The Antichrist

Title: The Antichrist
Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Drama, Horror
Starring: Willem DeFoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Director: Lars von Trier

“Nature is Satan’s church”

After ‘Dogville,’ I have been intrigued by this director’s ability, and with prior knowledge of his involvement with this horror I was naturally drawn in. But this is not a film for everybody. Those who are squeamish or looking for a conventional piece of grindhouse gore will not find this suited to their liking as it delves far deeper than simple shock tactics, or gratuitous use of fake blood. This is a film that defines ‘art’ films, with haunting imagery and powerful cinematography it unflinchingly forces you to confront the horror of man’s own animalistic tendencies, all the while allowing you to question, would you do anything different?

Split into four chapters, the prologue opens with some of the most powerful imagery of the entire film; forget bland introductions, within this opening sequence details all the information required to come to grips with their grief at the death of their child. Following just two characters, “He,” a psychotherapist (DeFoe) and “She,” both the patient and lover (Gainsbourg), it follows their journey into the woods in an attempt for them to confront and overcome the grief that grips them. It is through the male that we observe, trying to use his insight and experience to comprehend the often cryptic message she delivers.

Both stars in this story perform superbly, displaying a perfect sense of realism that only enhances the frightening manner in which the plot unfolds, empathising with the characters and feeling their grief. This is wonderfully accented by the cinematography, stark and provocative it captures the raw essence of their surroundings in a profoundly beautiful – if haunting – manner. In true ‘Audition’ style of filming, at no point does the camera shy away, or leave things to the imagination; it will grittily force you to slowly watch their pain and anguish in a captivating and disturbing manner.

It is the final chapter, where nature’s chaos breaks loose that will draw the most attention, and it is here that much of the physical violence reveals itself. Many reviews seem to try to convince you that this is excessive, but the truth is that anyone who has watched the likes of ‘Hostel,’ ‘Saw,’ or ‘Se7en’ will certainly find nothing more severe than can be readily watched there. What this film does differently, however, is the manner in which it is dealt with; everything is grounded in realism, slowly crawling along, neither feeling over the top or out of place in the context of the film. In fact the impact it has had upon many who have watched it and seem to have forgotten more than an hour that preceded it stands testament to how powerful it truly is.

I make no secret of my dislike towards many of the European and American attempts at serious horror, and certainly it seems that for more than a decade the majority of the decent efforts in this regard have originated from South Korea and Japan. With this effort, Lars von Trier looks to bring that prize back to Europe. Unquestionably one of the best horror’s I’ve seen released this decade.