Lars von Trier

Lars von Trier has reached the top echelon by directing films of unparalleled creativity, ingenuity and power. Von Trier's early films suggest an emerging visual stylist. On Element of Crime, Peter Cowie writes, "Saturated with a kind of distilled evil, surreptitious in its narrative flow, this expressionist ritual could have been made by Murnau, Lang, Pabst or any of the masters of German silent cinema." In Zentropa, Von Trier pulls out every camera trick in the book and succeeds in bringing them together in a bizarre but compelling experience. His television mini-series, Kingdom, is equally inventive, melding medical and docu-drama, ghost/horror story and comedy. So, it is ironic that Von Trier would become one of the major forces behind Dogme 95, a manifesto that disavows the use of camera tricks in order to reclaim a primary type of filmmaking. Yet, his move into a simpler style has resulted in some of his best work, most notably Breaking the Waves and Dancer in the Dark. These films rely more on rich characterizations, plot provocations and superb acting than his previous works while continuing to realize Von Trier's mastery of the art. more...