Note: Multiple links are listed since (a) different versions exist and (b) many scripts posted become unavailable over time. Please notify me if you encounter a stale link.
Lars Von Trier is one of the few honest directors left in the business. The 50-something year old Danish director has created films that continuously defied conventional norms of morality, directorial style and pretty much anything else that could risk defiance. What this rebellion results in are poignant films that make an audience experience the world through the eyes of Trier. Despite his talent, Trier is not a mainstream director nor does he desire to fall under that category. Trier once stated,
“You have to fight the urge to do a big action movie. You avoid ‘Batman.’ The bigger it is, the worse it is.” (IMDB.com, 2011).
Trier believes in expression and notices how American films are usually devoid of the individual perspective of a director- with film companies vying more for financial gain than a truly enchanting film. Trier, on the other hand, believes in film making not only as a source of income, but as a therapeutic and personal experience.
That being said, Trier suffers from many phobias including the fear of underground structures, flying and illness. His belief is that these phobias stemmed from his terrible childhood. According to Trier, his mother allowed him complete freedom over everything in his life except “feelings, religion and enjoyment” (Beltzer, 2011) which led to his paranoid complexity of phobias and anxiety attacks. These emotions and experiences reflect in Trier’s films and gives the viewer a firsthand look at the painful experiences that Trier has lived through.
You must be logged in to post a comment.