Just finished watching Antichrist. I can almost guarantee that nobody will ever see a film similar to that or in as extreme of a form.
There have been a lot of films that question religion and other forms of evil that exist in the world, but I've never seen anything like this before in my entire life. Not only that, but this film is very creepy. Not in the traditional sense of "stuff that goes bump in the night", but the entire setting, mood, and atmosphere.
First of all, I need to really praise Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg for their performances. For a film with only two main characters, there was great chemistry and development for both individuals.
Here are my thoughts on the film. I am not sure at all if they are right or not, but this is what I feel about the movie:
[Show spoiler]Charlotte Gainsbourg's character is the Antichrist. In the traditional sense, this being is usually portrayed by a male, but in this film, it is portrayed by a female. This being has the ability to take control of everything or anything in its path - not just humans, but also animals. The film definitely challenges the traditional notions of male and female gender roles. Like I already mentioned, it portrayed the Antichrist in a feminine light - but just as evil and just as powerful. As Charlotte Gainsbourg's character notes in the film, "women can just be as evil".
Was she always an evil person? I don't think so. Due to Willem Dafoe's character being out of the picture for quite a while, she tended to go to the woods with her son to write. I personally believe that the devil took advantage of her weak soul and eventually took control of her entirely. We definitely see a decline in her personality as the film moves along and shows flashbacks. What seemed as something good eventually turned bad, with Charlotte Gainsbourg's character starting to abuse her child - eventually seeing him escape from his bed and not doing a thing about it. It's as if she wanted the kid to die in some weird way. I still don't know why he killed himself, if that was even the case. Yes, he fell out of a window, but what drove him to that? Imagination? Curiosity? Evil?
Charlotte Gainsbourg's character notes in the film that the nature is "Satan's Playground", which strongly led me to believe that it was - especially in the setting that it took place in. The woods resembled hell to me, especially with the visions of the dead bodies and fallen souls. After Charlotte Gainsbourg's character is killed and burned, it appears that all of the souls trapped in that location were freed - even the animals. They seemed happier at the end and not as mangled.
The only thing that ran through my mind throughout the film was who was more mentally unstable - Willem Dafoe or Charlotte Gainsbourg? I want to say the latter, but I can't help but feel that Willem Dafoe was eventually losing his mind as the film went on. He is the therapist, or the rational being in this mess, but he eventually started hallucinating and losing his mind. As far as the animals are concerned, was the devil part of the crow? Crows have always been looked upon as evil, but I personally feel that it was the devil. Not only wouldn't it die, but it led Charlotte Gainsbourg to find Willem Dafoe about three-quarters of the way into the film. Like father, like son?
It was definitely a very controversial and sadomasochistic film because of all of the torture and violence. Not only that, but it shows Willem Dafoe's penis and Charlotte Gainsbourg's vagina quite a few times in the movie - something that isn't seen too often in films. For those who have seen quite a few films, which I'm sure most of you have, it's usually just the waist up.
I don't know if my analysis is accurate or not. I guess it depends on how much faith a person has. It seems as if the more religious a person is, the more the person believes in this type of stuff. I grew up Catholic and while I don't practice as much as I have in the past, I still have my assumptions and beliefs about religion.
Overall, I really liked the film and I really appreciate Lars Von Trier for this film. He definitely explored a subject that is very much talked about, but in a very controversial light. I liked the way the film was set up with the chapters. It was definitely a good way at seeing the decline in the character's personalities as the film progressed.
[Show spoiler]I actually like how the dolls that their son had foreshadowed the chapters and the overall decline as the film went on.
The audio quality was lacking a bit, in my opinion, but the visuals were stunning. I really liked the direction Lars took with the directing, although I would have liked it if he didn't shake the camera as much. The colors and editing were reminiscent, I feel, of the mood of the film. It's definitely one of the best films and one of the best "horror" films that I've seen to date. I'm no sure if I would recommend it, though, because it definitely isn't for all audiences.
I watched it with my family and they honestly couldn't believe what they saw.
The last thing I want to say is that I couldn't help but think of
[Show spoiler]the South Park episode with the evil creatures in the forest.
Edit: Are there any good books that in-depth explore films? I would like specific Criterion films if they are available.
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It was obvious they're doing 3:10 To Yuma. The clock on the building was set to 3:10. Congrats, Columbo!
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