Breaking The Waves

I am extremely behind in my reviewing of movies because of how busy I have been. This film is putting me back into gear. I just have to write about it. Lars von Trier is a weird and unique man. His movies are often controversial and contain aberrant explicit content. I liked "Dogville" and thought "Melancholia" was decent but this film absolutely blew me away. I was so gripped by this unconventional story about faith and naivety among other things. The film is packed with symbolism but at its surface also provides deep impact. I refuse to reveal any elements of the story because it must be something you go into knowing nothing about the story however, you must know this film will be deemed by most as strange or weird. Do not read any synopsis's or summaries from anywhere because they will reveal important plot points that do not come up until more then an hour into the film. It feels like a dogma film most of the time and breaks many of the rules for current film making. This film makes Lars von Trier in my opinion one of top directors in the world. He is a visionary. He tackles numerous subjects and does it with a unique and different style. It is at times humorous and funny, even joyful. It is also heartbreaking and tragic. The film like most of Trier's films are separated into chapters broken up by mostly still shots of nature that set the tone of each chapter. There is no way anyone could see where this film is leading without sufficient foreknowledge. It is strangely gripping and made me feel things that I do not think I have ever felt before. It is one of the most thought provoking films I have ever seen. I have written this much and I still have not talked about Emily Watson or any of the other actors. I believe that she gives the greatest and most powerful performance of any female actress in all of movie history. That is a bold statement, especially when you think back to Vivien Leigh. I would have to ponder on the subject more to come up with a final decision and I am currently deciding on that right now to write on the greatest performances of all time by an actress at a later date. Watson follows does her performance naturally without calculating anything. She does it freely and gives a riveting, moving performance. Stellan Skarsgard along with Katrin Cartlidge also provide us with incredible performances all worthy of an Academy Award nomination. I could go on for pages and pages about how amazing this film is but it is a conversation that should only be partaken by those who have already seen the film. I do not want to take away from the experience. You must see this movie. It is currently #30 on my Top 100 Movies of All Time List.

5 out of 5 Stars