Movie Review:
I have to say, the name drew me in, but what I got on the inside was nothing short of heavenly. AntiChrist, on the surface, was about a couple dealing with the loss of a small child as well as some long standing relationship issues. Through the basic stages of mourning and grief, the wife spirals out
of control. I assumed it was all related to the loss of the child, but as I find out later there was more to that story. The husband seems to spring back from the crushing blow of his son falling out a window (you would be stupid if you did not figure that out within 90 seconds of the film, so no spoiler there), but again, we can see there is more to his struggle than he lets on. However, being a therapist, he reigns in his own feelings in order to play doctor to his wife. They eventually find their way to a cabin that they have frequented before and while in the wilds of these woods, they come across the evil of nature. There in lies the rub.
I was in absolute awe of both the cinematography and the tone of this film. I was unable to look away and at times unable to watch. I was caught in its delicious horror and sadness and futility and love and sexiness. I found myself holding my hands in the air as if on a roller coaster simply because I did not know what to do with them. I kept saying out loud that I didn’t understand what I was seeing, but not because I did not know and certainly not because the director did not show it. It was because I simply had never seen it before or in such a way.
Whenever I vidi a film, I like to note if I learned anything new or did I see something I had never seen before or maybe saw something in a new way. This film educated me in so many different ways. Both visually and mentally. There were times I wanted it all to stop, and then moments later could not get enough. Watch this movie and you will feel its effect.
Lars von Trier is now my favorite writer director. He also did Dancer in the Dark which I had seen many years ago staring Bjork. Being a fan of hers made me pick it up, but now I know it was Lars insight, vision and talent that made me love it. Check them both out.