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Breaking the Waves (1996)

tomatometer

88

Average Rating: 8/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 1

No consensus yet.

audience

91

liked it
Average Rating: 4.1/5
User Ratings: 28,999

My Rating

Movie Info

With Breaking The Waves, director Lars von Trier fashions an often disturbing tale of the singular power of love. Bess (the Oscar-nominated Emily Watson) is a naïve, borderline simple young woman who lives in a Scottish coastal town ruled by the religious doctrine of its council of elders. Recovering from a mental breakdown caused by the death of her brother, Bess marries a rough yet compassionate and attentive oil rig worker named Jan (Stellan Skarsgård). For a brief time, the couple enjoys

R, 2 hr. 39 min.

Drama, Romance, Art House & International

Jul 26, 2005

Artisan Entertainment

Cast

All Critics (66) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (6) | DVD (4)

Von Trier may put his characters and the viewer through the ringer, yet his empathy toward both is unmistakable.

September 1, 2009 Full Review Source: City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul | Comment

Here is a film that makes you feel like you've read the novel, seen the movie, and lived the life of a protagonist more empathetic than any other. You just might need a stiff drink afterward.

August 30, 2009 Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | Comment
ColeSmithey.com

A powerful tear-jerker romantic drama that intriguingly also brings religion into the mix.

September 6, 2007 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comment
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The synopsis doesn't begin to do justice to the psychological and emotional complexities of the tale.

September 15, 2005 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | Comment
TheMovieReport.com

The actors are superb. [But] it is the easiest thing in the world to do ... move people by destroying something beautiful.

December 6, 2004 Comment
Looking Closer

Unforgettable

December 6, 2004 Comment
Lawrence Journal-World

Will introduce the experimental director to a wider American audience.

July 1, 2004 Full Review Source: Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) | Comment
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Breaking the Waves

Breathtaking and heartbreaking, here is a unusual story about a small town woman, thought slow, simple and stupid by her peers, her unbelievably monumental faith in God ... and the bittersweet price for that faith. Not for the faint of heart.

September 7, 2011
moonrivers

Super Reviewer

An incredibly powerful film. While not as vulgar as Antichrist, don't expect to feel comfortable while watching this film. The Cinema-và (C)rità (C) style of this film gives this movie a realistic touch which makes the subject matter all the more troubling to handle. Yet, if you can brave the intense exploration into

April 4, 2010
axadntpron
Reid Volk

Super Reviewer

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Latest News for Breaking the Waves

January 24, 2012:
Bingham Ray: 1954-2012
The highly regarded independent studio executive passes away at the age of 57.

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