I feel like it spent its full length responding to a straw man. Is there an argument that homages are considered stealing when they're openly acknowledged by their very nature? How do they add to the decline of originality? Are movies, or any medium, merely composed of the same references arranged in the same sequence? Should I brand Lynch's films as unoriginal because they incorporate elements from Tati and Hitchcock?

Can definitely see how a film like this could have that effect on the big screen.

Yeah, I loved them in both as well!

You’re certainly not alone. A number of reviews from the time of its release had a similar sentiment.

This is one of the more common critiques of the film’s ending and it’s definitely valid. I wanted to address the bells in the video, but also, that scene feels like such a climactic moment that leaving it in for anyone who may not have seen the film just didn’t feel right. I was left devastated at the film’s conclusion, but also did not interpret the bells as necessarily proving God’s existence. To me this film was just as much about love as it was about faith (the original title for this film was ‘Amor Omnie’ or ‘Love is Omnipresent’ from Dreyer’s film Gertrud). Similar to the way the melodramatic narrative clashes with the documentary-like camera, the CG chapters and bells directly contradict an otherwise very naturalistic film. Rather than being grounded in reality as definitive proof of God’s existence, the bells to me had a more existential quality. The ending felt meaningful/impactful, but ultimately open to interpretation based on your perspective. Does Breaking the Waves reflect reality, or, like the children’s book that inspired its creation, a fairytale? Is the film rooted in religion, or something else? I think everyone engages with a film differently, so it’s really open to interpretation, as most of the best films are.

@@fromtheframe Faith is put down with those bell in the clouds. Their distant sound should have been enouugh There is no space for interpretation. What are the bells doing in the clouds? We either answer this or we question the whole movie. I prefer to question those last seconds. The film is not filmed like a fairytale. It's filmed in a way to reminds at all times that it is pretty real and raw. Everything else is just fine and is probably his best work.

Many of von Trier’s productions actually have some really interesting post-processes. I connected with this one the most because of the way the form sort of contradicts the film’s content, but yes, this film truly left me devastated and certainly isn’t something I can watch over and over.

@@fromtheframe Yeah, if it wasn't clear, this is also one of my favorite films. I just can't actually watch it again :-D But also can't forget it.

It’s an interview between Anthony Dod Mantle & Christopher Doyle from Berlinale ‘06 called 'Here's Looking at You, Kid' (it’s on the Berlinale Talents website).

I know a lot of editors don’t necessarily cut for continuity - Walter Murch’s book is pretty clear about prioritizing cutting for emotion - but this film ratchets that up to a pretty astounding level.

Agreed, she was such a talent.

The Room definitely is a rough film; however, for me, its sins lie beyond its cinematography.

I almost brought up McCabe & Mrs. Miller in this video, because that’s an excellent example of another filmmaker striving for a more realistic image over one that is viewed as conventionally beautiful. Altman wanted the film to resemble a dreamy, faded photograph so DP Vilmos Zsigmond flashed the entire film negative to give the film that pastel look. He then used diffusion filters and underexposed the negative, which was push-processed in post. That coupled with Altman’s use of overlapping dialogue creates layers of authenticity that add to the film’s realism.

Müller’s work is definitely some of our favorite!

What specifically?

@@fromtheframe well I feel like Nolan is a director that also likes to leave mistakes in his works, was just wondering if you were able to see that in Oppenheimer?

Oh yeah! That definitely is an aspect of that film, but in my opinion not necessarily in the same manner as Breaking the Waves. For Nolan, leaving in mistakes feels like more of a byproduct of the fully optical process where he can’t digitally go in and fix things. But more interesting, your comment just jogged my memory that Hoyte van Hoytema actually was mentored by Robby Müller, so…maybe there is something to the parallels you’re drawing after all!

Thanks! Haha, it admittedly hurt a bit to put this film in the category of ‘not conventionally beautiful’ because we love it so much, but its visual design is one of the reasons why it’s so compelling - and in the end that makes it truly beautiful.