To share my experience, I became hooked on Von Trier's films a while back, and he climbs my list of favorite directors with every film of his I watch. So far I've seen The Element of Crime, Europa, Breaking The Waves, Dancer in The Dark, Antichrist, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac. I LOVED all of these projects with the exception of the latter, which I thought was OK. Breaking The Waves is now one of my top ten favorite films. I thought the depiction of Emily Watson's childish character being confused and overwhelmed by her love through primitive thinking was shockingly accurate. It actually triggered some memories from middle school and early high school, and I was in tears at many points of the film. I think he captures the emotions he depicts super accurately, and I adore how personal his films are.
I've never quite understood what it is about Von Trier that splits audiences so strongly. It's one thing to not like his films, but it seems like anyone who doesn't like him despises him and thinks he the scum of the filmmaking world. It's a polar opposite kind of thing.
He's not that bad, is he? People really, really hate him. On the more juvenile discussion boards around the web, the way his critics talk about him really reminds me of the way directors like Uwe Boll Michael Bay etc. get talked about - he gets completely dismissed as a hack and anyone who isn't completely negative about him gets the "Lol GTFO idiot" treatment.
I'm not necessarily here to defend Lars Von Trier; this has just always puzzled me. I love his films, and nobody else really needs to. I just don't know what makes him so horrible. I understand he's a weird person etc., but I think if nothing else he's at least a serious and passionate filmmaker.
Can someone enlighten me?
I've never quite understood what it is about Von Trier that splits audiences so strongly. It's one thing to not like his films, but it seems like anyone who doesn't like him despises him and thinks he the scum of the filmmaking world. It's a polar opposite kind of thing.
He's not that bad, is he? People really, really hate him. On the more juvenile discussion boards around the web, the way his critics talk about him really reminds me of the way directors like Uwe Boll Michael Bay etc. get talked about - he gets completely dismissed as a hack and anyone who isn't completely negative about him gets the "Lol GTFO idiot" treatment.
I'm not necessarily here to defend Lars Von Trier; this has just always puzzled me. I love his films, and nobody else really needs to. I just don't know what makes him so horrible. I understand he's a weird person etc., but I think if nothing else he's at least a serious and passionate filmmaker.
Can someone enlighten me?