Review of Breaking the Waves (1996) by George R W — 13 Aug 2009
Like Kevin Smith did with Clerks two years prior, Lars von Trier proves in his sophomore feature effort that you can make a great film without spending millions of dollars. Breaking the Waves is a gripping romance about Bess and Jan. Played magnificently by Emily Watson and Stellan Skarsgard respectively. Bess is a psychotic girl who has been raised in a cloistered religious community. She marries Jan despite the fact that the community doesn't like it. Her life with Jan is a whirlwind. But, when Jan goes to work on the oil rig, Bess slowly begins to lose her grip on reality.
When Jan is paralyzed after an accident on the rig, Bess gets wrapped up in a sexual make believe world of her own making. Breaking the Waves serves well as both a beautiful romance that challenges the notions of love, and a critique of fanatic organized religion.
Bottom Line: **** Breaking the Waves is a unique, poignant, and bittersweet tale of love that should be seen.
This review of Breaking the Waves (1996) was written by George R W on 13 Aug 2009.
Breaking the Waves has generally received very positive reviews.
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