Lars von Trier: Five Obstructions screening 16th February

from SearchWorld / Independent Film World / Independent Film

Lars von Trier, the Danish director of "Breaking the Waves," "Dancer in

the Dark," and "Dogville" returns with a strange and brilliant meta-film.

In 2000, he challenged his mentor, the veteran filmmaker Jorgen Leth,

to a one-of-a-kind director's game: von Trier would give Leth rules, or

obstructions, by which Leth would have to remake his own 1967 short film

"The Perfect Human"--five times.

The first film, according to von Trier's rules, has to be composed of shots

no longer than 12 frames and must be filmed in Cuba, without a set. Fast

forward to Havana: Leth has found a solution to the difficulties and is

making his film with confidence. With satanic glee, von Trier comes up

with an even more constraining set of obstructions, clearly taking

pleasure in torturing his former teacher.

He attempts to find the most crippling rules and devises appropriate

punishment when Leth fails to follow them.
Lars von Trier is no stranger to sadism: this is the man responsible for

the abuse of Emily Watson, Bjork, and Nicole Kidman in his last three

features. "The Five Obstructions" makes it clear that his apparent mean

streak is considered, focused, and aimed at a kind of creative catharsis.

His agenda is to strip away the pretense, to get from the "perfect" to the

"human," as he puts it.
Von Trier is hoping to force his former teacher to make a bad movie, a

"pile of crap," but the truth is that creativity feeds on limits: the resulting

short films are all terrific. To see how Leth discovers ways to use the

devilish obstructions to his advantage is nothing short of thrilling.

"Everything inspires you!" the frustrated von Trier complains.

The directors' game reveals itself as something more than an empty

exercise in style: von Trier had a secret agenda all along, but by the

time the fifth film unreels, the ambiguities have multiplied, and it's not

clear anymore who exposed himself more, or who obstructed whom.

In this creative mindgame, the only clear winner is the audience.

If you like The Five Obstructions, the following films may interest you
• Jesus, You Know

• The Story of the Weeping Camel

• Medea

• The Private Archives of Pablo Escobar

• Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey

• The Celluloid Closet

• A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies

• 4 Little Girls

• American Experience - The Battle Over Citizen Kane

• Dark Days

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