The Idiots

Two years after it's premiere at Cannes, Lars Von Trier's new film has at last been released in the States. Be prepared for superimposed black bars covering frontal male nudity. Otherwise, the story, a comedy, is not nearly as controversial as the wonderful Breaking the Waves. The Idiots is about a group of young people who share one interest: idiocy. With a large house as their base, they spend all their spare time exploring the hidden and less appreciated values of idiocy. They actually practice!

The reviews for this film are mixed, but don't trust the critics. A new film by von Trier should not be missed. One day, if we are lucky, the Kingdom II, the sequel to the marvelous four hour ghost story/hospital drama The Kingdom will be released on home video.

Starring: Jens Albinus , Louise Hassing, Troels Lyby, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Bodil Jorgensen .
Directed by Lars von Trier .
Produced by Vibeke Windeløv and Vibeke Windelov .
Written by Lars von Trier.

Art/Foreign, Comedy and Drama. 1 hr. 57 min.
Rated R for strong sexuality and nudity, and for language.

Distributor: USA Films

Reviews

filmcritic.com
"Why would a group of upstanding citizens of the middle class decide to meet in a large country house and get in touch with their inner idiot?"

inside out film
"By dispensing with conventional aids to filmmaking, such as narrative structure and studio technology, the Danish collective that calls itself Dogma 95 is doing what cinema verité and improvisation attempted 30 years ago."

kamera.co.uk
"The Idiots, a bizarre, slight film about a group of articulate slackers who pretend to be mentally retarded, threatens to stifle every shot."

indieWIRE
"Though it does not feature the confrontational power of past Danish works -- von Trier's own Breaking the Waves (1996) and Thomas Vinterberg's The Celebration (1998) -- The Idiots, in Danish with subtitles, is perhaps more complex. As a viewer, you're never sure whether you're in on the joke."

Want to Know More?

von Trier, Lars
A slick site about this incredible filmmaker, famous for Breaking the Waves, The Kingdom, and others.

Breaking the Waves
This movie made me cry and cry and cry. Written and directed by Lars Von Trier. Academy award nominated Emily Watson is amazing in this film.

The Vow of Chastity
Read the manifesto of Dogme 95, a group of filmmakers who have begun a rescue operation to counter high-tech, low art tendencies in film today.

Zentropa Film
The film company under the collaboration of director Lars Von Trier. Learn more about Dogme 95.