A Retrospect on "Antichrist"

Confessions of a Film Junkie: A retrospect on “Antichrist”

By: Brian Cotnoir

     So I wanted to try something different.  I have a simple method when it comes to writing reviews for this blog: I watch a film, I take notes on it, and then I write a review.  Normally, when I review a film for this blog, I watch it only once.  My reasoning is because sometimes I get easily bored watching a film more than once, but it’s mainly because I watch a lot of crap.  I know a lot of critics watch a film at least twice before forming an opinion, to give a more “fair judgment” of the film.  Now, in attempt to do some of those film’s some “justice”, I will be re-watching some of them writing a retrospect review on how my feelings have changed since I watched them the one and only time.  The first film I will be re-reviewing is Lars Von Trier’s 2009 film “Antichrist”.

My First Impression of the Film

What was the point of you Random Talking Fox???

I absolutely hated this film the first time I saw it.  It actually took me over a year to watch the entire film in just one sitting, I found it that boring.  I hated this film so much after the first time I saw it that I declared it “the Worst Film I’ve ever seen” (only for me to recant that declaration one week later after watching and reviewing “Cool World”).  I have bashed this film to no end.  I ranked it #2 on my list of “Ten Films that make me want to punch somebody”, and I listed this film’s director, Lars Von Trier, as one of my “5 Signs of a Bad Movie”.  I just could not find one thing about this film that I liked.

My Opinion after watching this film for the second time

I dotn even know how to describe this scene

So shortly after I posted my original review of “Antichrist”, one of my best friends told me that they wanted to watch the film with me because they thought it might actually be good.  I decided to humor them and we watched it.  They agreed that it was nothing special, but thought it was better than I gave it credit for, and I actually started to see that the film did have some nice cinematography.  Though, I still couldn’t get pass the fact that Charlotte Gainsbourg is a terrible actress—probably one of the worst I’ve ever seen in a film—and there’s just so much random and boring crap that Von Trier piles into his films that make me regret watching anything that he’s made.     

God, you're a weirdo!

     Now this next part is very difficult for me to admit, but maybe...Lars Von Trier isn’t as bad as of a director as I thought.  I guess what I’m trying to express is that even though I don’t understand or like a lot of the things Von Trier does in his films, I think that might be why so many people like him.  He does as he pleases and he does it all in the name of his art.  He makes the kind of films that he wants to make, and he is proud of his work.  Also, he keeps landing big name stars in most of his films.  Everyone from Willem Defoe and Kirsten Dunst to Kiefer Sutherland and Stellan Skasgaard has appeared in Von Trier’s films.  Even one of my favorite actors, John Hurt, managed to find himself playing a role in Von Trier’s “Melancholia”.  I don’t understand how Von Trier keeps landing so many big name stars for his films, but if he can do it, then people must really like his work. 

What I’d do to make this film better

     Well...can this film be made better?  How can you improve upon Von Trier’s work?  Did this film actually have a plot?  I couldn’t tell.  Well if it didn’t have a plot then what can you really do to make the film better?  I mean besides the obvious: replace Charlotte Gainsbourg with a better actress and STOP SHOWING US CLOSE-UPS WILLEM DEFOE’S PENIS!

My Present Feelings on the Film

     So do I still think “Antichrist” is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen?  Yes. However, I don’t think I would rank it as high up on my list of Worst Films I’ve ever seen, but I’d definitely say it’s somewhere in my Top 20 Worst Films (possibly top 15).  If you, personally, like this film I can understand it.  I’ve seen it three times now, and it’s just not my cup of tea.

 My Original Review of "Antichrist" From 2011

*Upcoming Reviews*

August 8^th- “The Tall Man”

August 15^th- “Infected”

August 22^nd- “Elfie Hopkins: Cannibal Hunter”

August 29^th- A Retrospect on “A Serbian Film”