try and repair their strained relationship. Once there though, things go from bad to worse. The first half of the film moves along very slowly as She suffers badly from the loss of her son, while He, as a psychiatrist, and too proud and stubborn to let anyone else look after her, attempts to comfort her. Slow it may be, but here Gainsbourg gives a startling depiction of someone suffering indescribable grief. By the time the couple arrive at the cabin She seems to be slowly improving until a fantastic plot twist totally pulls the rug from under the viewer and we go from cold drama to cold horror. Make no mistake that some of the later scenes of the film are horrific, but as most people will have already read what they were due to all the controversy, they do seem slightly sanitised once seen. Do not be fooled into thinking this is something like Saw, Hostel etc. The violence here is realistic, brutal and, dare I say it, necessary? Without giving too much away, the plot reveal means we go from seeing one character as a grieving parent to a psychopath already well on the way to the Dante’s Inferno. We see disturbed acts from a disturbed character. There’s no doubt that von Trier sets out to shock, but I feel the scenes show that the film has moved into serious horror territory and anyone feeling bored from the opening acts will suddenly have nowhere to hide. The film also has a number of fantasy scenes. Some work, some don’t, some look like we’re disappearing up Von Trier’s backside. Where Von Trier really triumphs though is the uneasy tone of the film. As the couple venture into the woods, the use of unsettling images and sounds really starts to tighten the atmospheric noose. We know bad things are on the way, we just don’t know what they are yet. Gainsbourg easily takes the acting honours. Though the Cannes audience may have found it a tough watch, the jury knew enough to award her the award for Best Actress. On the minus side, the pacing at times is a drag and there’s no doubt that this film will split viewers. However, for all those people that hate it, it means they’ve seen it and / or they’re talking about it. And with that, I’m sure von Trier will not mind at all.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
To say this isn’t for everyone would be somewhat of an under statement. In addition, if you’re after your standard horror film then this isn’t for you either. Make no mistake; this is an adult film, with adult themes, for a mature adult film audience. Rating: 7/10.