Breaking the Waves

Love is a mighty power
Love is a mighty power
BREAKING THE WAVES (18)
D: Lars Von Trier
Zentropa/Trust/Liberator/Argus/Northern Lights/La Sept/Swedish Television/Media Investment/Nordic Film & Television Fund/VPRO (Vibeke Windelov & Peter Aalbaek Jensen)
Denmark/Sweden/Norway 🇩🇰 🇸🇪 🇳🇴 1996
156 mins

Drama

W: Lars Von Trier & Peter Asmussen
DP: Robby Muller
Ed: Anders Refn
Mus: Joachim Holbek

Emily Watson (Bess), Stellan Skarsgard (Jan), Katrin Cartlidge (Dodo), Jean-Marc Barr (Terry), Adrian Rawlins (Doctor Richardson), Udo Kier (Man on the Train), Jonathan Hackett (Minister), Sandra Voe (Bess' Mother)

In a nutshell; this is an art house Lady Chatterley's Lover update using the Dogme 95 filmmaking style which limit the production to hand-held camera, natural lighting and avant-garde arty-farty direction.
In a remote part of Scotland, a young woman sexually degrades herself to appease her husband, paralyzed in an accident.
Despite an excellent performance from Emily Watson, the film is overlong, quite pretentious and often boring. It was adored by stuffy critics and arthouse audiences but has very little to offer to anyone else. Popcorn munchers may want to avoid this like the plague.
6/10

Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves
Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves