Lars von Trier (''
né'' Trier; 30 April 1956) is a Danish filmmaker, actor, and lyricist. Having garnered a reputation as a highly ambitious, polarizing filmmaker, he has been the subject of several controversies:
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...
, in addition to nominating and awarding his films on numerous occasions, once listed him as ''
persona non grata'' for flippant
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
remarks during an interview; depictions of
graphic violence
Graphic violence refers to the depiction of especially vivid, brutal and realistic acts of violence in visual media such as film, television, and video games. It may be real, simulated live action, or animated.
Intended limitedly for mature ...
and
unsimulated sex
In the film industry, unsimulated sex is the presentation of sex scenes in which actors genuinely perform the depicted sex acts, rather than simulating them. Although it is ubiquitous in films intended as pornographic, it is very uncommon in ...
in some of his films have drawn criticism; and he has been accused of mistreating actresses during filming, including
Björk and
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...
.
Trier's career has spanned more than four decades
and his works have gained notoriety for his trademarks including European frequent actors (particularly
Jean-Marc Barr
Jean-Marc Barr (born September 27, 1960) is a French-American film actor and director. He is best known for working on several films from Danish film director and frequent collaborator Lars von Trier since ''Europa'' (1991).
Early life and ed ...
,
Udo Kier
Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He h ...
and
Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2007), ''Melancholia'' (201 ...
), different thematic
trilogies,
handheld camerawork, upsetting subject matters, genre and technical innovation, confrontational examination of
existential
Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...
, social, and political
issues, and his treatment of subjects
such as mercy, sacrifice, and
mental health
Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...
.
Von Trier is the creator of the
avant-garde filmmaking movement
Dogme 95
Dogme 95 is a 1995 avant-garde filmmaking movement founded by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vows of Chastity" ( da, kyskhedsløfter). These were rules to create films ...
alongside fellow director
Thomas Vinterberg
Thomas Vinterberg (; born 19 May 1969) is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production. He is best known for the films ''The Celeb ...
, as well as founder and shareholder of the Danish film production company
Zentropa Films,
which has sold more than 350million tickets and garnered eight Academy Award nominations.
Early life and education
Von Trier was born in
Kongens Lyngby, Denmark, north of
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
, to Inger Høst and Fritz Michael Hartmann (the head of Denmark's
Ministry of Social Affairs
A Ministry of Social Affairs or Department of Social Affairs is the common name for a government department found in states where the government is divided into ministries or departments. While there is some variation in the responsibilities of ...
and a
World War II resistance fighter).
He received his surname from Høst's husband, Ulf Trier, whom he believed to be his biological father until 1989.
He studied
film theory at the
University of Copenhagen and film direction at the
National Film School of Denmark
The National Film School of Denmark ( da, Den Danske Filmskole) is an independent institution under the Danish Ministry of Cultural Affairs. It was established in 1966 and is based on Holmen in the harbour of Copenhagen.
History
The National ...
.
At 25, he won two Best School Film awards at the Munich International Festival of Film Schools for ''Nocturne'' and ''Last Detail''. The same year, he added the
nobiliary particle "
von" to his name, possibly as a satirical homage to the equally self-invented titles of directors
Erich von Stroheim and
Josef von Sternberg, and saw his graduation film ''
Images of Liberation'' released as a
theatrical feature.
Career
1984–1994: Career beginnings and the Europa trilogy
In 1984, ''
The Element of Crime'', von Trier's breakthrough film, received twelve awards at seven international festivals
including the Technical Grand Prize at
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...
, and a nomination for the
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
. The film's slow, non-linear pace, innovative and multi-leveled plot design, and dark dreamlike visual effects
combine to create an allegory for traumatic European historical events.
His next film, ''
Epidemic'' (1987), was also shown at
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...
in the
Un Certain Regard section. The film features two story lines that ultimately collide: the chronicle of two filmmakers (played by vonTrier and screenwriter Niels Vørse) in the midst of developing a new project, and a dark science fiction tale of a futuristic plaguethe very film von Trier and Vørsel are depicted making. He directed ''
Medea'' (1988) for television, which won him the Jean d'Arcy prize in France. It is based on a screenplay by
Carl Th. Dreyer and stars
Udo Kier
Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He h ...
.
Von Trier has referred to his films as falling into thematic and stylistic
trilogies. This pattern began with ''
The Element of Crime'' (1984), the first of the
''Europa'' trilogy, which illuminated traumatic periods in Europe both in the past and the future. It also includes ''Epidemic''. He completed the trilogy in 1991 with ''
Europa'' (released as ''Zentropa'' in the US), which won the
Prix duJury at the
1991 Cannes Film Festival,
and picked up awards at other major festivals. In 1990 he also directed the music video for the song "Bakerman" by
Laid Back
Laid Back is a Danish electronic music duo group from Copenhagen, formed in 1979. The duo consists of John Guldberg (vocals, guitar, bass) and Tim Stahl (vocals, keyboards, drums, bass). They are best known for the hits "Sunshine Reggae" and " ...
. This video was re-used in 2006 by the English DJ and artist
Shaun Baker in his remake of the song.
Seeking financial independence and creative control over their projects, in 1992 vonTrier and producer
Peter Aalbæk Jensen founded the film production company
Zentropa Entertainment. Named after a fictional railway company in ''Europa'',
their most recent film at the time, Zentropa has produced many movies other than Trier's own, as well as several television series. It has also produced hardcore sex films: ''
Constance'' (1998), ''
Pink Prison'' (1999), ''HotMen CoolBoyz'' (2000), and ''
All About Anna'' (2005). To make money for his newly founded company, vonTrier made ''
The Kingdom'' (Danish title ''Riget'', 1994) and ''
The KingdomII'' (''RigetII'', 1997), a pair of miniseries recorded in the Danish national hospital, the name "Riget" being a colloquial name for the hospital known as Rigshospitalet (lit. The Kingdom's Hospital) in Danish. A projected third season of the series was derailed by the death in 1998 of
Ernst-Hugo Järegård, who played Dr. Helmer, and that of
Kirsten Rolffes, who played Mrs. Drusse, in 2000, two of the major characters, led to the series' cancellation.
1995–2000: the Dogme 95 manifesto, and the ''Golden Heart'' trilogy
In 1995, von Trier and
Thomas Vinterberg
Thomas Vinterberg (; born 19 May 1969) is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production. He is best known for the films ''The Celeb ...
presented their manifesto for a new cinematic movement, which they called
Dogme 95
Dogme 95 is a 1995 avant-garde filmmaking movement founded by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vows of Chastity" ( da, kyskhedsløfter). These were rules to create films ...
. The Dogme95 concept, which led to international interest in
Danish film, inspired filmmakers all over the world. It required filmmakers to shirk several common techniques in modern filmmaking, such as studio lighting, sets, costumes, and non-diegtic music.
In 2008, together with their fellow Dogme directors
Kristian Levring
Kristian Levring (; born 9 May 1957) is a Danish film director. He was the fourth signatory of the Dogme95 movement. His feature films as director include ''Et skud fra hjertet'', ''The King is Alive'', ''The Intended'', ''Fear Me Not'', and ''The ...
and
Søren Kragh-Jacobsen
Søren Kragh-Jacobsen (; born 2 March 1947, in Copenhagen) is a Danish film director, musician, and songwriter. He was one of the founders and practitioners of the Dogme95 project, for creating films without artificial technology or techniques.
...
, vonTrier and
Thomas Vinterberg
Thomas Vinterberg (; born 19 May 1969) is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production. He is best known for the films ''The Celeb ...
received the
European film award
The European Film Awards (or European Film Academy Awards) have been presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in 19 categories, of which the mo ...
for
European Achievement in World Cinema.
In 1996 von Trier conducted an unusual theatrical experiment in Copenhagen involving 53 actors, which he titled ''Psychomobile1: The World Clock''. A documentary chronicling the project was directed by Jesper Jargil, and was released in 2000 with the title ''
De Udstillede'' (The Exhibited).
Von Trier achieved international success with his ''Golden Heart'' trilogy. Each film in the trilogy is about naive heroines who maintain their "golden hearts" despite the tragedies they experience. This trilogy consists of ''
Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''
The Idiots'' (1998), and ''
Dancer in the Dark'' (2000). While all three films are sometimes associated with the
Dogme 95
Dogme 95 is a 1995 avant-garde filmmaking movement founded by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vows of Chastity" ( da, kyskhedsløfter). These were rules to create films ...
movement, only ''The Idiots'' was the only one to meet all the necessary criteria to be "certified" as such.
''Breaking the Waves'' won the
Grand Prix at the
Cannes Film Festival and featured
Emily Watson, who was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...
. Its grainy images, and hand-held photography, pointed towards Dogme95 but violated several of the manifesto's rules. The second film in the trilogy, ''The Idiots'', was nominated for a
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
, with which he was presented in person at the
1998 Cannes Film Festival
The 51st Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 May 1998. American director, producer, screenwriter, and film historian Martin Scorsese was the Jury President. The Palme d'Or went to the Greek film '' Mia aioniotita kai mia mera'' by Theo An ...
, despite his dislike of traveling. In 2000, von Trier premiered ''
Dancer in the Dark'', a musical featuring Icelandic musician
Björk. The film won the
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
at
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...
.
The song "I've Seen It All" (co-written by vonTrier) received an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination for
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
.
2003–2008: ''The Land of Opportunities'' and other works
''
The Five Obstructions'' (2003), made by vonTrier and
Jørgen Leth
Jørgen Leth (; born 14 June 1937) is a Danish poet and film director who is considered a leading figure in experimental documentary film making. Most notable are his documentary ''A Sunday in Hell'' (1977) and his surrealistic short film '' Th ...
, is a documentary that incorporates lengthy sections of
experimental films. The premise is that vonTrier challenges Leth, his friend and mentor, to remake his 1967 experimental short ''
The Perfect Human'' five times, each time with a different or obstacle.
His next proposed trilogy, ''Land of Opportunities'' consisted of ''
Dogville
''Dogville'' is a 2003 avant-garde drama film written and directed by Lars von Trier, and starring an ensemble cast led by Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, Paul Bettany, Chloë Sevigny, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Ben Gazzara, Harriet Anderss ...
'' (2003), ''
Manderlay'' (2005), and the unmade '. The first two installments were shot with the same distinctive, extremely stylized approach, with the actors performing on a bare
sound stage
A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a soundproof, large structure, building, or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or ...
with no decoration, with buildings' walls marked by chalk lines on the floor, a style inspired by 1970s televised theatre. ''Dogville'' starred
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...
as Grace Margaret Mulligan, a role taken by
Bryce Dallas Howard for ''Manderlay''. Both films feature an ensemble cast including
Harriet Andersson,
Lauren Bacall,
James Caan
James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Suppo ...
,
Danny Glover, and
Willem Dafoe
Willem James Dafoe (; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, in addition to receiving nominations for four Academy Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, t ...
. The films question various issues relating to American society, such as intolerance and slavery.
In 2006, von Trier released the Danish-language comedy film, ''
The Boss of It All''. It was shot using an experimental process he named
Automavision, which involves the director choosing the best possible fixed camera position, then allowing a computer to randomly choose when to tilt, pan, or zoom. He followed this with an autobiographical film, ''The Early Years: Erik Nietzsche Part 1'' in 2007, which von Trier wrote and was directed by Jacob Thuesen. The film tells the story of vonTrier's years as a student at the National Film School of Denmark. It stars
Jonatan Spang
Jannik Kåre Jonatan Spang Olesen (born February 4, 1978) is a Danish standup comedian, actor and former theater director at Nørrebro Teater. Spang debuted as a standup comedian in 1998. The following year he was admitted to the School of Acti ...
as vonTrier's alter ego, called "Erik Nietzsche", and is narrated by vonTrier himself. All the main characters in the film are based on real people from the Danish film industry, with thinly veiled portrayals including
Jens Albinus as director
Nils Malmros
Nils Malmros (born 1944), a Danish film director and screenwriter, is considered a leading auteur of realism in Danish cinema.Nissen, Dan, ''Malmros, Nils'', International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Gale Group, (2001) retrieved 2 Augu ...
,
Dejan Čukić as screenwriter
Mogens Rukov, and
Søren Pilmark.
2009–2014: The ''Depression'' trilogy
The ''Depression'' trilogy consists of ''
Antichrist
In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . ...
'', ''
Melancholia'', and ''
Nymphomaniac''. The three films star
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (; born 21 July 1971) is a British-French actress and singer. She is the daughter of English actress Jane Birkin and French musician Serge Gainsbourg. After making her musical debut with her father on the song " Lemo ...
, and deal with characters who suffer depression or grief in different ways. This trilogy is said to represent the depression that Trier himself experiences.
''Antichrist'' follows "a grieving couple who retreat to their cabin in the woods, hoping a return to Eden will repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage; but nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse". The film stars
Willem Dafoe
Willem James Dafoe (; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, in addition to receiving nominations for four Academy Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, t ...
and Gainsbourg. It premiered in competition at the 2009
Cannes Film Festival, where the festival's jury honoured the movie by giving the Best Actress award to Gainsbourg.
''Melancholia'', released in 2011, is an apocalyptic drama about two depressive sisters played by
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Caroline Dunst (; born April 30, 1982) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the short ''Oedipus Wrecks'' directed by Woody Allen in the anthology film '' New York Stories'' (1989). She then gained recognition for her ro ...
and Gainsbourg, the former of whom marries just before a
rogue planet
A rogue planet (also termed a free-floating planet (FFP), interstellar, nomad, orphan, starless, unbound or wandering planet) is an interstellar object of planetary-mass, therefore smaller than fusors (stars and brown dwarfs) and without a h ...
is about to collide with Earth. The film was in competition at the
2011 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Best Actress award for Dunst.
Following ''Melancholia'', von Trier began the production of ''Nymphomaniac'', a film about the sexual awakening of a woman played by Gainsbourg. In early December 2013, a four-hour version shown to the press in a private preview session. The cast also included
Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2007), ''Melancholia'' (201 ...
(in his sixth film for von Trier),
Shia LaBeouf
Shia Saide LaBeouf (; born June 11, 1986) is an American actor, performance artist, and filmmaker. He played Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series ''Even Stevens'', a role for which he received Young Artist Award nominations in 2001 and ...
,
Willem Dafoe
Willem James Dafoe (; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, in addition to receiving nominations for four Academy Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, t ...
,
Jamie Bell,
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...
, and
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress and former model. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 an ...
. In response to claims that he had merely created a "
porn film", Skarsgård stated "... if you look at this film, it's actually a really bad porn movie, even if you fast forward. And after a while you find you don't even react to the explicit scenes. They become as natural as seeing someone eating a bowl of cereal." For its public release in the United Kingdom, the film was divided into two "volumes". It premiered in the UK on 22February 2014.
In interviews prior to the film's release, Gainsbourg and co-star
Stacy Martin
Stacy Martin (born 20 March 1990) is a French actress. Her breakthrough role was playing Joe as a young woman in Lars von Trier's 2013 drama film ''Nymphomaniac''.
Early life
Martin was born in Paris, where she spent her early childhood. She m ...
revealed that
prosthetic
In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
vaginas, body doubles, and special effects were used for the production of the film. Martin also stated that the film's characters were a reflection of the director himself, and referred to the experience as an "honour" that she enjoyed. The film was also released in two "volumes" for the Australian release on 20 March 2014, with an interval separating the back-to-back sections. In February 2014, an uncensored version of ''Volume I'' was shown at the Berlin Film Festival, with no announcement of when or if the complete five-and-a-half-hour ''Nymphomaniac'' would be made available to the public. The complete version premiered at the 2014
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
and was shortly afterward released in a limited theatrical run worldwide that fall.
2015–2018: ''The House That Jack Built'' and the return to Cannes
In 2015, von Trier began work on a new feature film, ''
The House That Jack Built'', which was originally planned as an eight-part television series. The story is about a serial killer, seen from the murderer's point of view. It starred
Matt Dillon in the title role, alongside
Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz (; 22 March 1941 – 16 February 2019) was a Swiss actor whose career in German stage, television and film productions spanned nearly 60 years. He was known for his collaborations with the directors Werner Herzog, Éric Rohmer, Franc ...
,
Riley Keough
Danielle Riley Keough ( ; born May 29, 1989) is an American actress, notable for being the daughter of musicians Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough, and granddaughter of actress Priscilla Presley and singer Elvis Presley, and starting a succes ...
and
Sofie Gråbøl
Sofie Gråbøl (; born 30 July 1968) is a Danish actress. She has starred in a number of films, with her breakthrough role in the 1986 Danish film '' Early Spring'', directed by Astrid Henning-Jensen, playing the lead role in the film version of ...
.
Shooting started in March 2017 in Sweden, before moving to Copenhagen in May.
In February 2017, von Trier explained that the film "celebrates the idea that life is evil and soulless, which is sadly proven by the
recent rise of the ''
Homo trumpus'' – the rat king".
The film premiered at the
Cannes Film Festival in May 2018. Despite more than a hundred walkouts by audience members, the film still received a 10-minute standing ovation.
2019–present: Revival to ''Riget'' and planned feature film, ''Études''
After the release of ''The House That Jack Built'', von Trier planned to produce ''Études'', an anthology film consisting of ten black and white segments, each ten minutes long, inspired by the
musical form. In December 2020, it was announced he would produce a belated third and final season of ''
The Kingdom'', titled ''The Kingdom Exodus''. It was also announced that
Søren Pilmark would return as Jørgen 'Hook' Krogshøj, as would
Ghita Nørby as Rigmor Mortensen, alongside a new cast including
Mikael Persbrandt as Dr. Helmer, Jr. It was shot in 2021, consisting of five episodes to be released in November 2022. The miniseries premiered out of competition at the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
as a five-hour feature length film. It received positive reviews from critics.
Aesthetics, themes, and style of working
Influences
Von Trier is heavily influenced by the work of
Carl Theodor Dreyer and the film ''
The Night Porter''. He was so inspired by the short film ''
The Perfect Human'', directed by
Jørgen Leth
Jørgen Leth (; born 14 June 1937) is a Danish poet and film director who is considered a leading figure in experimental documentary film making. Most notable are his documentary ''A Sunday in Hell'' (1977) and his surrealistic short film '' Th ...
, that he challenged Leth to redo the short five times in the feature film ''
The Five Obstructions''.
Writing
Von Trier's writing style has been heavily influenced by his work with actors on set, as well as the
Dogme 95
Dogme 95 is a 1995 avant-garde filmmaking movement founded by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vows of Chastity" ( da, kyskhedsløfter). These were rules to create films ...
manifesto that he co-authored.
In an interview with ''Creative Screenwriting'', he described his process as "writing a sketch and keep
ngthe story simple...then part of the script work is with the actors."
He again cites Dreyer as an influence, pointing to his method of overwriting his scripts, then significantly cutting the length down.
Reflecting on the storytelling across his body of work, von Trier said, "all the stories are about a realist who comes into conflict with life. I'm not crazy about real life, and real life is not crazy about me."
Filming techniques
Von Trier has said that "a film should be like a stone in your shoe".
To create original art he feels that filmmakers must distinguish themselves stylistically from other films, often by placing restrictions on the film making process. The most famous such restriction is the cinematic "vow of chastity" of the
Dogme 95
Dogme 95 is a 1995 avant-garde filmmaking movement founded by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vows of Chastity" ( da, kyskhedsløfter). These were rules to create films ...
movement. In ''
Dancer in the Dark'', he used jump shots and dramatically different color palettes and camera techniques for the "real world" and musical portions of the film,.
Von Trier often shoots
digitally and operates the camera himself, preferring to continuously shoot the actors in-character without stopping between takes. In ''Dogville'' he let actors stay in character for hours, in the style of
method acting
Method acting, informally known as The Method, is a range of training and rehearsal techniques, as formulated by a number of different theatre practitioners, that seeks to encourage sincere and expressive performances through identifying with, u ...
. These techniques often put great strain on the actors, most famously with
Björk during the filming of ''Dancer in the Dark''.
Von Trier would later return to explicit images in ''
Antichrist
In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . ...
'' (2009), exploring darker themes, but he ran into problems when he tried once more with ''
Nymphomaniac'', which had 90 minutes cut out (reducing it from five-and-one-half to four hours) for its international release in 2013 in order to be commercially viable, taking nearly a year to be shown complete anywhere in an uncensored director's cut.
While Lars von Trier commissioned new musical compositions for his early films, his more recent work has made use of existing music.
With ''Nymphomaniac'', the principle of musical eclecticism is also applied within the film.
He often heavily edits compositions to manipulate and provoke the audience.
Approach to actors
In an interview for
IndieWire, von Trier compared his approach to actors with "how a chef would work with a potato or a piece of meat", clarifying that working with actors has differed on each film based on the production conditions. He has occasionally courted controversy by his treatment of his lead actresses. He and
Björk famously fell out during the shooting of ''
Dancer in the Dark'', to the point where she would abscond from filming for days at a time. She stated that von Trier, who shattered a monitor while it was next to her, that "you can take quite sexist film directors like
Woody Allen or
Stanley Kubrick and still they are the one that provide the soul to their movies. In Lars von Trier's case it is not so and he knows it. He needs a female to provide his work soul. And he envies them and hates them for it. So he has to destroy them during the filming. And hide the evidence."
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...
, who starred in von Trier's ''
Dogville
''Dogville'' is a 2003 avant-garde drama film written and directed by Lars von Trier, and starring an ensemble cast led by Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, Paul Bettany, Chloë Sevigny, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Ben Gazzara, Harriet Anderss ...
'', said in an interview with
ABC Radio National that she tried to quit the film several times in response to comments von Trier made on set, often while inebriated, "but I say this laughing...I didn't do the sequel but I'm still very good friends with him, strangely enough, because I admire his honesty and I see him as an artist, and I say, my gosh, it's such a hard world now to have a unique voice, and he certainly has that."
However, other actresses he has worked with, such as
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Caroline Dunst (; born April 30, 1982) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the short ''Oedipus Wrecks'' directed by Woody Allen in the anthology film '' New York Stories'' (1989). She then gained recognition for her ro ...
and
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (; born 21 July 1971) is a British-French actress and singer. She is the daughter of English actress Jane Birkin and French musician Serge Gainsbourg. After making her musical debut with her father on the song " Lemo ...
have spoken out in defence of his approach.
''Nymphomaniac'' star
Stacy Martin
Stacy Martin (born 20 March 1990) is a French actress. Her breakthrough role was playing Joe as a young woman in Lars von Trier's 2013 drama film ''Nymphomaniac''.
Early life
Martin was born in Paris, where she spent her early childhood. She m ...
has stated that he never forced her to do anything that was outside her comfort zone. She said "I don't think he's a misogynist. The fact that he sometimes depicts women as troubled or dangerous or dark or even evil; that doesn't automatically make him anti-feminist. It's a very dated argument. I think that Lars loves women."
Personal life
Family
In 1989, von Trier's mother told him on her deathbed that the man von Trier's biological father was not the man who raised him, but her former employer, Fritz Michael Hartmann (1909–2000), who was descended from a long line of Danish classical musicians. Hartmann's grandfather was
Emil Hartmann, and his great-grandfather
J. P. E. Hartmann. His uncles included
Niels Gade and
Johan Ernst Hartmann, and
Niels Viggo Bentzon
Niels Viggo Bentzon (Copenhagen, 24 August 1919 – Copenhagen, 25 April 2000) was a Danish composer and pianist.
Biography
Bentzon was the son of Viggo Bentzon (1861-1937), Rector of Copenhagen University and Karen Hartmann (1882-1977), con ...
was his cousin. She stated that she did this to give her son "artistic genes". Von Trier has jokingly said that while he believed he had a Jewish background, he is "really more of a Nazi."
During the
German occupation of Denmark
At the outset of World War II in September 1939, Denmark declared itself neutral. For most of the war, the country was a protectorate and then an occupied territory of Germany. The decision to occupy Denmark was taken in Berlin on 17 December ...
, Hartmann in fact joined a
resistance group, actively counteracting any pro-German and pro-Nazi colleagues in his civil service department. Another member of this resistance group was Hartmann's colleague
Viggo Kampmann
Olfert Viggo Fischer Kampmann (; 21 July 1910 – 3 June 1976) was a Danish politician who served as the leader of the Danish Social Democrats and Prime Minister of Denmark from 1960 to 1962. He formed his first cabinet just prior to the 1960 el ...
, who would later become prime minister of Denmark. After vonTrier had four awkward meetings with his biological father, Hartmann refused further contact.
Family background and political and religious views
Von Trier's mother considered herself a
communist, while Ulf Trier was a
social democrat
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soc ...
. Both were committed
nudists, and vonTrier went on several childhood holidays to
nudist camps. They regarded the disciplining of children as reactionary. Von Trier has noted that he was brought up in an atheist family, and that although Ulf Trier was Jewish, he was not religious. His parents did not allow much room in their household for "feelings, religion, or enjoyment", and also refused to make any rules for their children, with complex effects upon vonTrier's personality and development.
In a 2005 interview with ''
Die Zeit'', vonTrier said, "I don't know if I'm all that Catholic really. I'm probably not. Denmark is a very
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
country. Perhaps I only turned
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
to piss off a few of my countrymen."
In 2009, he said, "I'm a very bad Catholic. In fact I'm becoming more and more of an
atheist."
Health
Mental health
Von Trier suffers from various fears and
phobias, including an intense
fear of flying
Fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane, or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also referred to as flying anxiety, flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia, aerophobia, or pteromechanophobia (although a ...
. This fear frequently places severe constraints on him and his crew, necessitating that virtually all of his films be shot in either Denmark or Sweden.
On numerous occasions, he has stated that he suffers from occasional
depression which renders him incapable of doing his work and unable to fulfill social obligations.
Parkinson's disease
On 8 August 2022, it was announced that von Trier had been diagnosed with
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
. According to ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', von Trier plans to take a break from filmmaking to adjust to his new life with the disease, saying: "I will take a little break and find out what to do, but I certainly hope that my condition will be better. It’s a disease you can’t take away; you can work with the symptoms, though.”
Controversies
Nazi remarks during Cannes interview
In May 2011, known to be provocative in interviews, vonTrier's remarks during the press conference before the premiere of ''
Melancholia'' in Cannes caused significant controversy in the media, leading the festival to declare him ''
persona non grata''. He was therefore banned from Cannes for one year,
although ''Melancholia'' still competed in that year's competition.
Minutes before the end of the press conference, von Trier was asked about his German roots and the Nazi aesthetic, in response to his description of the film's genre as "German romance".
He joked that since he was "no longer Jewish," having been told the truth about his biological father, he now "understands" and "sympathizes" with Hitler, that he is not against the Jews except for Israel which is "a pain in the ass" and that he is a Nazi.
Von Trier was branded an antisemite for his remarks. He released a formal apology immediately after the press conference and kept apologizing for his joke during all of the interviews he gave in the weeks following the incident, admitting that he was not sober, and saying that he did not need to explain that he is not a Nazi.
However, in 2019, von Trier stated that he made this remark at the "only press conference I ever had when I was sober."
The actors of ''Melancholia'' who were present during the incident –
Dunst,
Gainsbourg,
Skarsgård – defended the director, pointing to his provocative sense of humor
and his depression.
He refused to attend a private press screening of his subsequent feature ''
Nymphomaniac''. In the director's defense, Skarsgård stated at the screening, "Everyone knows he's not a Nazi, and it was disgraceful the way the press had these headlines saying he was."
The director of the Cannes festival later called the controversy "unfair" and as "stupid" as vonTrier's bad joke, concluding that his films are welcome at the festival and that vonTrier is considered a "friend".
Sexual harassment allegations
In October 2017, Björk posted on her Facebook page that she had been sexually harassed by a "Danish film director she worked with". The ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' found evidence identifying von Trier as the director in question. Von Trier has apologized for psychologically abusing her but rejected Björk's allegation that he sexually harassed her during the making of the film ''Dancer in the Dark'', and said "That was not the case. But that we were definitely not friends, that's a fact," to Danish daily ''
Jyllands-Posten
''Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten'' (; English: ''The Morning Newspaper "The Jutland Post"''), commonly shortened to ''Jyllands-Posten'' or ''JP'', is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper. It is based in Aarhus C, Jutland, and with a weekday circula ...
'' in its online edition.
Peter Aalbaek Jensen, the producer of ''Dancer in the Dark'', told ''Jyllands-Posten'' that "As far as I remember we were the victims. That woman was stronger than both Lars von Trier and me and our company put together. She dictated everything and was about to close a movie of 100M kroner
16M"
Following von Trier's statement, Björk released a further statement offering more details about her experience, while her manager, Derek Birkett, also condemned von Trier's alleged past actions.
''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' later found that Zentropa, which Jensen runs and von Trier founded, had an endemic culture of sexual harassment. Jensen stepped down as CEO when further allegations of harassment came to light in 2017.
Animal cruelty during filming
A
donkey was slaughtered for dramatic purposes during production of ''
Manderlay'', an act that caused actors including
John C. Reilly to quit the film in protest of its cruelty to animals. The scene was cut from the film before it was released.
Although ''
The House that Jack Built'' was praised by animal rights organization
PETA, audiences criticised a scene involving the main character's mutilation of a duckling as a child.
Filmography
Films
Frequent collaborators
Von Trier often with actors and production members more than once. His main crew members and producer team has remained intact since
''Europa''. Many of his recurring actors have expressed their devotion
to von Trier.
Jean-Marc Barr
Jean-Marc Barr (born September 27, 1960) is a French-American film actor and director. He is best known for working on several films from Danish film director and frequent collaborator Lars von Trier since ''Europa'' (1991).
Early life and ed ...
,
Udo Kier
Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He h ...
and
Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2007), ''Melancholia'' (201 ...
have all appeared across several von Trier films. With the exception of ''Medea'', ''The Kingdom'', his "USA Trilogy", and ''The House that Jack Built'';
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (; born 21 July 1971) is a British-French actress and singer. She is the daughter of English actress Jane Birkin and French musician Serge Gainsbourg. After making her musical debut with her father on the song " Lemo ...
is the only actress to have appeared in all instalments of one of his trilogies, taking the lead roles in ''Antichrist'', ''Melancholia'', and ''Nymphomaniac''.
''Note: This list shows only the actors (in alphabetical order only) who have collaborated with von Trier in three or more productions''.
Awards and honors
Among his more than 100 awards and 200 nominations
at film festivals worldwide, von Trier has received: the
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
(for ''
Dancer in the Dark''), the
Grand Prix (for ''
Breaking the Waves''), the
Prix du Jury (for ''
Europa''), and the Technical Grand Prize (for ''
The Element of Crime'' and ''
Europa'') at the
Cannes Film Festival. Von Trier has also received both
Golden Globe Award and
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination.
* In von Trier's second trilogy, ''Golden Heart'', is the first franchise or trilogy to have won both
Bodil and
Robert for Best Actress in a Leading Role, respectively
Emily Watson,
Bodil Jorgensen, and
Björk, while Watson and Björk also have won the
European for Best Actress.
** Also in ''Golden Heart'', three of them have nominated the
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
, with the latter won.
* In von Trier's fourth trilogy, ''Depression'', is the first franchise or trilogy to have sweep the Robert for
Best Danish Film,
Best Director,
Best Screenplay,
Best Cinematography,
Best Editing,
Best Sound, and
Best Visual Effects.
Notes
* 1
^ Dimension was originally intended a feature-length gangster film with each 33 years of development as for 2024 per theatrical release, but he was lost interest in the project after the death of Cartlidge, Constantine, and Hugo Järegård, in which he completes one of the footages into a short film instead.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
* Rudolph, Pascal (2020). "Björk on the Gallows: Performance, Persona, and Authenticity in Lars von Trier’s ''Dancer in the Dark''", in ''IASPM Journal 10/1'', 22–42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5429/2079-3871(2020)v10i1.3en.
* Rudolph, Pascal (2022). ''
Präexistente Musik im Film: Klangwelten im Kino des Lars von Trier'' (in German). edition text + kritik. DOI https://doi.org/10.5771/9783967077582.
* Rudolph, Pascal (2023). "The Musical Idea Work Group: Production and Reception of Pre-existing Music in Film", in ''Twentieth-Century Music'' 20/2, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478572222000214.
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External links
Zentropa official websitenbsp;– von Trier's production company
*
*
Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical DatabaseThe Burden From Donald Duck. An interview with Lars von TrierVideo by
Louisiana Channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trier, Lars von
1956 births
Living people
Converts to Roman Catholicism
Danish experimental filmmakers
Danish people of German descent
Danish Roman Catholics
Danish male screenwriters
Danish documentary film directors
Directors of Palme d'Or winners
English-language film directors
European Film Award for Best Director winners
Film directors from Copenhagen
Hartmann family
German-language film directors
Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog
People from Kongens Lyngby
Spanish-language film directors
Sun in a Net Awards winners
Postmodernist filmmakers
People with Parkinson's disease