Antichrist

Dir. Lars von Trier
Starring: Willem Defoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Denmark, 2009, 109 mins.

Following the uproar at the Cannes Film Festival, Vancouver audiences lined up early on a Saturday morning to take in the latest from Danish bad boy Lars von Trier. And oh, was the scandal true.

The film opens with actors Willem Defoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg (only referred to as He and She in the credits of the film) engaged in only what can be described as slow-motion, operatic sex as their toddler falls out the window a few feet away.

Following the tragedy, the couple retreats to their cabin in the woods, a place they call “Eden,” where He, a psychiatrist, attempts to treat Her deep state of depression through exposure therapy. Of course, this does not go well, and as the woods seemingly start to turn on the couple, so does the couple on each other.

Antichrist has no shortage of graphic scenes, both sexual and violent in nature, which may deter many movie-goers from ever viewing this film. However, the film is also rich in very skillful cinematographic and sound editing techniques, not to mention the outstanding acting capabilities of skilled actors (Gainsbourg was awarded the Best Actress Award at Cannes) in this in-depth and extreme study on grief, guilt, and madness.