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Actors: Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgard
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Breaking the Waves |
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This difficult, even ostensibly blasphemous, 1996 film astonished some and infuriated others. Danish writer/director Lars von Trier (Zentropa, The Kingdom) concocted a story in which a simple-minded young woman in a repressed and deeply religious small town in northern Scotland falls in love with and marries a Scandinavian oil worker. Their new marriage is passionate and loving, but when he goes off to work for long weeks, she prays for his permanent return. A neck injury leaves him paralyzed and brings him home permanently, but now they cannot do anything together and she feels terribly guilt-ridden for having "caused" this. Confused, selfish, and desperate, he urges her to have sex with another man and tell him about it afterward; unwillingly, she takes on this mission as her cross to bear, laying herself out to the lusts of the men and the contempt and fear of the village, who come to regard her as a witch. Gradually she comes to believe she is doing God's bidding, and that pursuing her brazen sexual behavior will save her husband's life. The film highlights its artificiality, being divided into 9 "chapters" heralded by off-putting pop tunes from the early 1970s: Jethro Tull, Procol Harum, T Rex, Roxy Music, Elton John. But Emily Watson, in her 29-year-old film debut after years of stage work, acts the role of a woman who achieves a kind of purity of soul through utter physical degradation, with incredible conviction.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Breaking the Waves |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- seduction (yum!)
- boatload of casual sex without love
- inconveniently married while playing footsy
Polit/Social/Race/Gender activism
Yes
Plotlet:
- religious issues
Taboo Sex Story?
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- homemaker/wife
Age:
- 20's-30's
Unclothed?
- Full Frontal
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
- happy
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- soggy whimpering jelly muffin
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Unclothed?
- chest
How much in movie?
- 40%
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- hostile, like Gomer Pyle on steroids
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- all mixed up
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
- actual description of sex
- seeing breasts
- seeing nude female butt
- seeing nude male butt
Non-American film?
Yes
Subtitles?
- Yes
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Modern rock/pop
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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