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The
Idiots
(Idioterne)
**
Cinema
Releases - May 14, 1999
Rated on a 4-star
scale. Denmark. Written and directed by Lars von Trier.
Starring Jens Albinus, Bodil
Jørgensen, Anne Louise Hassing, Troels Lyby, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Henrik
Prip, Luis Mesonero, Louise Mieritz, Knud Romer Jorgensen, Trine Michelsen,
Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis.
Lars von Trier's "The Idiots"
follows around a group of people -- all with high-paid jobs or inherited
wealth -- who pretend they are retarded. They live in one house, inside and
out of which they engage in fits of "spassing", their chosen name for the
strange pastime. Each person's goal is to find their "inner idiot", who has
no thoughts, and therefore no cares or inhibitions.
The film opens in a restaurant in which The Idiots
are eating. Loud and frantic "spassing" occurs, and at the same time, a new
recruit is picked up, the fragile Karen (Bodil Jørgensen). Karen does
not at first realise that these people are pretending, and upon finding out,
she's shocked, accusing them of mocking something serious. She's nonetheless
intrigued, eventually joining the activity, then ultimately depending on
it to escape the complicated emotional reality of her frustrated
life.
The narrative is somewhat like a video diary.
Except for an insignificant framing device, it plays out as a collection
of different scenarios in which The Idiots choose to "spass". There is one
hilarious passage in which Stoffer (Jens Albinus) tries to cover up the situation
to fob off his uncle, who owns the group's house and did not realise they
were staying there. Other chapters vary in their degrees of success -- one
moment in the controversial orgy sequence, for example, is actually remarkably
touching, whereas the clowning around in public swimming baths and the conning
nervous landowners out of money is simply pointless.
"The Idiots" was shot in accordance with the Dogma
'95 manifesto, a weird document by admittedly bored filmmakers, that shows
contempt for "emotional illusion" in film. I see this as a foolish policy,
since emotional illusion is actually one of film's greatest assets -- indeed
it's the concept of art in general. The rules laid down by Dogma '95 include
that films should be shot with a hand-held camcorder, much of them should
be improvised, all sound must be recorded live and no extra props or costumes
should be brought to the place of filming, which should be a real location.
Since through the content of "The Idiots" we never get to know several
characters, and von Trier never seems to say anything about the issues raised,
or even confirm which genre he's in, the dizzying Dogma '95 style is the
factor most notable, and all conclusions have to be drawn from it. I'd like
to think that its disorganised manner represents the unsure, insecure, aimless
and bewildered thought processes of the characters, and although some critics
have been even kinder, inventing pretentious explanations of grand meaning,
such notions are the result of people kidding themselves. Since "The Idiots"
was filmed with a rushed screenplay, highly dependent on improvisation and
in a style dictated by Dogma, we know that there isn't some carefully planned
genius behind it. As I mentioned, von Trier says nothing with his content,
and since his technique is just as hollow, he therefore says nothing at
all.
That's a disappointment. Von Trier's previous
film, "Breaking the Waves", was one of the most emotionally shattering films
of 1996, with a mesmerising performance from Emily Watson and a hazy filmmaking
style that actually had relevance and effect. Although "The Idiots" is not
terrible, it did inspire frequent glances at my watch, and I can't in good
conscience recommend it. The most valuable thing it offers is a rather crafty
way to get out of paying in a restaurant. You can catch that in the first
ten minutes.
COPYRIGHT© 1999 Ian
Waldron-Mantgani
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