Breaking the Waves (1996)

Oilman Jan is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when Jan urges her to have sex with another.

Director:

Lars von Trier

Writers:

Lars von Trier, Peter Asmussen,

Stars:

Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, Katrin Cartlidge

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 43 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emily Watson	...	Bess McNeill
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Jan Nyman
Katrin Cartlidge	...	Dodo McNeill
Jean-Marc Barr	...	Terry
Adrian Rawlins	...	Dr. Richardson
Jonathan Hackett	...	Priest
Sandra Voe	...	Mother
Udo Kier	...	Sadistic Sailor
Mikkel Gaup	...	Pits
Roef Ragas	...	Pim
Phil McCall	...	Grandfather
Robert Robertson	...	Chairman
Desmond Reilly	...	An Elder
Sarah Gudgeon	...	Sybilla
Finlay Welsh	...	Coroner (as Finley Welsh)

Storyline

Drama set in a repressed, deeply religious community in the north of Scotland, where a naive young woman named Bess McNeil meets and falls in love with Danish oil-rig worker Jan. Bess and Jan are deeply in love but, when Jan returns to his rig, Bess prays to God that he returns for good. Jan does return, his neck broken in an accident aboard the rig. Because of his condition, Jan and Bess are now unable to enjoy a sexual relationship and Jan urges Bess to take another lover and tell him the details. As Bess becomes more and more deviant in her sexual behavior, the more she comes to believe that her actions are guided by God and are helping Jan recover.

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Plot Keywords:

accident | love | oil rig | scotland | sex | 

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Taglines:

Love is a mighty power.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong graphic sexuality, nudity, language and some violence

Details

Country:

Spain Denmark Sweden France Netherlands Norway Iceland

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Contra viento y marea

Filming Locations:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$110,741 (USA) (22 November 1996)

Gross:

$4,040,691 (USA) (2 May 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Argus Film Produktie, Arte, Canal+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

159 min 153 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Barbara Sukowa was attached to this project at one stage.

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Goofs

(at around 7 mins) When Bess is in bed with her sister-in-law, the blanket is on, then off, Bess' shoulder.

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Quotes

The Minister: I would say to you that if there is one of these commandments you do not love and do not obey, you have no business at the Lord's table.

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Connections

Referenced in From Dogma to Dogville: Don't Try This at Home (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Whiskey in the Jar"
Written by Phil Lynott, Eric Bell and Brian Downey
Performed by Thin Lizzy

User Reviews

Leap of Faith

"Dogville" is one of my all-time favourite films, and the most disturbing film I've ever seen. I've wanted to see "Breaking the Waves" in quite a while, and recently I finally had the chance. Now I can't say which one is better. What a heartbreaking experience. Emily Watson had one of the best film debuts ever, and this is probably the most accomplished female performance I've seen since Julianne Moore in "The Hours". Actually, if I had to list 3 favourite female performances now, I'd mention Watson, Moore and Isabelle Huppert in "The Piano Teacher". Lars von Trier has a special talent to direct women: just remember Nicole Kidman's and Björk's remarkable performances in "Dogville" and "Dancer in the Dark", respectively.

"Breaking the Waves" tells the story of the pure Bess McNeill (Watson) and her unconditional love for Jan Nyman (Stellan Skarsgård), who is paralyzed after an accident at the oil-rig he works in. Then, Jan convinces Bess to have sex with other men and tell him the details of the sexual encounters, so he won't "forget" how to do it. Bess is determined to make Jan happy and to prove to God that she loves him, but she soon loses control of her actions. The storyline might sound absurd, but Von Trier isn't a joker and he takes us into a devastating journey. Katrin Cartlidge (1961-2002), an extremely gifted actress ("Naked", "Before the Rain", "Claire Dolan", "Career Girls", "Topsy-Turvy" and "No Man's Land") who died too young, delivers a captivating, discreet supporting performance as Dodo, Bess' loving sister-in-law.

I'd say "Breaking the Waves" and "Dogville" are opposite masterpieces: "Waves" being about love and goodness, "Dogville" being about hatred and evil, among other things, of course (nothing's easy or simple in Von Trier's universe). Both films are extremely dark and hard to watch, but "Waves" shows that Von Trier has faith in mankind. His detractors like to label him as a cynical atheist, but "Breaking the Waves" definitely proved me the opposite. Von Trier made a poignant epic about the struggle of an innocent, good-hearted woman who wants to do what God wants her to do (or, at least, what she thinks He wants her to do) and make her husband happy - even if she has to sacrifice herself for that. It's a leap of faith both for Bess and the watcher, who's got to decide if he's ready for such an experience. I wasn't disappointed at all. 10 out of 10.