Moon In The Gutter: Operation Screenshot (Films of the 2000s) Lars Von Trier's Antichrist (2009)

Sunday, June 28, 2026

Joel Bocko said...: I got some flak for wishing the whole film had been in the transcendentalist Tarkovskyist mode of the opening and the rest of "test footage." While recognizing that this is not what Von Trier was going for, and that most of the movie had to be in a grungier, handheld, close-up style (the perversity of eschewing beauty or spiritual deliverance is a fundamental part of what he's doing) I do also feel that what he achieves in those opening minutes is so rarely achieved in cinemas these days (whereas the Dogme look has been thoroughly digested and incorporated into mainstream aesthetics, so that it is now the reverse of subversive). That first sequence - fusing classical art, advertisement, and pornography in an altogether moving and compelling way - stands amongst the most stirring passages I've seen onscreen in a decade, and among the most stirring of all time.

Great images here, and interesting that so much of it comes from that "test footage." That said, have you considered expanding the width of your post bodies? I did that, and I love having the extra space to play around with for images; these guys would look even better blown up (imo).; November 17, 2010 at 11:55 AM
Anonymous said...: This movie looks like it will freak me the fuck out. So naturally i will watch in late at night all alone in the dark. Can't wait!; November 17, 2010 at 4:43 PM