Click to read the article
Comment
12/30/06
The Five Obstructions (2004)
89 %
Reviews Counted: 56 Fresh: 50 Rotten:6 Average Rating: 7.7/10
Consensus:
Both an intriguing intellectual exercise and an amusing look at the contrasts between the two filmmakers.
Runtime: 90 mins
Synopsis: With THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS, notoriously mischievous director Lars von Trier performs yet another cinematic experiment. This time around, the Danish prankster tries to outwit his mentor, director Jorgen Leth, forcing him to remake his classic 1967 short, "The Perfect Human," five... [More]
Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: Lars von Trier, Jorgen Leth
Reviews
Top CriticClick to read the article
01/26/06
Top CriticClick to read the article
01/15/04
Top CriticClick to read the article
01/13/04
Top Critic
A fascinating meditation on filmmaking and a remarkable intellectual exercise.
01/13/04
Top Critic
[Leth's] strength against adversity elevates the movie above the one-sided whipping of a genial man to a more interesting duel of filmmakers. He parries when von Trier thrusts.
06/05/08
This unique work does humanise the two directors, but also shows that these two fallible humans are capable of making wonderful if not perfect cinematic works.
04/14/05
Click to read the article
12/19/04
Despite his own pessimism, I think Von Trier does change Leth as an artist, a little, through these chastisements.
11/25/04
By challenging Leth, pushing him out of his comfort zone, von Trier releases in his idol a creative brilliance that would have otherwise remained buried.
10/19/04
Stands as a testament to the elasticity of human imagination and to a friendship that can survive even the devious deconstructionist schemes of Lars von Trier.
10/15/04
A film like this has a limited audience, I suppose, but for that audience it offers a rare fascination.
09/10/04
Top Critic
For those who treasure not only watching the intricate challenges of filmmaking but also feeling the thrill of tomfoolery and sharing the demonic joy of psychological twists, Obstructions is enthralling.
09/09/04
A vain and vapid intellectual exercise that only serves to illustrate Lars von Trier's unswerving arrogance.
09/07/04
Related Forums
THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS is a MUST-SEE for cinemaniacs and budding filmmakers alike!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/27/04
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/27/04
THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS is a MUST-SEE for cinemaniacs and budding filmmakers alike!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/27/04
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/27/04
THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS is a MUST-SEE for cinemaniacs and budding filmmakers alike!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/27/04
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/27/04
THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS is a MUST-SEE for cinemaniacs and budding filmmakers alike!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/27/04
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/27/04
IGN RSS Feeds