Lars Von Trier's 'Dogville' Tied To Norway Shooter

Lars Von Trier seems to have inadvertently found himself in the hot seat again. Norwegian shooter Anders Behring Breivik, who confessed to a bombing and youth camp massacre that left 77 dead in Norway, included Von Trier's "Dogville" as one of his favorite films on his Facebook page. The film, starring Nicole Kidman, ends with her character ordering the murder of an entire village.

In an interview with Politiken, Von Trier was "horrified" that his film "should have been a kind of script for him."

My intention with Dogville was totally opposite. Namely, to ask whether we can accept a protagonist who takes revenge on the entire village. And here I take the absolute distance from revenge. It’s a way to nuance the protagonist and our feelings and perhaps even uncover it, so it just is not black and white.

Von Trier expressed regret that the film could have inspired such violence.

"If it was an inspiration, I'm sorry that I made it," Von Trier said. "But of course I have educational purposes with my films, even if I hesitate to admit it, and my views are the complete opposite of Breivik and his deeds."

This is the latest in negative attention for the director. Von Trier caused an uproar at the Cannes Film Festival in May when he claimed to "understand Hitler," among other things. He clarified later that he was kidding, but he was nonetheless banned from the festival.

In other, less damning LVT news, Screen Daily reported it now looks certain that "Nyphomaniac" will be the director's next film, slated to being production in summer of 2012. The film will explore “the erotic life of a woman from the age of zero to the age of 50."

Comments

[harmonikasavingsbonds]

05:03 PM on 08/02/2011

That makes sense. Von Trier's films are misogynistic and unwatchable anyway.

[Sol76]

12:15 AM on 08/02/2011

I was inspired by the Star Wars films to learn the Jedi Mind Trick.

There is no controversy here... This is not the man to blame.

[The-JuRK]

08:54 PM on 08/01/2011

Gee, Lars, this almost makes everyone forget about your stupid joke about "understanding Hitler"...almost.

[yellowdogdemocratic]

05:44 PM on 08/01/2011

Dogville is about a woman who seeks asylum in another place and ends up being treated like a slave (and worse) by the people in the town in which she immigrates to. Its supposed to be a statement on how badly immigrants are treated. Seeing as though the Norwegian shooter committed his crime because he doesn't agree with immigration, it seems like he misinterpreted the film.

[InedaName]

05:37 PM on 08/01/2011

Why not just require all consumers of entertainment and media to pass a psychological evaluation before they are allowed to read books, watch movies/TV, or listen to music and be done with it?

[randyman99]

03:57 PM on 08/01/2011

It just goes to show, art is in the eye of the beholder, and just because the director thought it portrayed one thing, doesn't mean a viewer won't see it differently. Perhaps this movie skates a little to close to the edge.

[InedaName]

05:39 PM on 08/01/2011

If that were the case then wouldn't every single person who saw Dogville have gone on a murder rampage? Myself included because I have also seen it.

[ESJ247]

03:46 PM on 08/01/2011

And I'm sure he also regrets all the money he'll make with this publicity.

[Golgafrinchan Ark B]

06:07 PM on 08/01/2011

You ARE a cynic, aren't you? I'm sure the opposite will happen and the film will sink like a stone.

[EverybodyLaughs]

07:35 PM on 08/01/2011

the film was released years ago. find it on dvd its a masterpiece.

[gurukalehuru]

03:32 PM on 08/01/2011

Charles Manson was inspired by the Beatles song Helter Skelter, but you can't blame that on the Beatles. The guy who shot John Lennon was inspired by Catcher in the Rye, but you can't blame that on J.D. Salinger. Hitler's favorite film was King Kong but you can't blame that on King Kong.

You're in the clear, Lars Von Trier.

[tyrant510]

08:13 PM on 08/01/2011

well put.

[watoos013]

03:11 PM on 08/01/2011

Maybe we should also outlaw mail order internet purchases where 10 high capacity ammo clips were bought?

[watoos013]

03:13 PM on 08/01/2011

In America, legally.

[Dewts]

03:09 PM on 08/01/2011

lars makes bad movies.

[Highball]

03:06 PM on 08/01/2011

"Dogville" is a brilliant work of art. And, as is often the case, those already driven to violence can take anything and make it into part of their dogma (no pun intended).

[lifeofthemind]

12:15 AM on 08/02/2011

yep yep. On a muuuuch smaller scale, reminds me of a conservative militaristic friend who was obsessed with Starship Troopers. I don't think he got it.

[Andy Scatterbrain]

02:16 PM on 08/01/2011

People not stop empowering killers with the ability to change people's ideas about authors/artists, unless they were explicitly following their orders. The cost of free speech is that we ask viewers to be big boys and girls, and not try to act the things we see in films. Not Dogville, not Rambo, not Friday the 13th not anything. Art is the space we allow things to happen that can't or shouldn't happen in real life.

[InedaName]

05:41 PM on 08/01/2011

Living in a free society comes with risks.

[ntr721]

02:16 PM on 08/01/2011

If only Hollywood and Video Game Producers would learn that their work does inspire people. After all that is exactly what they are trying to achieve. Good, Bad. or indifferent.

[InedaName]

03:29 PM on 08/01/2011

Lars Von Trier does not work within the Hollywood system. He is Danish. He has never visited the United States in his life.

[MercedesGabriella]

10:23 PM on 08/01/2011

And his name is Lars Trier. He added the "von" himself, hoping he'd be taken for an aristo.

[ttyy]

02:15 PM on 08/01/2011

This narcissistic goon loves every second of attention he gets. Horrified? Only because he wasn't mentioned more often in the manifesto.

[Golgafrinchan Ark B]

06:09 PM on 08/01/2011

That's a terrible indictment. I bet Mr Von Trier didn't realize you and he are such good friends that you know this.

[ttyy]

01:05 PM on 08/02/2011

Apparently you were under a rock when he gave his "I love Hitler" speech.

[Wilkby]

01:55 PM on 08/01/2011

After watching a couple of Lars Von Trier films over the years. I was almost inspired to commit my own act of violence. On my eyeballs.