Idioterne (1998)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Writer:

Lars von Trier (writer)

Release Date:

20 May 1998 (Belgium)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Society is the mother of all Idiots

Plot:

The group of people gather at the house in Copenhagen suburb to break all the limitations and to bring out the "inner idiot" in themselves.

Plot Keywords:

Cult | Community | Group Sex | Male Frontal Nudity | Mental Illness

Awards:

5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Bodil Jørgensen	...	Karen
Jens Albinus	...	Stoffer
Anne Louise Hassing	...	Susanne
Troels Lyby	...	Henrik
Nikolaj Lie Kaas	...	Jeppe
Louise Mieritz	...	Josephine
Henrik Prip	...	Ped
Luis Mesonero	...	Miguel
Knud Romer Jørgensen	...	Axel
Trine Michelsen	...	Nana
Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis	...	Katrine
Paprika Steen	...	High Class Lady
Erik Wedersøe	...	Stoffer's Uncle
Michael Moritzen	...	Man From Municipality
Anders Hove	...	Josephine's Father

Also Known As:

Dogma 2: 'The Idiots' (International: English title) (complete title)
Dogma 95 - Idioterne
Dogme # 2 - Idioterne (Denmark) (series title)
Dogme 2 (Denmark)
Idioterna (Sweden)
Idioti (Italy)
Les idiots (France)
The Idiots (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality and nudity, and for language.

Runtime:

117 min | South Korea:110 min (cut)

Country:

Denmark | Sweden | France | Netherlands | Italy

Language:

Danish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | France:-12 (original rating) | Singapore:R(A) (cut) | Canada:18A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:(Banned) | Italy:T (cut) | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:(Banned) (original rating) | South Korea:18 (re-rating) (cut) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:18 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:18 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (cut)

Filming Locations:

Søllerød, Sjælland, Denmark

Company:

Zentropa Entertainments

Trivia:

Written in four days as part of the Dogma 95 Manifesto.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: This is a film that adheres to the 'Dogme 95' manifesto, so the usual goof rules do not necessarily apply. This includes shots of the crew, microphones and other equipment, as well as continuity errors.

Quotes:

[Susanne puts a "spastic" Ped behind the van's steering wheel]
Guide at Factory: Who... is he driving?
Susanne: Responsibility does them good.
[Ped drives off recklessly]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Girl Next Door (1999)

Soundtrack:

The Swan

this movie defies criticism

I just got to see it for a first time, in our Film Center, on a big screen, in 35mm. Then I hung around for the movie about its making, "The Humiliated"/"De Ydmygede". I ranked it a 10, and the movie about it was very good to see, too, and on a large screen, and in quick succession.

I was very saddened by the only idiotic thing about this movie: the black censorship rectangles slapped over the print clearly not by von Trier the film-maker, over penises of actors or over some other frontal nudity or gasp actual sex. In the context of this work, this nudity was about as offensive or noticable as in a medical context, that is to say, not at all. The censorship was not only ridiculously unnecessary but offensive in the extreme. I feel ashamed of living in the US when things like this happen. To me, this was the true humiliation -- and Lars von Trier is to be congratulated for evoking that out of our sad country.

"The Humiliated" was not edited, which, ironically, gives one the missing glimpse of anatomy, here and there. How pointless to even care to censor -- but also, how revealing. The two movies claw at the dishonesty of our culture and our hangups even in this wounded capacity as object of futile censorship.

At first I was annoyed by the clipped faces in von Trier's framing at the beginning, but then I understood (this was not my first Dogme95; I just forgot about this aspect of it). Once I understood, I got so absorbed in what was shown that I did not notice the passage of time and regretted when the movie ended.

The Idiots could do well a TV serial. It presaged the so-called reality TV and preempted it in one fell swoop. I think it will age very well as important fingerprint of our times. Maybe one day someday Americans will grow up enough to let it see the light of the projector or even TV without the silly black rectangles marring the print.

All involved should feel very excellent about making this movie. It does a great job approximating the complexity of real life, a little delicious, thoughtful corner of it, and an uncomfortable one, at that. It defies criticism.