This grand classic by Lars von Trier was my treat of artful cinema last night. It bears a subtle human portrayal, with no easy moral, but a complex depiction of human relationships and dare I say nature.
Very interesting in the light of international conflicts at present.
Lars is remarkable in his capacity to depict a kaleidoscope of human ideals, actions and the evolution of these within a same individual within a very limited time frame.
Far from chosing the classical Manichean scheme of good and bad, he demonstrates with genius a fundamentally amoral humanity, constantly adapting to its social and material environment. Dominant becomes dominated. Victim becomes culprit. And humanity in its whole is once more NAKED and frustrated, unable to transcend and surpass itself with its created ideals.
The depiction of humanity is universal as it symbolically includes the presence of both urban and rural worlds. One could add to this inglobing set of dualisms the developed and undeveloped, the educated and uneducated.
Thus, no escape route here (that we love to believe in) is offered to set the blame on individual particularities. It is HUMAN RACE at its CORE. Ourselves, YOU & ME !
So in short, though it does no justice to the film's sensational work: humans are shown here with the basest passions, which are only possibly repressed through social power and pressure:
Egoism, abuse of power, disrespect, apathy, ignorance, cupidity, brutality..
The list is long and telling.
So if you've seen it let me know what you would really do in Nicole Kidman's role. Otherwise go watch this piece of cultural genius !
No comments:
Post a Comment