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| Scene from The House That Jack Built |
Welcome to the sporadic column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.
Trailer in Discussion
Directed By: Lars von Trier
Written By: Lars von Trier (Screenplay), Jenie Hallund
Starring: Matt Dillon, Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman
- Preamble -
At this point, it would be difficult for audiences of world cinema to not have some type of an opinion on director Lars von Trier. He has been around for decades, but has become a bit more infamous in the 21st century for films like Antichrist and Nymphomaniac: a four hour movie about sex addiction. He's someone who makes the word vulgar seem quaint, yet he is provocative in a way that courts conversation. He is both someone who has made cinema more interesting and also maybe gets too much credit for his work. The real question is that, following every film's uncomfortable tone, why do we keep coming back to this man's work time after time?
It's especially curious given the subject of his recent film The House That Jack Built. It's a film that has once again played at Cannes and received a lot of negative backlash. One could argue for good reason, as the film centers around the life of a serial killer, as played by Matt Dillon. In American cinema, there would be something polished and less controversial about this type of character. However, those who don't know von Trier are likely to need warning. He doesn't go light, nor even follows accepted norms. He breaks taboos, which is both his greatest and worst achievement. Those who are squeamish to violence, specifically murder, it's best that maybe you skip this one - especially as Cannes reports are already suggesting that there's a lot of disturbing scenes.
So the question isn't so much whether or not that the film looks good, but if you're willing to put up with 2.5 hours of von Trier's voyage of a serial killer. He may be interesting as a director who experiments with form, but there's also an overall sense that he's too extreme to ever be accepted by his peers. This is going to be an intense film, and it's likely that even with major negative reviews, it will receive some sort of positive reception. The same was said of Antichrist, which featured certain mutilation, yet that film made it into the Criterion Collection. Depending on how good the film may or may not be, expect it to end up there as well.
- Dissection -
The quick answer is: What did you expect? If you know it's a movie about a serial killer, there's a good chance that some of the plot beats were already obvious. Still, there's a deluded sense of what von Trier wants to give the viewers. It isn't just a tale of violence, but one of a man whose insane control drives him into destructive corners. It's also pretty impressive that Matt Dillon seems perfect for this type of role, especially with the way he stares at Uma Thurman in the opening scene. He has intent, and it's sometimes a bit too much. He may not be as restrained and nice guy looking as someone like Psycho's Anthony Perkins, but there's a sense that maybe he'll turn on you if you don't treat him right.
To add a cheeky element, the trailer also features one of the most delightfully insane, uncomfortable scenes of a trailer so far this year. As David Bowie's "Fame" plays, Dillon's truck is seen dragging a corpse along the street. Is it meant to be comedy, or is it shockingly brutal? It's somewhere in between and captures a sense that there's nothing taken for granted here. It's all going to be dragged and bloodied. The few glimpses into this man's insane world suggests that there's more underneath the surface that will give audiences nightmares. Still, it's one that tries to humanize the worst possible human in a way that's voyeuristic but still maybe interesting. It's hard to tell. Whatever the case may be, this definitely plays like a von Trier movie trailer in every sense.
This isn't a place to argue whether or not the film's violence is going to be off putting, but more to argue if the film sells itself nicely. I personally think it does a nice job of creating something jarring and immediate. You can't help but form a personal reaction to what you see. It's visceral and may be too much for those who can't handle the aforementioned corpse-dragging scene. It wants to shock you, and I encourage you to take discretion when approaching the film. However, I think it perfectly summarizes what a von Trier serial killer movie would look like. Now it's time to see where it falls, and if it has any reputable merit at the end of the day.
- One Sentence Sell -
The vulgar auteur Lars von Trier returns with a shocking movie about serial killers that's sure to be as brutal and draining as his other work.
- Trove or Trash -
TROVE
It should be noted that while I have apprehension of how much I actually will like this movie, I do think that it does a good job of presenting the story that von Trier wanted to sell. It's vulgar but also appealing in a way that only niche audiences are likely to attach themselves to.
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