Saturday, April 20, 2019

Breaking the Waves (1996)


Oilman Jan is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when Jan urges her to have sex with another.

Immensely intense and depressingly realistic drama investigating issues of compassion, love, faith and innocence; Emily Watson's performance is spectacular.

Halliwell****: "A remarkable and striking film, though in some ways a dislikeable one. It has a raw, emotional power rarely encountered on film, owing its soulful and guileless central performance and the restlessly casual, close-up camerawork; but its theme, an apparent celebration of self-sacrifice through sexual degradation, is often unlovely and hard to take."

Maltin***1/2: "Extraordinary story...A bold, often unsettling examination of love and faith, given immediacy and power by von Trier's documentarylike  approach and Robby Müller's faded visual scheme, which root the miraculous in the everyday world. Watson, in her film debut, is unforgettable in the lead role."

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