Tuesday, May 19, 2009

No Love for Antichrist?


Lars Von Trier took his little movie, Antichrist to Cannes. And...well, let's just say folks wasn't feeling it.
"Antichrist" drew gasps, titters, applause and boos at its first Cannes Film Festival screening.

The opening question at the subsequent press conference was an angry demand that von Trier justify having made the film, about a couple (Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg) who retreat to their woodland cabin to heal after the death of their child. Out in the wilderness, malevolent nature _ animal, vegetable and most of all human _ soon rears its head.

Some audience members recoiled at the film's relentless tension and almost unbearably explicit scenes of violence, including genital mutilation.

What? Genital Mutilation?

Yes, kids. Here's the goods:

Then, she smashes his scrotum with some sort of blunt object (the moment of impact happens slightly below the frame). We don't actually see his testicles become disengaged from this body, though it's apparently implied. Next, she brings him to a climax with her hands and he ejaculates blood (yes, it's shown). But that's not all! Later, in an extreme closeup — lensed by Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle! — Gainsbourg cuts off her own clitoris with a pair of scissors.

Hot, right? This movie sounds off the chain and while it's not winning much cool points, I'm still interested in it. I guess I'm sick and twisted.

4 comments:

Ron Buckmire said...

oh HELL NO. You must have a stronger stomach than I do!

Son of Baldwin said...

You know, I couldn't even read your whole post, much less have seen this film in the theater. OMG. OMG. OMG!

Ian said...

OK, I'm glad I read this mini-review because I was remotely interested in seeing Antichrist, but no longer. I agree with Mad Prof, I ain't got the stomach....

Joy said...

No way! Just that photo creeps me out.

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Viktor is a small town southern boy living in Los Angeles. You can find him on Twitter, writing about pop culture, politics, and comics. He’s the creator of the graphic novel StrangeLore and currently getting back into screenwriting.