The Idiots (1998)

Synopsis: Lars von Trier's first contribution to Denmark's Dogme 95 collective (subtitled "Dogme 2," following Thomas Vinterberg's THE CELEBRATION) concerns a group of adults who decide to get in touch with... Lars von Trier's first contribution to Denmark's Dogme 95 collective (subtitled "Dogme 2," following Thomas Vinterberg's THE CELEBRATION) concerns a group of adults who decide to get in touch with their "inner idiot." When Karen (Bodil Jorgensen), a shy, sensitive young woman, follows a group of mentally disabled individuals home after an encounter at a restaurant, she discovers that they are, in fact, healthy and intelligent. Led by Stoffer (Jens Albinus), the group lives communally in his wealthy uncle's house. Stoffer believes that by "spassing" in public they are rejecting the conformity and normality of modern society, and he spends his unemployed days thinking of different ways to toy with the world at large. Shot with handheld digital cameras and using natural lighting and natural locations, THE IDIOTS possesses an urgency that makes it feel like a documentary. Von Trier sparked a heated controversy with his decision to film the sex scenes with actual intercourse, adhering to the Dogme tenets. (He hired porn actors for the close-ups.) This controversy aside, the film nonetheless raises questions about cultism, modern ethics, and the idea of individuality within the absurdity of the characters' world. [More]

Starring: Bodil Jorgensen, Jens Albinus, Anne Louise Hassing, Troels Lyby

Starring: Bodil Jorgensen, Jens Albinus, Anne Louise Hassing, Troels Lyby, Nicolaj Lie Kaas, Henrik Prip, Luis Mesonero, Louise Mieritz, Knud Romer Jorgensen, Trine Michelsen, Paprika Steen

Screenwriter: Lars von Trier
Producer: Vibeke Windelov

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