- Dogville
Lars von Trier’s two-part epic Nymphomaniac can finally be viewed in proper now that both volumes are in theaters and on VOD. As is usually the case with a new Von Trier movie, the film’s reputation preceded it, arousing controversy for the unsimulated and graphic sex that was to take place onscreen. (And who could forget about this guy?) As the conclusion to his supposed “Depression Trilogy,” which also includes Antichrist and Melancholia, the film is yet another patented Von Trier provocation, the latest in a long line of films that concurrently infuriate and fascinate audiences and critics. So it goes with the Danish director, a master of self-promotion (not to mention self-aggrandizement and self-loathing) who begs for the spotlight if only to alienate himself once it gets there.
- Europa, aka Zentropa (1991) This, his most beautifully designed film, is equipped with vivid splashes of color, inventive rear-projection sequences, and intricate compositions. Heavily influenced by Franz Kafka, the film is decidedly otherworldly—the opening sequence is, in effect, hypnosis, designed to “transport” the viewer to the world of the film but also ground the material in its ultrasubversive, Twilight Zone-esque universe.
