Recently Lars von Trier has made headlines for his inappropriate comments and the sexual and violent nature of such films as Antichrist and now Nymphomaniac, but what isn’t mentioned as often is some of his earlier work, films such as Europa, Dancer in the Dark and, of course, Breaking the Waves, which has come to Criterion Blu-ray in an impressive package, though there are some notes to be made.
To begin, if you haven’t seen Breaking the Waves you’re in for a fascinating feature that can be interpreted a myriad of ways and argued for days without resolution. I’ve seen people refer to it as the ultimate religious film as it looks at a conflict of beliefs, one preaching the fear of God and the other dedicated to the love of God. At the center of this is Bess (Emily Watson) a devote believer in God and a character that could be described in a cavalcade of ways from pure to naive to simple. Some would argue she’s a combination of these qualities while others would lean harder in one direction or the other and there’s more than enough evidence in this film to back up any argument.
[amz asin=”B00HVOFP6W” size=”small”]The intent of the film, as I see it, is to paint Bess as perhaps the purest individual to ever walk the Earth and she has finally found love in an oil rig worker named Jan (Stellan Skarsgard). Unlike Bess, Jan has led a more, let’s say, “experienced” life, but it’s clear he’s found love with Bess.
Bess, however, will be tested once Jan is paralyzed from the neck down and he urges her to have sex with other men. Von Trier uses Bess’ religious beliefs and love for Jan against one another, forcing the audience to evaluate the sin and the sinner and bringing us wholly into Bess’ world.
Using handheld camerawork and multiple instances of Watson, in a transformative performance, breaking the fourth wall, the audience is no longer an observer, but just as much judge and jury as Bess risks sacrificing her beliefs for the man she loves.
Personally, Breaking the Waves is always an interesting watch for me. Bess is clearly a good person, loves Jan and is a firm believer in God, but I have a hard time not looking at her as a little crazy and also a little selfish. Bess’ love for Jan causes her to act childish and throw tantrums. You could certainly argue these reactions are out of love, but it’s a selfish love, and if she truly loved Jan wouldn’t she be able to put aside her slavish need to be around him at all times or at least comprehend her irrational behavior?
Bess’ behavior is addressed in an included, scene-specific audio commentary featuring von Trier, editor Anders Refn and location scout Anthony Dod Mantle and I believe it’s Refn that says to interpret Bess as any way other than pure is to misinterpret the character. Throughout the features, including an excellent new interview with Skarsgard, Bess’ purity goes unquestioned, and in terms of purity, yes, Bess is pure, but I also find it very hard to not question her mental stability and maturity.
This obviously is part of the character and her upbringing in a small Scottish town, devoted to the Calvinist church. We are all products of our environment, but even when Bess goes against her upbringing she does so in questionable ways.
Nevertheless, the underlying theme in the film is to examine the light and dark nature of religion and the question of “Is there a God?” Von Trier intends for us to ask questions and examine these characters, their actions and the world they live in. It’s what makes for such a powerful ending. An ending that will forever change how you interpret the film on multiple viewings.
As far as this new Criterion Blu-ray is concerned, it comes with a new 4K digital restoration, supervised by von Trier, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. The visuals will surely be a point of emphasis as you can look at screen captures at DVD Beaver and see how much different this edition looks than previous releases. The film has a golden hue throughout, which is noticeable from the very first frame while none of the previous releases have this appearance. The audio is definitely boosted and extremely noticeable in the helicopter scenes as well as the iconic scene captured on the Criterion cover art as Bess screams into the crashing waves.
I’ve already mentioned the scene-specific commentary, which has been included on previous DVD releases of the film, and the new interview with Skarsgard, but there is also a new interview with Watson as well as a 2004 interview with Adrian Rawlins who plays Bess’ doctor in the film.
Also included are a handful of deleted scenes with optional commentary from von Trier as well as a tribute to the late Katrin Cartlidge who died in 2002 and excerpts from Watson’s audition tape, also with optional von Trier commentary.
What may very well be my favorite supplemental feature, however, is a promotional clip von Trier was asked to create to promote the film ahead of its premiere at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. Instead of a clip it’s simply von Trier dressed in a kilt saying he doesn’t have a clip from the film because they simply aren’t good enough to be shown out of context. The camera zooms out to show him in full dress and he says something to the effect of, “But I hear it takes place in Scotland.”
Overall, if you’re a fan of the film, excited for a proper HD release then this is for you. Von Trier, however, isn’t for everyone. He’s a blunt director, unafraid of putting anything on camera. He explores sex and violence in whatever way he feels best suits his material and he hires actors willing to give themselves over to the characters. It’s for these reasons his films resonate so deeply for those that are also willing to give themselves over to the narrative.
Personally I love the man’s work and while I wouldn’t say Breaking the Waves is an absolute favorite of mine, I enjoy the challenge put forth within it. For all my questioning of Bess, von Trier ends his film telling us how we are to interpret her character and her actions and he does it in a such a way that we may argue our viewpoints leading up to that moment, but once the bells toll there really isn’t much of an argument to be made.
You can buy a copy of Breaking the Waves from Amazon.com by clicking here.
