CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 10/23/09

There Will Be Blood,
And That's the Least of Your Worries

By adam stovall

Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg are a grieving couple who go into the woods in Lars von Trier's latest film, Antichrist, and find that there is no solace to be found in a world where chaos reigns.

Antichrist

Lars von Trier (also directed)

Antichrist is filmmaking of the highest order, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should see it. Lars von Trier has pulled off a neat trick here: he gives us a film we didn't want and makes it so good that we can't deny it. Viewing Antichrist is akin to being punched in the face; it was unexpected, painful, and you've learned something about yourself that you probably did not want to know.

In most films, and indeed storytelling in general, you have a story that takes place within a universe and characters operating within that story. That is to say, there is a hierarchy: Universe, Story, Character. Three separate but intertwined script elements that serve to work as one cohesive narrative. In the hands of a skilled filmmaker, the seams between these elements can often be hidden, leaving the impression that the "location was a character," or "the characters continue to exist outside of the story." In truth, this is just the work of someone who understands the dynamic between these elements. Lars von Trier understands this dynamic, but rather than seeing the seams as something to hide, he sees them as something to disregard.

Von Trier, in his previous work, has shown a gift for minimalism; whether it be the Dogma 95 aesthetic of natural lighting and practical locations, or his "America" films (Dogville, Manderlay), which eschew sets altogether and play out entirely on soundstages with chalk lines indicating the various houses, streets, etc. One does not often view a "B-plot" or "context" as creature comforts, but in watching von Trier's latest effort, Antichrist, it is tempting to long for the luxury of anything other than what is onscreen at the moment. This is a story told not in words, but in visuals. The details to know are: the characters, of which there are two, are known as He (Willem Dafoe) and She (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and the universe is an idea, the idea that nothing good happens here. The story begins with He and She in the throes of ecstasy while their only child falls to his death. After his funeral, She goes into a catatonic state, and He, being a therapist, decides to treat her himself. This is the first of many bad decisions.

Von Trier made this film as a means to deal with the depression that has plagued him for many years. The collaborative process, the social aspect of filmmaking, along with the strict timetable inherent in mounting such a large task—these are all good for taking your mind off depression. The writing process, however, is not. Hours spent alone, indulging your demons and exploring every avenue of thought, are not ways to keep yourself above water; especially, as von Trier has confessed in the past, when your writing process is to be alone for a week, drink heavily, and write the story out as you have plotted it in your head. In an effort to avoid all of that, von Trier sought to minimize the time spent writing. He took inspiration from visuals he'd crafted for an opera that went unrealized, as well as visions he'd had on a shamanic journey years ago. After this, there was just the matter of creating a story simple enough to be told largely without words, yet strong enough to be support a feature-length film.

With the character of He, von Trier and Dafoe have created a man who is neither evil nor good. He is just a man in a bad place, who must watch his family, and the world at large, fall apart. His son is dead, his wife has taken leave of her mind, and foxes are talking to him. He has decided that he wants to help She, but to be truly objective He would have to deny the powerful lust he still feels for her. As it often does, trying to have everything we want only serves to destroy everything we want—and us along with it.

She is a woman whose roles of Wife and Mother have betrayed her. She fears it is only her sexuality that endears her to anyone, most of all her husband—and is unwilling to either surrender to this notion or combat it. Von Trier and Gainsbourg (who won the Best Actress award at Cannes) have created She as a dichotomy, but not the sort we're used to seeing in film—nothing frivolous like a vegetarian who wears leather shoes. This is a woman who liked the affection attendant to being a mother, but not what it required of her. The crushing guilt of silently, and perhaps momentarily, wishing to be excused from her motherly duties, and then having death accommodate said wish, has wrecked her ability to recognize herself as a human being. She is neither a Mother nor Wife now, and so She has become Nothing. And in that void, all that remains is violence. Physical, emotional, blunt, bloody, well-staged violence.

Many filmmakers want to show us at our best, the moments when everything seems possible. Lars von Trier wants to show how we behave when no one is looking, or at least when we hope no one is looking. It is difficult to recommend this film to many people, though I confess it is one of my favorites of the year so far. There were moments where I felt actual physical pain watching events unfold—and to do that with only images is no small feat. I couldn't close my eyes without seeing certain visuals, which made sleeping that night especially difficult. Many horror films, such as the current Paranormal Activity, prey on our fear of what is happening around us that we can't control. It is the rare horror film, and Antichrist is certainly that, that preys on our fear of what is happening within us that we can't deny.

Antichrist
IFC Films
Not Rated; 104 min.

Adam Stovall is a screenwriter and journalist living in Huntington Beach. Before Antichrist, he'd never seen a Lars von Trier film, but has now seen most of them. He's pretty sure this has cost him some mental health, and he is fine with that.



Antichrist courtesy IFC Films

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