Film detail | Breaking the Waves

Days of Danish Cinema

Countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Germany
Language: English
Subtitles: České
Directed by: Lars von Trier
Year: 1996
Length: 158`
Rating: 16
Screenplay: Lars von Trier, Peter Asmussen, David Pirie
Director of Photography: Per Heegaard, Robby Müller, Jan Weincke
Music: Joachim Holbek
Edited by: Anders Refn
Production: Zentropa Entertainments

Synopsis: This story about the power of love takes place in an obscure village in the north of Scotland in the 1970s. A deeply religious Protestant girl, the young and naive Bess, marries the worldly oil rigger Jan, who works on an oil platform in the North Sea. Early in their marriage, Jan is injured in an explosion and is completely paralyzed. Bess blames herself because she had fervently prayed to God for him to return home. Jan can't bear the thought that he will never be able to make love to her and persuades Bess to sleep with other men; describing her extramarital activities to him may bring him some relief. When gossip of Bess's behavior spreads through the village she lives in, they begin to avoid her and they ostracize her. Nearly abandoned by all, Bess nonetheless decides to fulfill what she sees as her fate...

Lars von Trier: Lars von Trier (1956 ) is a screenwriter, director, and co-founder of the Dogma 95 film movement. He graduated from the National Film School of Denmark. He first gained attention for his short films while at university. He made his debut with the drama The Element of Crime (Forbrydelsens element, 1984), which paved the way for his successful and award-winning films like Europa (1981), Breaking the Waves (1996), Dancer in the Dark (2000), Dogville (2003) and Melanchólia (2011).