The Element of Crime

Hits a certain note and keeps repeating it. I can see it getting tiring to some, but not here. Beautiful and consistently dark.

Lars von Trier's entry into film could be one of the most purely visceral experiences I've had. Unimaginably elusive. I'm just glad to be along for the ride and piece together what I can.

It was good. But I didn't love it. I guess I liked the film-noir elements of it and the sepia colour tone and the constant presence of water and in general I can appreciate how well the film was made. However, I couldn't really identify or sympathise with the characters or become totally engaged in the film. Still, it's a good film and surely a sign of great things to come from von Trier.

Objectively this is a great piece, lots of abstract shot framing in service of the overall hazy flashback vibe. But I honestly fell asleep to it twice so I can't go much higher than this rating.

Astonishingly filmed, with a very interesting and eye-catching colour scheme, and the editing also aids with this 'hypnosis state' kind of aesthetic that's heavily reminiscent of Tarkovsky. However, as for the narrative, the surrealist nature of this dull detective story makes it all the more elusive, impenetrable, and lifeless, and the shoddy acting, dubbing, stilted dialogue, and stock music don't help at all.

A neo-noir thriller full of surreal touches, it feels like it's more style than substance, but great style indeed. Not as in your face as later von Trier, but you can still see the seeds of his style in the darkness of the subject matter.

Pretty but incomprehensible pre-Dogme Trier film

Best part of Europa trilogy ..

It's hard to say what to make of this. Great moods and a multi-layered story combined with some absurd dialogue and offbeat scenes.

I'm surprised how many people have called this incomprehensible, it seemed pretty straightforward with the exception of the last couple minutes. It is very pretty and fairly interesting, though there are a few defensible (and probably intentional) things that nonetheless irked me (some of the leaps in logic in the plot, or how incredibly deliberate the performances and dialogue are, to the point where I started to find it a bit silly: "I want you to screw God in to me").

Obviously very inspired by Tarkovsky this one, but it's impossible to dismiss it on that ground, when the result looks as good as it does. Never mind the almost absent plot, this movie is to be enjoyed for its fascinating imagery.

Great for the visuals, but a bit of a 'hollow' film with no soul. As a side note, the documentary that came with this reveals that it was not Lars Trier's idea to go with the sepia colour of the film (which is the coolest part of the movie) but rather one of his close friends who I believe was his production designer, Peter Hoimark.

Profoundly gorgeous cinematography, camerawork, and use of colors. Coupled with an oppressively bleak atmosphere, this dystopian noir becomes a completely captivating experience.

Score based on distant memory. Recollection is that it contained impressive elements but was not quite successful.

I found it to be a near-purely stylistic exercise, with little in the way of substance. The noir trappings are fun but don't add up to much beyond some striking cinematography and a strange dreamlike mood - both of which I've seen done better by other films. A total drag.

Lars von Trier being boring, as usual

trier is one of a kind director.

long day's journey into piss

Sepia-toned noir, with great visuals and muddled dialogue/plot.

72.500

a dystopian, atmospheric and deeply psychological film, on subjective investigation methods and the melding of personalities that results. a truly wonderful colour palette gives rise to a bizzare and haunting experience and leaves one much to think about.

Hayir hayir hayir..Kitaplarimi akademi kütüphanesinden cikardiklarinda cok kizmistim ama simdi anliyorum. Benimkiler kurguydu, bilimsel tarafi yoktu. Saf ve kismen tehlikeli seylerdi. Belki de en önemli sey hep gözardi edildi. Biz suc unsurunu hep toplum icinde aradik, insanin kendi dogasina bakmak aklimiza gelmedi. Sucu isleyen insan olduguna göre aranmasi gereken yer insanin kendisidir.(Osborne)

3 nisan 10, 11:00 atlas sinemasi, cansu ocelle, 29. ist. film fest. & ruya gibi bir atmosfer, kirli bir sari icine bulanmis kirli bir film. bogucu bir avrupa taslamasi. basarili sayilabilecek bir ilk film. yer yer gercekustu ogelerle seyirciyi muallakta birakan bir deneyim..

Experimental cinematography, ominous atmosphere. Not enough substance.

(Rewatch) 'I want you to screw God into me'... oh Lars, you never change do you? I barely remembered anything about this, apart from it being murky and incoherent (which it is, and probably seemed even more so at the time). It's also rather impressively stylized, albeit quite blatantly Tarkovsky-aping (he reportedly hated the film), and often mortifyingly pretentious (which to his credit Von Trier acknowledges). Yet still, in it's own way it might be more interesting than some of his later work.

Lars Von Trier's first film is shockingly accomplished; a noirish tale filmed in amber tones, with flashes of sickly color. The visual scheme and production design are excellent. The story, while predictable, is well-told. And the acting, particularly Michael Elphick as the troubled Fisher and Esmond Knight as his doddering mentor, is strong. The final scenes are a bit confusing, the ending shot especially, but overall, a strong debut for Von Trier, who cameos as the "schmuck of ages".

In one of the first scenes I was already taken with the film. During one conversation there was a shot through the outside window to observe them, there was a shot of one characters feet on a floor where you could see the reflection of another character. In these few minutes there were more shots than you see in some full films. What follows from here is a fascinating puzzle of a film.

A stylistic and design tour de force, The Element of Crime unfortunately didn't do a ton for me from a narrative sense. Very pretty and cool to look at, though, and there are plenty of interesting elements. One of the most interesting is the dream logic/nightmare feel of it. It often felt like something I should be enjoying more than I was.

nonesensical. plot held no interest.

Far above the standard European policer.

The Element of Crime contains the finest art direction I've ever seen. Imagine if von Trier had directed Blade Runner. What a amazing film that would have been.

one of the most difficult movies i have ever seen, but the imagery is f*cking crazy

Lars von Trier's debut film, The Element of Crime, is a, cinematic nightmare in at least two senses: it captures the logic of dreams in a way most films don't, and it's a singularly unpleasant viewing experience. This has a lot to do with the look that Von Trier and cinematographer Tom Elling came up with, which is unique in cinema history. The entire film is lit with a sickening yellow that Von Trier and Elling came up with by using sodium vapor lamps, and the result is nothing but unforgettabl