Films › Lars von Trier

Breaking the Waves (1996)

Film

DirectorLars von Trier

Meta takes3

Figures

Form & technique

Juxtaposition of documentary-style realism and supernatural miracles → The Hyperreal Mirage
The film's raw, stripped-down aesthetic and production method

Tropes

Bess McNeill's sexual self-sacrifice
The "Chapter Card" still images (tableaux) → The Piercing Detail
Bess's conversations with God
The film's shaky, handheld camerawork → Haptic Visuality
Bess McNeill's "goodness" and inherent desire
The film's blend of raw emotion and stylistic self-awareness

Films most connected to Breaking the Waves

Holy Motors (2012) — via The Hyperreal Mirage, The Piercing Detail
Amores Perros (2000) — via The Piercing Detail, Haptic Visuality
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (2003) — via The Piercing Detail, Haptic Visuality
Carol (2015) — via The Piercing Detail, Haptic Visuality
Son of Saul (2015) — via The Piercing Detail, Haptic Visuality
Invisible Life (2019) — via The Piercing Detail, Haptic Visuality
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) — via The Hyperreal Mirage, Haptic Visuality
Amour (2012) — via The Piercing Detail