Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Breaking the Waves
1996
****
Director: Lars Von Trier
Cast: Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgard, Adrian Rawlins, Katrin Cartlidge

A religious and unbalanced young Scottish woman marries a Norwegian man. When he gets injured on an oil rig, their marriage takes a dark turn. Lars von Trier's gripping drama is one of the first ones where he puts his female protagonist through hell. His film will not leave you cold, you will either hate it or love it. Emily Watson gives an excellent breakthrough performance. This is one of the first Dogme 95 films, shot with hand-held camera and without artificial lighting.