Danish director Lars von Trier screened his latest film “Antichrist,” which apparently was conceived during the director’s two-year struggle with severe depression, to less than enthusiastic responses from a few critics. Roger Ebert called the film “the most despairing film I’ve ever have seen,” and Tom McCarthy of Variety started off his review of the film with “Lars von Trier cuts a big fat art-film fart with ‘Antichrist.’…”
The negative response has been such that Von Trier was even booed at his press conference this afternoon prompting him to responded with over-the-top provacative statements. “It’s the hand of God,” Von Trier said of the film and continued on with the statement, “I am the best film director in the world. I’m not sure if God is the best God in the world.”
Is “Antichrist,” with its on-screen genitalia mutilation, the final sign of the eccentric Dane cracking up and going off the deep-end? Or despite his adamant denials is the sly-auteur playing a big, disgusting joke on the American movie-going audiences he so despises? He is a trickster and he does like to provoke. [THR]
Right now, he isn’t even the best director whose name end in “Trier.”
What do you mean “finally”? Didn’t you see “Dogville”?
Americans dont like Von Trier, in other news, the sky is blue.
His “im the greatest director” was a joke, get a clue people.
Von Trier knows exactly what he’s doing.
"americans don't like lVT" <– congrats on this week's stupidest comment.
Not as dumb as the “Has he cracked?!?!” post.
nope, you still win. people from outside the u.s. are obviously humorless.
I for one can’t wait to see Anti-Christ. I hope it plays at Toronto Film Festival.
Maybe he has lost it, but were the reactions that bad, really? From the previous post on the blog (and reading Ebert and Thompson’s accounts), it seemed like it got a very split reaction – and even the ones who didn’t exactly love the movie had plenty to say about it, instead of dismissing this right away.
Anyway, I look foward to a more detailed review about Antichrist from the blog later.
I see Antichrist tmw. Looking fwd to it. Our correspondent Sam already saw it and said he neither hated or loved it. We’ll see.
Please change this headline. I think it’s disrespectful and specious for The Playlist to be contributing to negative reviews of Von Trier’s movie (calling it “a turd” without quotations) with a headline like that despite none of us having seen the movie.
I like the second Anonymous quote. In my opinion he does know exactly what he’s doing. He’s a real person. Like everyone. I love him for it.
Thank you.