DVD Cover Art Managing director: Lars Von Trier
Screenplay: Lars Von Trier, Peter Asmussen, David Pirie
Producers: Lars Jonsson, Peter Aalbæk Jensen, Vibeke Windeløv
Starring: Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgard, Katrin Cartlidge, Adrien Rawlins, Udo Kier
Twelvemonth: 1996
Country: UK
BBFC Certification: 18
Duration: 152mins

Author / Managing director Lars Von Trier's critically acclaimed pic tells the story of young Bess McNeil (Emily Watson), a uncomplicated girl who defies her ultra-conservative, Calvinist Christian customs by marrying a strange oil rig worker, January (Stellan Skarsgard). In the older Jan, she discovers a willing partner cum guide into a world of physical love and sexuality which blows abroad anything she'd ever experienced to that point in her sheltered life, including her love of God, and she is determined to concur on for all its worth until fate intervenes and puts her to the examination.

At its core, Breaking the Waves is the story of an all conquering honey which consumes our heroine as she struggles to go on her faith (and honey) in a world that seems hell bent on thwarting her deepest underlying conventionalities systems, which has been shaped in a cold, unforgiving, religious environment by a customs of close minded zealots. They conspicuously perceive Bess to exist simple-minded, (a niggling mad only not dangerous) and not to exist taken as well seriously. However, all that changes when, later on an unfortunate accident in his oil rig, Jan is left paralyzed and nearly death. Bess the kind-hearted, naive and sheltered girl ends up getting used in the most horrific way, equally the story progresses, by her: husband, townsfolk and several random deviants that populate the story in the bleak coastal hamlet and environs in which she grew up.

btw-hospital

Her love for January is hysterical, obsessive and bordering on the schizophrenic, particularly when she prays with split personality personas, as a patriarchal deep 'God voice' talking to a plaintive, childlike little girl pleading for her Jan to exist sent back to her. Bess'south God vocalisation asks 'are yous sure this is what y'all desire?' and sure enough the side by side day brings news of Jan'due south terrible accident. Bess'south guilt knows no bounds and she is determined to do any it takes to proceed him live, including sex with other men on his instigation. The community starts to plough against her and the church building ostracize her for her scandalous acts.

Things come to a caput afterward a depressed Jan tries to accept an overdose in order to 'set her free to get on with life'. Bess'due south Sister-in-constabulary, Dodo (the late Katrin Cartlidge) intervenes to stop him and tells Bess to have control and give him a reason to live. Taken in conjunction with her revelation to Jan that Bess will exercise annihilation for beloved, this sets the scene for Bess'due south subsequent journey into sexual excess on Jan'south behest, starting with a clumsy effort to seduce the kind Dr. Richardson who eventually acknowledges that Bess was non mad, simply 'Good'.

btw-desolation

Meanwhile Bess's promiscuous encounters, (eastward.yard.: sordid mitt jobs with strangers on a bus or sex with random men in bars and ship crews anchored in the Bay), spurred on by Jan and her strong belief in the power of love to heal any illness, only get more intense and dangerous with each passing fling. Despite Dodo'south admonishment not to purchase into January's sick, depraved heed and emotional blackmail, Bess continues her mission to try and heal her husband with love. The village is scandalized by her actions and even the kind medico is disgusted and confesses to being in love with her, but Bess is non swayed. To make matters worse, her 'God voice' goes silent and in panic, she pushes the envelope further by taking on a notorious ship in the harbour, where even other prostitutes refuse to go. This leads to a nasty series of events, (including attempted rape, excommunication and a botched endeavour to commit her to psychiatric handling) culminating in the ultimate cede she makes to salvage her dying husband. The last scene is a touching vindication of Bess's saintly character, complete with tolling angelic bells – very moving.

Emily Watson's powerful debut and amazing portrayal of the simple, kindly Bess is a revelation and her natural exuberance shines through even in the darkest parts of the story. The theme of the story is as much about loneliness and fear of loss as it is about the spiritual strength that Bess continues to display, in spite of insurmountable odds and humiliation. Even in this early work, Lars Von Trier uses painting-like shots, a affiliate based narrative and graphic sex scenes, which are completely integral to the story, information technology is piece of cake spot his trademark themes of religion, morality, mental ill health, depravity and human hypocrisy. The sparse audio track is used sparingly only finer to emphasis the affiliate transitions and their artwork-like scenes.