Idiots

Synopsis

The film has as a subject a group of adults anti middle-class who spend their time seeking their “interior idiot”, by releasing their inhibitions and while behaving as if they were mentally delayed as a public, consequently provocant the opinion of the company, the correct Politiquement. They estimate that the company as a whole milked their intelligence in a noncreative way and without challenges. Thus, they seek the degrading humiliation and situations.

Currency 1: “ You are a complete idiot, and more idiot that you do not think it ”.
Currency 2: “ a film by idiots, on idiots, for idiots ”.

Data sheet

original Title: Idioterne
French Title: the Idiots
Realization: Lars von Trier
Scenario: Lars von Trier
Production: Zentropa
Operators: Lars von Trier, Kristoffer Nylhom, Jesper Jargil, Casper Holm
Assembly: Molly Malene Stensgaard
Music: Kim Kristensen
Country of origin: Denmark
original Language: Danish
Lasted: 117 minutes
Format: Turned in video then transferred in 35 mm
Year: 1998

Distribution

Bodil Jørgensen : Karen
Jens Albinus : Stoffer
Anne Louise Hassing: Susanne
Troels Lyby : Henrik
Nikolaj Lie Kaas: Jeppe
Louise Mieritz: Josephine
Henrik Prip : The developing countries
Shine Mesonero: Miguel
Knud Romer Jørgensen: Axel
Trine Michelsen : Chick
AsGrethe Bjarup Riis: Katrine
Paprika Steen: the potential buyer
Erik Wedersøe: Svend, the uncle de Stoffer
Michael Moritzen: The municipal employee
Anders Hove: The father of Joséphine
Claus Strandberg: The man with the factory
Hans Henrik Clemensen: Anders, the husband of Karen
Lone Lindorff: The mother of Karen
Erno Müller: The grandfather of Karen
Regitze Estrup: Louise, the sister of Karen
Burbot Munk Fure: Britta, the sister of Karen
Marina Bouras: The woman of Axel
Julie Wieth: The woman with two children

Comments

It is the first film of Lars von Trier made in accordance with the proclamation Dogme95, film so known under the name of Dogme #2 .

the Idiots is the second film of the “gold trilogy heart” of Von Trier which includes Breaking the Waves (1996) and Dancer in the Dark (2000).

Ingeniousness We are, in 2006, at the era of the remake and of remâché. Ironically, people try to be different, marginal, to be distinguished from the mass while being original and single. In spite of their efforts, very little succeeds and some end even up taking the way which they try to flee, “conformism. ” Fortunately, others still succeed in innovating and imposing their style. Lars von Trier, Danish realizer, are especially recognized in cinema industry for its marginality and its capacity to push back its own creative limits. Thus, each one of its films is single in its kind since it resembles of nothing the cinematographic luggage which it has and renews constantly. Incontestably known for Europa (1991), Breaking the waves (1996,) and Dancer in the dark (2000), this realizer creates, in 1997, the Idiots, a film of Dogma 95. He uses at the same time techniques of the modernism and postmodernism to captivate the spectator, to cause and shock: while making of its film a completely opposite product with conventional and popular films. Moreover, the film the Idiots is initially modern since it is resulting from a movement called Dogme 95 which rises against the passion relating to technology: to counter the cinema with the chain or the cinematographic fast-food which does not bring anything more at the creative level with cinema industry since one on-uses same the patterns automatically and concepts. Thus, Dogme 95 is a program which wants to change the esthetics of films, with processes which it tries to establish. Moreover, by laying down precise rules with the movement, in a proclamation entitled the Vow of chastity, one respects the radicality of the modern scenario writers. In this manner, to belong to the movement, it is necessary to follow to the letter all the rules, without derogating from it. On the other hand, he dodges the right way while digressing of his own concepts, which gives to film a postmodern pace.

rules of proclamation the Vow of chastity

Modernity

To answer these rules, certain technical elements had to be priorized. The ten rules of proclamation are technical elements to which the realizers must subject themselves. Consequently, Von Trier turned the Idiots outside, in a real environment which it did not modify using decorations, costumes of the characters or accessories. It thus has excludes the universe from the studios and all that is attached to it. He also filmed color and not in black and white. He thus used daylight like light of day and the incandescent light in a part. That creates an effect of realism since the spectator sees the colors in their pure state, not being altered using projectors which would try to soften the imperfections of the characters and the environment. Moreover, realism is what is connected more with the reality or at least which gives the illusion of it, since the processes with the fine point because, it does not try to be is not what imports in the esthetics of Dogma 95. Moreover, the use of one camera to the shoulder adds a strong amount of realism to film. Not allowing perfect plans, the image shake, the executives move enormously in addition to cutting the heads. In short, nothing is stable, as in the life in general. This need however has many advantages. The camera with the shoulder does not restrict the space and the movements of the cameramen, contrary to a cumbersome and specialized machinery which would require also means of special displacements like rails or carriages to transport the camera in order to follow the characters, so that the image is stable and perfect. Thus, “the film should not take place where the camera is placed; it is the turning which must take place where the film takes place” a simplicity must remain in esthetics, so as to prove that it is possible all to say, without the use of large machines which are worth million. For this reason, Lars von Trier remained with the main part of the facts and did not add any filter and any special and visual effect to its film. Moreover, the film is not made in a usual way. The camera, in the Idiots, is not only the object used to film. Being subjective, it transports the spectator in the slides of the group, as if it belonged to it, him too. This subjectivity weighs down environment reigning at the same time in film and the space of the spectator and even has suddenly been attacking, since she seems interminable.

Moving back in front of nothing, the realizer also pushed back the limits while engaging of the nonprofessional actors in his film. So he chose a manner of playing impromptu, leaving room to the interpretation of the actors in the advance of their character. A justified choice and more judicious since the spectator is not identified any more with high-speed motorboats which play in a conventional way, which he recognizes easily and of which he knows the life perfectly. In the majority of the cases, the popularity of the artist is sometimes the only reason for which it was engaged and that removes to him any credibility as an actor with the eyes of the spectators. In this manner, the nonprofessional actors add a mysterious seal to film. Moreover, the spectator does not know the characters personally, then it is invited, in spite of him, to enter their universe and to include/understand their thoughts. Thus, Von Trier has took risks while knowing extremely well which the end result would perhaps not be what it had provided in an original manner. By playing the whole for the whole, it could “have broken the mouth” and have made of its film a turnip, while playing its career: what finally did not arrive.

The poverty of esthetics is a way of returning at the origins of the cinema, in short to return to reality (realism). “supreme goal is to force the truth to leave characters and the framework of the action. ” All rests in the unforeseen one, the improvisation of the characters who must create their own character, which drops the extraordinary techniques and leaves room to the creativity of the actors. This method impromptue aims at badly putting the spectator at ease vis-a-vis so that he sees and hears; always with an aim of shocking and of making react (cinematographic methods specific to the realizer in its search with the marginality). Not easily identifiable, the realizer did not give to his film a film pace of kind. The goal was surely to divert the preconceived ideas of the cinema, not wanting to adhere to the conventional codes films. On the same basis, the credits are written with chalk on the parquet floor, without mention of the realizer. By writing the rule saying that the name of the realizer was not to find with the credits, the purpose of Von Trier was to destroy the glory of a miserly author of capitalism and prestige, so as to place all the members of the team on the same equal footing. Lastly, after being itself formed with the ten rules imposed by Lars von Trier, a realizer must sign this declaration (extracted): “Moreover, I swear like realizer to abstain from any personal taste. I am not any more one artist. I swear to abstain from creating a " œuvre" , because I regard the moment as more important than totality. My supreme goal is to force the truth to leave my characters and the framework of the action. I swear to do that by all the means available and at the price of any good taste and all esthetic considerations. Thus I pronounce my VOW OF CHASTITY…” Marc-Andre. Idiots, Lars von Trier, Denmark [In line, http://membres.lycos.fr/travelavant/dogma.htm, (consulted page on December 13rd, 2005)] In this extract, one clearly sees the report/ratio which Von Trier between the realizer and the spectators wants to impose.

Thus, Von Trier wishes to change the style of the cinema by leading a new esthetics so as to break the patterns, which is very modern. With the rules, the realizer goes against certain ideas individualistic, middle-class, declining, illusionists and surface, which will rise in the direction against the technological passion.

Postmodernité

While derogating from the rules of its own proclamation, Von Trier enters the postmodernity what is called. Ironically, that proves that it does not wish to have fasteners with anything, leaving free course with its creativity and its impulses. With premium access, the scene of the orgy could be regarded as an action of diversion. The closes-up, worthy of pornographic films, are probably superfluous for certain spectators who could be shocked following the viewing of film, but such is the ultimate goal of the realizer, to shock. Von Trier could surely defend its position by saying that the orgy gives birth to the love (since a couple is formed), in addition to showing at which point the primitive being that each one tries to put the front one, in film, takes the top on the civilized and middle-class side. Thus, the desires, often driven back and put side in films, are exploited here openly and without decency. The animal side of the man, who does not control any more what it feels and seeks to exteriorize what it retains at the bottom of his heart, takes the top. Lars von Trier knew to put in image what all the men (and women) hide in their interior content, which they test, often with difficulty, to choke not to appear coarse. Also, several flashbacks (flashback) come to disturb the linear clause of proclamation, treated with the manner of documentary with testimonys of the members of the late group. These testimonys are used to illustrate what the group (Idiots) brought to each one of them. One sees, at these moments, that the man needs to leave normality, to give up itself with activities which emphasize its I interior.

Usually, the music must be diegetic, i.e. it must belong to the sound environment of the characters and the place of turning. So it should not be added to the assembly; one of the rules which it has enfreinte. Obviously, it protects its interests by saying that the music that one hears is played by a musician who was held close to the camera.

Posture of the spectator

In the final analysis, Lars von Trier maintains a particular relationship with the spectator, which is very with its advantage. It inserted into its film something of exceptional in the manner of presenting it to us. As of the first minutes, the spectator is disturbed by environment and it is diverted: whereas some take down completely, others are impressed by the turning of the film and wish to know where the film will bring them.

This last is not satisfied to show us his vision of the company, it incorporates us in a chaotic environment to make us live the emotions which several people try to bring back to surface. In the same way, the realizer benefitted from it to make a critic of the middle-class system which, as one sees it in film, is the invasion of capitalism and his promoters. This problem involved in the monetary incomes is found everywhere and Von Trier was with the current when it gave this tone to film; its goal was to even denounce this love affair which one maintains with the money and what it can bring to us. It was conscious that such a message, supported by images also provocantes, could awake people on their manner of acting. Thus, the realizer does not have only constrained his universe, it forced his own style so as to show to the spectators his philosophy as for the evolution of the company.

Altogether, it goes without saying that Lars Van Trier is marginal without terminal which does not have cold with the eyes. A thing is certain, this film with the characteristic not to leave anybody indifferent. Whether one hates or that one adores, the Idiots touches us since it deals with still current subject today: “the research of happiness, freedom beyond the money and the social conventions. ” It pushes the spectator thus to be called in question his own values morals since it is confronted crûment with bottom melts of the company, by the means of the group (Idiots) which asserts the fact that all is controlled, that it wants it or not, with the savage fights with the money. With its step of realizer, it knew to establish in the cinematographic universe of the important values which will be able, possibly, to lead other currents to counter to it his. Its film the Idiots is thus a modern film, which establishes postmodern tendencies. This is specific to this realizer: not to remain in the mould and this, even when it was of Dogma 95 and the proclamation to which he says to belong. But, belongs to it makes some completely? Thus, it moves away more and more from the mark Dogme and its film the Idiots is probably his last film to carry the mark Dogme 95. -->

See too

Internal bonds

List of nonpornographic films containing not simulated sex acts

External bonds

the Idiots on Internet Movie Database

Random links: