At the post-screeningpress conference, a soft-spoken Lars Von Trier fielded the first question by saying he had nothing to say, a far cry from this time two years ago when he dubbed himself,“the best film director in the world.” The panel continued to answer the usual questions about working with the director and the themes of the film, and Von Trier occasionally chimed in with a quip, including one where he imples his film“may be crap.”
But, roughly twenty minutes later, a more playful Von Trier finished a question about the film’s aesthetic by deadpanning a joke scenario about his next film being a porn flick that Dunst“insisted” on making immediately. Dunst brightened with embarrassment and Gainsbourg chuckled beside him. The two ladies’ plan to have lots of“unpleasant sex” was clearly in jest, even if his last film, the provocative Antichrist, opened with an explicit hardcore sex scene between Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe.
But, nearing the end of the conference, eyebrows met already skyward noses at Cannes as Von Trier took a question about his German roots from a British member of the press.
“The only thing I can tell is that I thought I was a Jew for a long time. I was very happy being a Jew. Then later on came {Oscar-winning director} Susanne Bier, then suddenly I wasn’t so happy about being a Jew. No, that was a joke.” Some scattered laughter came from the audience.“Even if I was a Jew,” Von Trier continued,“I would be a second rate Jew because there’s a hierarchy in the Jewish population. Then I found out I was really a Nazi.”
“What can I say, I understand Hitler. I think he did some wrong things, yes. Absolutely. I can see him sitting in his bunker at the end.” It’s here a visibly uncomfortable Dunst tries to stop him.
What doesn’t come across in writing is that his pitch-black humor is accompanied by his low-key smirk and laughter from the audience throughout his off-topic descent into uncomfortable Nazi declarations. But, like his porn movie follow-up bit, Von Trier couldn’t let it go.“Yes. We Nazis like to do things on a big scale. Maybe I could do The Final Solution, but with journalists.” After the conference ended, live microphones picked up Dunst telling him,“Oh Lars, that was intense.”
Von Trier has since publicly apologized for his remarks in a statement, but much of the media’s focus is already off the movie itself, whichSaloncritic Andrew O’Hehir called a“magnificent apocalyptic fable” and something“truly special” even amongst stiff Cannes competition.Indiewire’s Eric Kohn andEntertainment Weekly’s Lisa Schwarzbum dubbed the film a“masterpiece.” But, while Von Trier may have impishly stirred the public relations pot for himself, his comments upstage Dunst’s performance, whichHitFix’s Drew McWeeney calls“the best work of her career” in his review.
Headlines haven’t been kind to the director today, but neither were reviews posted byThe Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw or theHollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy, who called the feature“a giggling aria of pretend pain and faux rapture” and, simply,“a bore,” respectively. It’s a shame the conversation has shifted because of a few innocuous remarks.
Update: Cannes hasbanned Von Trierfrom the remainder of the festival.
Thirty-five years after Brian De Palma’sCarrie, MGM is planning a remake of the horror flick and a“new take” on Stephen King’s first published novel.
Rising starMichael Fassbender, who is playing Magneto in this summer’sX-Men: First Class, is in discussions to lead the next film from Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle.
What a difference an illegitimate baby makes. Last month we were speculating which movie project would mark the triumphant return of former governor of CaliforniaArnold Schwarzeneggerto the silver screen.
U.K. based Vertigo Films announced Friday it is developing a sequel to Gareth Edwards’ sleeper hit