Table of contents Introduction 3 Mission 4 Method 4 Theory 5
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Stylistic structure and display of similaritiesWhile the two films take separate routes within themes, they do however share some similarities on a number of levels. To support this notion, you only have to look at the very first scene of Breaking the Waves. The first image that the audience is presented with is the title of the movie, which is projected on top of Lars Von Trier’s own name written with large transparent and white capital letters where the title is smaller and written in black. Here, the audience notices that the title sequence is shot with a handheld camera, which gives an unsteady and rough experience. In the next frame, the film jumps to a close-up of Bess who is being questioned by the local priest and elderly council, because she despite the council’s objections wants to marry Jan who they see as an outsider. As before the camera is again handheld and moves back and forth between the characters in quick jerks. This form of stylistic structure has a documentary effect which becomes a contrast of the scene’s narrative content. The scene expresses a discomforting silence and condemnation of Bess’ wish to marry the outsider, which is seen through close-ups of the council’s ominous faces and Bess’ naive look. What is further seen through the stylistic structure is the notion of the film’s artistic depiction. Breaking the Waves is with its stylistic chapter frames, grainy images, shaking camera and breach of continuity cutting, a film which emphasizes the style more than a traditional progressive story. The style of documentary is also further established through the film’s fadeless colors and socially realistic scenography. As such the film connects an evident fictitious situation with a paradoxical marked reality effect. This again is further emphasized in the next scene where Bess has gone outside. The camera films a close-up of her profile when she suddenly looks straight into the camera and thereby the audience, with a playful smile. In film this is often seen as a ‘violation’ of the rules where the character seems to become aware of the fictive narrative, and the occurrence creates a moment of surprise and relocates the character’s position and status. Thus, Bess’ look into the camera becomes a direct reference to the audience and this reference invokes a consciousness of the aspect to observe and being observed. On the basis of this, Breaking the Waves presents its ambiguous strategy within the two first minutes of the film and encourages the audience to see the movie as something different from what it seemingly pretends to be. The film stresses its premises and metafictive nature in its prelude and as such the film does not state certainty of a classical representation nor a realistic story. Another similarity found between Breaking the Waves and Epidemic, is Trier’s use of chapters. The story of Bess is divided into eight chapters and each of them is depicted through digitally manipulated panoramic single shots of various Scottish landscapes accompanied by American and British popular rock music from the 1960s and 70s. On the surface, the use of the panoramic images functions as chapter divisions that create a down-to-earth outline of the story’s logic. The significance of these chapter cut-scenes stands in support of the films indefinite narrative and further expectation of the audience. An example of this is seen with the depiction of chapter one: “Bess Gets Married”, which interrupts and breaks off the aforementioned scene with Bess’ look into the camera. This chapter frame denotes a deep contrast with the film’s stylistic structure which so far has portrayed a silent and slow narrative composition. As mentioned the camera in these frames is stationary and furthermore the colors are more lively and vivid compared to the previous scenes. The song All the Way from Memphis (1973) by Mott the Hopple is played, as background music, during this chapter and is in respect a fast paced and ‘loud’ track indicating an all together opposing narrative structure compared to the previous scene. Furthermore, it plays with the audience’s expectations and promotes a more typical mainstream composition. This is substantiated by Rose/Christiansen; Underlægningsmusikken er et væsentligt narrativt stemningsskabende virkemiddel. Et af de mest karakteristiske elementer i den narrative brug af filmmusik er ledemotivet, hvor et musiktema følger en person, eller en situations stemning som fx kærlighedstemaet i Titanic eller spænding og anspændthed som i Taxi Driver.61 However, in Breaking the Waves, while the music suggests the film’s more energetic ‘mood’, the following scene cancels this as the audience is brought back to the handheld camera’s fadeless colors and the story’s slow pace. As the viewer realizes, this is the case in all of the eight chapter frames, where the stylistic composition denotes mainstream film effects only to be continuously disrupted by the narrative pace of the film. In addition to the background music applied in the chapter scenes, it is also used at a certain point in the story, where Jan is brought home from the hospital to live with Bess in his new vegetated state. This is depicted through a montage of cut-scenes and is again accompanied by music. In the instance before this montage, the viewer sees Bess at the hospital talking to Jan’s doctor, who tries to comfort her. Bess who believes it is her fault that Jan is paralyzed starts crying, but the doctor takes her hands, looks at her and smiles, “Come on. Things will pick up, once he gets home again.”62 Here, the film cuts to the montage and the song Hot Love (1971) by T. Rex starts to play. Again a mood setting is established as the viewer sees Bess and her sister bringing Jan home while they smile and laugh. We see Jan’s friends on the oil rig, who are also in a cheerful mood because they seem to have found oil. A self-conscious double strategyThe interesting aspect of this is Trier’s use of a typical mainstream sequence composition which is an element usually criticized by him and stands in contrast to the film’s overall structure. However, while the montage depicts common mainstream characteristics, it is at the same time also incorporating metafictive elements which are established through instances in the montage where Bess again looks into the camera. Furthermore, the montage and the chapter frames can be argued to have cathartic significance and function as an emotional break from Bess’ tragic story. No matter what, the elements mentioned here do point towards a double strategy within Breaking the Waves’ narrative and stylistic structure. As said before the film depicts a seemingly straightforward melodramatic story, but at the same time it portrays elements of metafictive nature. In the traditional melodramatic genre a classic mainstream composition is usually followed, where camera movements, cut-scenes and background music create the viewer’s optimal experience and identification with a film. Conversely, Breaking the Waves displays at the same time metafictive elements as seen when Bess looks into the camera. According to Torben Grodal this aspect presents problems within a film, Ved at understrege den intellektuelle afstand til fiktionen blokeres samtidig tilskuerens allegiance og identifikation af diegesens personer. (…) Oplevelsen af meta-fiktionelle planer er dog, som omtalt i kapitel 3, besværet af den menneskelige oplevelsesevnes kapacitet. Det kan ofte i praksis være vanskeligt at opleve distancen, fordi en sådan distance kræver, at vi både har aktiveret et tilskuervindue og et diegesevindue i vores bevidsthed.63 This breaks the illusion and diminishes the audiences’ participation in the fictional events. As a result, it would therefore be seemingly difficult to employ both distance and empathy within the same film without one of them cancelling the other since both are of opposing nature. However, I do believe Breaking the Waves successfully achieves this double strategy without cancelling the movie’s emotional appeal. From reviewing the film, it becomes clear that a much larger degree of pathos is employed which at the same time dominates the story and leaves the metafictive and ironic elements as secondary considerations. To further substantiate this claim one could argue that the practice of double strategy is a product of a postmodern condition. As mentioned earlier in the section concerning the basis of movement, Michael Rasmussen stated that an essential part of postmodern thinking confides in the revolt against grand narratives and remains suspicious of any single foundation and ultimate position of truth. In this sense, we alienate the idea of an established future-perspective and are left with task of creating our own. Therefore, our way of Postmodern thinking demands us to be creative and rational at the same time and in comparison, this is an aspect practiced in Breaking the Waves which is being creative with its mixture of opposing elements but at the same time rational with the film’s story and perception. |