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De fem benspænd (2003) -- About a filmmaker not only revisiting, but also recreating (not in a conventional sense) one of his first films, The Perfect Human / Det perfekte menneske (1967)
De fem benspænd (2003) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   3,121 votes
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Director:
Writers:
Jørgen Leth (2 segments)
Sophie Destin (poem) (segment "The Perfect Human: Brussels")
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Five Obstructions on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 November 2003 (UK) more
Genre:
Plot:
About a filmmaker not only revisiting, but also recreating (not in a conventional sense) one of his first films, The Perfect Human / Det perfekte menneske (1967) full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
1 win & 2 nominations more
User Reviews:
A self-examining work of art that is greater than its constituent parts more (33 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Claus Nissen ... The Perfect Man - from 'Det perfekte menneske' 1967 (archive footage)
Majken Algren Nielsen ... The Perfect Woman, from 'Det perfekte menneske' 1967) (archive footage) (as Maiken Algren)

Jørgen Leth ... Speaker (from "Det perfekte menneske" 1967) / Himself - Director (segments "The Conversations") / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #1 - The Perfect Human: Cuba") / The Perfect Man / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #2 - The Perfect Human: Bombay") / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human: Cartoon") / Jørgen Leth / The Perfect Human / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #5 - The Perfect Human: Avedøre, Denmark") (also archive footage)

Lars von Trier ... Himself - Obstructor (segments "The Conversations") / Lars von Trier (segment "Obstruction #5 - The Perfect Human: Avedøre, Denmark")
Daniel Hernandez Rodriguez ... The Perfect Man (segment "Obstruction #1 - The Perfect Human: Cuba")
Jacqueline Arenal ... The Perfect Woman (segment "Obstruction #1 - The Perfect Human: Cuba")
Vivian Rosa
Alexandra Vandernoot ... The Perfect Woman (segment "Obstruction #3 - The Perfect Human: Brussels")

Patrick Bauchau ... The Perfect Man / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #3 - The Perfect Human: Brussels") / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human: Cartoon")
Marie Dejaer ... Maid (segment "Obstruction #3 - The Perfect Human: Brussels")
Pascal Perez ... Couple (Man) (segment "Obstruction #3 - The Perfect Human: Brussels")
Meschell Perez ... Couple (Woman) (segment "Obstruction #3 - The Perfect Human: Brussels")
Bent Christensen ... Gangster from "Det gode og det onde" 1975 featured in segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human: Cartoon" (archive footage)

Anders Hove ... Naked Man, from "Notater om kærligheden" 1989 featured in segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human: Cartoon" (archive footage)
Charlotte Sieling ... Naked Woman - from "Notater om kærligheden" 1989 featured in segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human: Cartoon" (archive footage)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Five Obstructions (France)
The Five Obstructions (International: English title)
more
Runtime:
90 min
Color:
Black and White (archive footage) | Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
During one of the conversation segments in the documentary Lars von Trier and Jørgen Leth agree that Leth will receive full credit for the fifth and final Obstruction entitled "The Perfect Human: Avedøre, Denmark" despite not directing it, and that Trier will receive none, although he will direct it. This, apparently, is within the rules of the game played out by the two directors during the documentary, and serves as an inside joke. more
Movie Connections:
References La collectionneuse (1967) more

FAQ

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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful.
A self-examining work of art that is greater than its constituent parts, 22 December 2004
10/10
Author: Chris Docker (eyeforfilm) from Scotland, United Kingdom

Many documentaries stand back from their subject, to portray it 'objectively', or else throw themselves into it with a fervour with which they hope to carry along the audience. The Five Obstructions is very different, turning in on itself to examine the creative process of film-making in a self-revelatory way that packs both instructive, artistic merit and emotional punch.

Lars von Trier is one of the founders of the Danish school of film-making (or collective) called Dogme 95. He instituted the idea of fairly arbitrary rules (the so-called 'Ten Commandments') as a possible route to more intrinsic cinema, avoiding the technological excesses and hollowness of Hollywood style movies. While there are similarities with the Dogme approach, Five Obstructions is not a 'Dogme' film: but it looks at the idea of rules as a means of stimulating the creative process.

The starting point is a early film short by Trier's old mentor, Jørgen Leth, called The Perfect Human. It is a seemingly anthropological movie where a human being (a man, switching occasionally to a woman) does various basic actions, walking, dressing, eating, undressing, jumps, dances, and a voice over says how we are going to "see the perfect human being in action". There is the occasional introspective line where the character ponders, "Today, too, I had an experience that I hope I shall understand in a few days' time." We see Trier (who considers himself an expert on very few things in life but Leth is one of them) in conversation with Leth. The latter accepts a challenge from Trier to remake the film five times, but each time with a different set of conditions imposed by Trier – who will then judge how successfully Leth has succeeded in the task. The atmosphere is almost like a PhD student and tutor, yet although Trier obviously holds Leth in very high regard, it is Leth who is undergoing the teaching.

Through successive shoots, Trier makes Leth confront that which he most dislikes. He compares the process to when he is directing an actor, forcing a performance from the actor that the actor didn't know was within them. In the first four takes, we see Leth produce something that is artistically worthy with even the most daunting physical and psychological obstructions, but it is in the final obstruction that Trier produces a cathartic effect, turning the tables so thoroughly on Leth and himself that the result is greater than both of them. Instead of a documentary about a film about how a perfect human being works, it becomes a documentary about how a perfect film maker works.

The ending justifies the rather long and mentally tiring prelude. The overall result is a lasting testament on a particular way of reaching the creative process, and also a documentary testament to Trier's own particular genius. There is no artifice, no hype, only two people of great artistic integrity working together to pull something from their subconscious of lasting greatness.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for De fem benspænd (2003)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Favorite Obstruction upnsm0kebr
Do you need to see the original short first? CiNEPHlLE
Actually I was not afraid of Von Trier, but of Leth ! danijobi
Documentaries Like This morbidbean
The 'real' point louidaboss
Is Trier as big of an ass as he appears? upnsm0kebr
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