Review of Breaking the Waves (2014) by Derek M — 13 Nov 2011

Lars von Trier really is passionate about his craft, and each time I watch one of his films it becomes more and more evident. I have the accusation that he is a misogynist more than once, and he certainly does seem to enjoy pushing the actresses in his films close to emotional breakdown. But it all works towards the end result; an unrivalled level of empathy with the female characters.

Dancer in the Dark was heartbreaking, but in many ways Breaking the Waves is far worse because it is far more believable. Whereas Dancer in the Dark used a succession of farfetched circumstances to reach its end result, Breaking the Waves takes a much more natural course, which is the slow and painful breakdown of a marriage because of a life-changing accident.

Bess's demise is the result of her unwavering love for her husband, coupled with her unwavering faith in a God who does not answer her prayers. And religion seems to be one of the themes which the film attacked the most passionately. When Bess turns to her church for guidance, they reject her because women are not allowed to speak there. When Bess turns to her mother for guidance, she is ignored because the church has ordered anyone who knows Bess to act as though they do not. When she is followed about the town being stones by a group of children, she once again returns to the church, but is left unconscious by a priest who does nothing. Her last attempt to save her husband leads to her death, and at her funeral the church elders proclaim her a sinner and condemn her to death.

Breaking the Waves is unrelenting in its emotional turmoil, enormously powerful in its ability to move, distress, and anger audiences, and better proof of the evils of religion I cannot think of.