StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Supelice Dreadfully Boring

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

classicsoncall Director Lars von Trier never fails to shock and challenge one's sensibilities with his pictures. "Dancer in the Dark" and "Dogville" are two recent examples I've viewed, but this is one that will probably make you the most squeamish. In it, actress Emily Watson portrays Bess McNeil, a woman who's slavish devotion to a near comatose husband exposes her to shame and ridicule when she attempts to honor his wish that she see other men and report back to him on her sexual escapades. Though at one point, husband Jan (Stellan Skarsgård) rethinks his idea and writes a conflicted note stating "Let me die. I'm evil in head". That would have been enough, one would think, to deter Bess from proceeding with her destructive behavior. At a certain point, one must come to grips with the idea that perhaps the simple minded Bess actually does suffer from some form of mental illness to invite the seamy and destructive relationships she encounters. Why else return to the same ship to encounter a pair of thugs who violated her once before?Another reviewer for the film here on IMDb writes, "This sounds like a grungy tale, but von Trier tells it with such humanism and focus on his themes that we never feel like he is rubbing our faces in drear." Well excuse me, but that's exactly how I felt about the picture, so you'll have to leave me out of the foregoing generalization. Personally, if one's own perverse definition of love and how it can lead to destructive behaviors is your thing, then have at it, but this film does nothing for me, demonstrating once again that von Trier's film making appeals to a segment of film goers that don't mind immersing themselves in sordid and pointless dramas. If there's one thing about the picture that's worth mentioning on a positive note, it would actually be Emily Watson's role in the story, as she arcs her character through a complex set of emotions which leaves the patient viewer drained and dispirited. If that was von Trier's objective, then I guess he succeeded. And by the way, the near comatose husband, who's doctors insisted he would never walk again, closes out the picture hobbling around on crutches, hearing imaginary bells that aren't really there. Best not try to explain it.

Per Johnsen When this film was finished I just had to sit calmly and let out some of the mood I was stuck in. My tears were running, and there were many others sitting behind in the cinema. Even when the marquee was finished and the lights came on, the sobbing was still noticeable. Never have so many been sitting behind for so long. I went outside and had a cigarette together with a friend couple. We just stood there petrified and nobody said anything. After a while a guy came wrestling out the door with a big cardboard figure of Leslie Nielsen, an advert for Spy Hard, and he even carried it on to the smallest car around. It broke the ice and we just had to laugh. This says a lot about what Breaking The Waves did to us. I haven't dared to see it again. If you haven't - do it.

bmoviep At first glance, "Breaking the Waves" may appear to be slow paced and full of unnecessary exposition. However, as the film unfolds, each scene comes together like pictures in a photo book. Protagonist Bess McNeil is an innocent and naive woman, who falls madly in love with a man named Jan Nyman. After the two are married, Jan is sent off to work at an oil rig, leaving Bess all alone. Bess pines for her husband and prays for his safe return to the point where her family and friends call her selfish for not readily accepting circumstances. Tragedy strikes when Jan is badly injured in an accident and is feared to never recover. In order to keep his beloved wife happy (and in a drug induced delusional state), Jan encourages Bess to sleep with other men in order to feel the love and affection that he can not show her. Torn between her devotion to her husband and the strict religious convictions she had been raised with, Bess struggles to fulfill Jan's wishes and maintain her role as a devoted child of God. Ultimately Bess chooses to serve her husband, believing that God would want her to make him happy. Bess feels no love from her encounters with other men, longing only for the touch of her husband. The task kills her inside, but she lies to Jan, saying that she enjoyed the experiences. She soon finds herself shunned from her community as her attempts to serve her husband, her community and God fall apart and ultimately lead to her exile and death at the hands of a violent gang who sexual assault and murder her. As she prays for guidance, it becomes clear that there are no answers and the choice between being a good wife and a good Christian can not be compromised. We're given a small solace at the end of the film, when Jan (recovered from his injury) learns of his wife's death and the loyalty she showed him pays tribute to Bess after the church refuses to show such respect. "Breaking the Waves" is a tragedy of conscience, in which no matter what choice is made, heart break is the inevitable outcome. It show cases the conflict between following the strict and unwavering doctrines of religion and doing what is right in unusual and unforeseeable circumstances.

nadiapandolfo-910-187748 This is hands down, one of the best movies of all time. I watched it again for the third time and loved it even more than the first time I saw it. It is a beautiful, both complex and simple, powerful, compelling and heart-breaking love story that is also deeply spiritual. Though very sad, it is also uplifting in the end. It will make you laugh, cry and think about what is truly important in life. This is filmmaking at its finest--one of Lars Von Tiers best works. Emily Watson is mesmerizing. She was nominated for an Oscar for this role and should have won. This is one of the best performances by an actress ever. Stellan Skarsgard is also wonderful. This film is like eating a fine delicacy. I could watch it again and again. It really holds up to the test of time. I am sure in another 20 years people will still be talking about this film.