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Danish Film Imitates Danish Life?

© L. Barrett Powell

How accurately do Danish films imitate Danish life? What can we learn of Denmark and Danish culture from modern Danish film directors and films about Denmark? How close to reality are the films of directors such as Per Fly, Thomas Vinterberg, Bille August and Lars von Trier?

THE DIRECTORS AND THEIR FILMS

Here are some of the films done by Danish directors or about Denmark:

Director: Lone Sherfig

Film: Italiensk for begyndere (Italian for Beginners)

Director Lone Scherfig's very popular and engaging story follows seven strangers from a small, rainy Copenhagen suburb who come together once a week to learn Italian. There is a Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church priest, a hairstylist, a waitress, a café server, a hotel manager and a bakery shop clerk. All are seeking to add some spark to their lives and taking an Italian language class is their method. Through learning this new language and making a short group excursion to Italy they make connections of friendship and love that fill voids in their lives.

Director: Lars von Trier

Film: Breaking the Waves

Lars Trier, or Lars von Trier as he now calls himself, is a man of many phobias, harsh outbursts and lack of sentimentality. Proud of himself and his viewpoints, he makes provocative statements such as describing the works of legendary Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen as "the worst faggot bullshit" (Ritzau news agency September 2005). He once described himself in Interview magazine (June 1989) as "a melancholy Dane masturbating in the dark to images on the silver screen" and in 2003 told "The Age" magazine that he endorses pornography and the use of the drug Prozac. He says most people are "stupid". It was for those "stupid" people that he says he made the film "Breaking the Waves".

This is a tragic film in which a woman with a low IQ (but who is quite functional) ends up dead because of her naiveté and her love for a man who was very selfish. It is set in Scotland (in the Shetlands, which were once part of Denmark?) and centers around a young Scottish woman and her Danish husband. It seems in some way that von Trier was making a joke with this film. From one viewpoint it seemed he was making fun (of the audience?) and seeing how far he could push the envelope in terms of credulity. The Dane in the film is portrayed as an emotionally selfish and callous, sexually manipulative, and possessing few social skills. At the close of the film, after and in response to his wife's death, he suddenly displays spiritual depth, emotional warmth and consideration for another person. On the technical side, the camera shots made some scenes seem disjointed and freakish. There are long breaks in between chapters which consist of a still picture (a painting or a computer image) and music from various people like Jimi Hendrix and Elton John. As prescribed by Dogme 95 rules there is otherwise is no musical score.....only handheld cameras are used and the only light is from what is naturally available. However, there are no scenes where you cannot see the action

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