PRINTMovie Review: Antichrist
Bringing a new meaning to he said, she said
Photo courtesy of IFC Films
Charlotte Gainsbourg gets lessons in life, love and talking foxes in this graphic thriller.
February 11, 2010 | 12:00 a.m. CST
If terrifying, intensely graphic thrillers with misogynistic undertones, not to mention castration, are your idea of a good time, well, there’s not much hope for you. But, alas, there is a movie that will delight you. For everyone else, be wary of Antichrist, showing at Ragtag beginning Feb. 12.
Antichrist stars Willem Dafoe as He and Charlotte Gainsbourg as She. He and She are a couple who experience immense loss with the death of their young son. Dafoe successfully plays an emotionally distant psychologist husband opposite Gainsbourg’s fantastic portrayal of a devastated mother who morphs into a sex-obsessed, murderous wife. Gainsbourg’s character is frightening but expertly depicted, justifying her best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role.
In an effort to help his wife address her fear, He takes She to their cabin in a forest called Eden, which turns out to be the antithesis of paradise. In one scene, a fox huskily whispers “chaos reigns” to Dafoe as he stares with a horrified expression.
Much of the film graphically depicts Dafoe and Gainsbourg having sex to help cope with their son’s death. The film’s initial hint at misogyny becomes blatant later on, and this combined with some explicit nudity and brutality, overshadows Danish director Lars von Trier’s attempted artistic integrity for the most part.
This is no ordinary couple-goes-into-the-woods-and-bloody-violence-ensues horror film; the artful camera angles, expert acting and thoughtful — though upsetting — themes make it more substantial. But you’ve been warned: Antichrist requires a cast-iron stomach.
Vox Rating:
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