Lars Von Trier’s mesmerizing, harrowing and in the end euphoric “Breaking the Waves” has already made the festival circuit. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes and winning deserved accolades in Montreal, New York, the Hamptons and Ft. Lauderdale, this is a work that its director has certainly not prepared us for with any of his previous efforts that played in the States.

“Zentropa” was a stylistically brilliant, highly eccentric ride into the world of post-W.W.II Nazis and their destruction of an innocent young man who falls within their grip. “The Kingdom” eerily explored the corridors of a haunted hospital where phantom ambulances and spook-filled elevators were the norm along with unethical doctors.

Now with “Breaking the Waves,” Von Trier breaks new ground. The Danish director has taken a tragic love story, lacerated it into seven chapters, each introduced by perversely lovely landscapes and classic rock tunes by the likes of Elton John, Thin Lizzy, David Bowie, Deep Purple, and Jethro Tull.

The heroine of this tale set in the seventies is the much put upon Bess (Emily Watson), a lovely, slight creature so overrun by her emotions that she had to be institutionalized in the past, or did she? Was she really crazed or just out of place in her little Scottish town where any expression of an outward emotion is deemed Satanic? There anyone labeled a “true” sinner is immediately cold-shouldered by all of the village’s inhabitants including one’s own family.

We meet Bess as she is about to do something a bit revolutionary: marry an outsider. Jan (Stellan Skarsgård) is a Danish oil-rig worker. After the wedding, when she gives herself bodily to her husband, there is a magic shot capturing the delirious joy washing over her face, a happiness she never ever thought she could feel, and probably never even imagined

With Jan by her side, there is a new Bess, a awkwardly vital one. But when it’s time for her spouse to go back to his ship, she’s devastated. Each day, each minute suddenly become an agonizing segment of time to tackle. Distraught, the young wife’ll wait for hours by the local phone booth to get Jan’s call. For her the need to hear his voice and the need to breathe are equal.

Seeking aid within her church, she converses aloud with God and asks for his help. He speaks back to her, through her, in a deeper voice, chastising the woman for being selfish. Is Bess on the verge of a breakdown or . . .?

Then God, or fate, or circumstance, does return Jan to her, but not in the condition she ever expected. Her “new” husband who once protected his childlike love is now exploiting her.

To tell you more would mar a cinematic adventure that is one of the great, original celluloid treats of the decade. This 2-1/2 hour film will speed by you as if it were half that length. And its spiritual, surprise ending is almost an extra reward from Von Trier, a gift from him for having let him entertain you.

Beside Von Trier’s genius——and if you are going to throw that word around, you might as well use it here——“Breaking the Waves” is memorable for a spectacular performance by newcomer Watson. In this, her film debut, she portrays a woman who will do anything for love, no matter how debased or self-sacrificing. Her Emily, strong in her weakness, is brought up believing that the purpose of life is to serve God and obey his dictums, so how could obsessively ministering to your lover’s cravings be evil? It can’t, can it?

For those of you who just want to find out and for you others who just want to bask yourselves in sublime acting, astute writing, and intuitive direction, run into these “Waves.” It would be hard to imagine a film better than this one hitting our shores this year.





WRITER/DIRECTOR: Lars von Trier
CAST: Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, Katrin Cartlidge, Jean-Marc Barr, Udo Kier, Adrian Rawlins, Jonathan Hackett, Sandra Voe, Mikkel Gaup, Roef Ragas
PRODUCERS: Vibeke Windeløv, Peter Aalbaek Jensen (October Films)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Lars Jönsson
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Robby Müller, BVK & NSC
OPERATOR: Jean-Paul Meurisse
CASTING: Joyce Nettles
ART DIRECTOR: Karl Juliusson
FILM EDITOR: Anders Refn
MUSIC ARRANGED AND CONDUCTED BY: Joachim Holbek
SPECIAL MAKE-UP AND SURGICAL EFFECTS: Morten Jacobsen
COLORGRADING ON VIDEO: Patrick Dreyfus

GENRE: Drama TIME: 2:36 RATING R