can't wait to see the film. i'm delighted the film has passed through the bbfc without cuts. let's hope this continues. i personally don't believe any one has the right to tamper with a piece of work and stop us, the audience, from seeing a film in the format the film-maker has intended. i've always seen censorship as somewhat of an insult to the general publics intelligence by telling us what we supposedly can and can't handle. i'm not saying in any way that i'm against films being given a general certificate as obviously that is nessecary. i would just much rather decide for myself what i want and don't want to see.



p.s. mark, i think you should start video blogging your dvd roundups that are included in the observer. the choices are usually great, the reviews accurate and not everyone buys the observer every week. i think it's a shame they are missing out a litle bit of extra kermode.

i meant 'out on a little bit of extra kermode', obviously.

I have two problems regarding this film in terms of its marketing and media coverage:



First of all, whenever a film like this appears that has some kind of 'shocking' sequence in it, it suddenly becomes ok for every single review of it to go into detail about what happens in it, to the point of giving away exactly what happens at the end. Mark's was probably the only review I've come across that does not do this (though how could it on daytime radio?). Why is it perfectly alright to tell us every detail of a film when there's a controversial scene in it?



Second, considering that this is supposedly a serious arthouse film, I do find the posters that I've seen on the London Underground a bit questionable. Not the slightly raunchy one, which has obviously been deemed a bit too risque to be displayed so publicly, but the plain red-writing-on-black-background one, which displayed the consumer advice in giant letters, as if making a selling point of the violence in the film. Is this just an attempt to squeeze some more profit out of the film by inviting the gore-hounds in?

Just watched this. Here are my thoughts.



Great performances by Willam Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg.



The cinematography is excellent. I would be suprised if Antony Dod Mantle does not get at least a nomination come Oscar time. I loved the shots of Charlotte Gainsbourg walking through the forest in slow motion.



The final scenes were incredibly intense and brilliantly done.



Definetly a film about misogyny. I agree with you Dr. Mark.



I found the idea about the shoes on the wrong feet interesting and very disturbing, I would of liked Von Trier to have gone further into this.



I didn't really get all the symbolism, but I felt the film worked well as a pure horror film.



p.s. I did not laugh at the talking fox.

It's a shame we can't see the full version of this review.

From the description of the subject matter (death of a child and it's effects on relationships in a family) I was reminded of "Ordinary People" and "Don't Look Now". Particularly the latter since it is a horror film and includes some (for the time) explicit scenes. Since you are a fan and mate of Nick Roeg, I am wondering why you didn't mention it. If "Antichrist" does compare favourably to either of these films I might change my mind about going to see it. I remember seeing "Ai No Corrida" many years ago which includes sexual mutilation and it didnt particularly bother me but something about this film as described really makes me not want to see it.

I didn't laugh at the fox either. The guy sitting next to me did jump out of his seat a few seconds beforehand.



Should I be worried that I didn't find it shocking or controversial?

Breaking The Waves & Dogville I could just about take and even enjoyed in parts,but this one gets a swerve..truly an LVT too far.

Ricman3, a Von Trier film with a misogynist theme? No spit,Sherlock.





I really wanted to find the correct place to comment on Mayo and Kermode's Culture Show discussion on the greatest Music Documentaries just aired on BBC2,I'm afraid this 'Antichrist' thread will have to do,apologies.

Talking Heads masterful 'STOP MAKING SENSE' is a hundred times better than 'Gimme Shelter'.Whereas the latter is meandering,directionless and plain dull for most of its length and just lucked out on the epoch ending Altamont violence,'SMS' is original,creative,fizzing with style,action and ideas and rides to a satisfying crescendo. Oh and a far better sound-track too.

Not surprised that a man who thinks 'The Exorcist' is The Greatest Film of All Time is so wrong...By Jiminy,you've had me throwing things at my radio of a Friday afternoon,for some years now.



PS There is a great Documentary following a spirit-sapping Joe Cocker American tour in the early/mid Seventies. Surely someone as learned and full of arcane knowledge as you,Doctor,will know of it?



PPS Hope I wasn't too rude in my criticism of you there,MK. Your Radio5Live and BBC24 Friday appearances remind me very much of the old Top Of The Pops - you think its all a load of rubbish but you keep tuning in every week. Here's to continuing to love to hate you.

Sincerely,QPR Olly,Shepherd's Bush.

MarkKRubbish, I was refering to Mark's interview with Willem Dafoe. Mark said it was a film about misogyny, but Dafoe didn't think so.

Fair do's ricman3,this silly Herbert got the wrong-end-of-the-stick, I humbly apologise unreservedly.

Surely it's a double standard that the US film censors can give Antichrist an NC-17 certificate in its uncut form, and yet there is still no uncut version of The Devils?