Review of The House That Jack Built (2018) by Mmadnessgames — 28 Mar 2019

The closest von Trier reference is a mix between The Element of Crime and Nymphomaniac. It's closer to Nymphomaniac, in style. Like a mix between Nymphomaniac and American Psycho. With a bit of David Lynch and David Cronenberg.

The House that Jack Built is less flawed (less pretentious) than Nymphomaniac, and more accessible than Element, but I relate to the subject matter of Nymphomaniac more. In this way, they even out somewhat... But, still, I prefer Jack.

Sex is a more important topic, to me, than violence. But this isn't really a film about serial killers. It's a film about depression and human nature.

Von Trier doesn't make Hollywood crap. Almost all of his films are masterpieces, in my opinion.

He has matured as an artist. Europa & Element of Crime (I haven't seen Epidemic) are beautiful films, but they don't have the same impact as his later work.

Breaking the Waves was a great film, but Anti-Christ is brilliant. The Idiots is fantastic. Dogville is a masterpiece.

There have been a couple of mediocre exceptions - Manderlay and The Boss of it All , for example - but no director is perfect.

Lars von Trier is the best of the best.

This is a great film.

I normally struggle to engage with cinema because it is so awful these days. But, I really enjoyed this... and I knew that I would.

It is imperfect, because it takes chances. There are things that don't work for me, that might work for others. I didn't like the Bob Dylan cards Trier got his protagonist to shuffle through. But, there is something deeply personal to his film-making. Something that transcends nit-picking.

The child, running through the reeds. This is von Trier. His films are a portrait of someone who hates - and loves - themselves. Von Trier sees himself as an exaggerated version of the monster he is. His work is driven by shame and confusion. He wants to be caught, like the boy in the reeds. He wants the world to know that he is only human, by showing us what humans are capable of.

At a time when I am completely jaded to art-house and mainstream cinema, I still love von Trier.