The Five Obstructions
(2003)
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The Five Obstructions
(2003)
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| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Claus Nissen | ... |
The Perfect Man - from 'Det perfekte menneske' 1967
(archive footage)
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Majken Algren Nielsen | ... |
The Perfect Woman, from 'Det perfekte menneske' 1967)
(archive footage) (as Maiken Algren)
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Daniel Hernandez Rodriguez | ... |
The Perfect Man (segment "Obstruction #1 - The Perfect Human: Cuba")
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Jacqueline Arenal | ... |
The Perfect Woman (segment "Obstruction #1 - The Perfect Human: Cuba")
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Vivian Rosa |
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| Jørgen Leth | ... |
Voice-over (from "Det perfekte menneske" 1967) /
Himself - Director (segments "The Conversations") /
Voice-over (segment "The Perfect Human: Cuba," segment "The Perfect Human: Bombay," segment "The Perfect Human: Cartoon") /
Himself -The Perfect Man - Voice-over (segment "The Perfect Human: Avedøre, Denmark")
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| Patrick Bauchau | ... |
The Perfect Man /
Voice-over (segment "The Perfect Human: Brunelles Brussels") /
Speaker (segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human: Cartoon")
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Alexandra Vandernoot | ... |
The Perfect Woman (segment "The Perfect Human: Brunelles Brussels")
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Marie Dejaer | ... |
Maid (segment "The Perfect Human: Brunelles Brussels")
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Pascal Perez | ... |
Couple (Man) (segment "The Perfect Human: Brunelles Brussels")
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Meschell Perez | ... |
Couple (Woman) (segment "The Perfect Human: BrunellesBrussels")
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Bent Christensen | ... |
Gangster (from "Det gode og det onde" 1975) (segment "The Perfect Human: Cartoon"
(archive footage)
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| Anders Hove | ... |
Naked Man (from "Notater om kærligheden" 1989) ( fsegment "The Perfect Human: Cartoon"
(archive footage)
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Charlotte Sieling | ... |
Naked Woman (from "Notater om kærligheden" 1989) ( segment "The Perfect Human: Cartoon"
(archive footage)
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Jan Nowicki | ... |
Man with Jacket (from "Notater om kærligheden" 1989) ( segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human
(archive footage)
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"The Five Obstructions", a 100 min. theatre documentary directed by Lars von Trier and Jørgen Leth. An investigative journey into the phenomenon of "documentary", based on manifestos written by each director. 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), a document on life in Denmark, containing the familiar Leth idiosyncrasies Written by jordan.savel@filmbyen.com
Modern art house director Lars von Trier spends a few months torturing his idol, the experimental documentarian Jørgen Leth, in a variety of cruel and unusual ways. As the taskmaster of a twisted private game, von Trier compels Leth to painstakingly recreate his 1967 surrealist short, The Perfect Human, on five different occasions with a gauntlet of handicaps and restrictions. A shoot might require that he employ no more than twelve frames between cuts or travel across the globe, and Leth is merrily game for it all. Ultimately, the goal is to strip the film down to the core and unravel its mysteries - many of which were seemingly lost to the director himself - and it does successfully dip a few toes into those waters. But as Leth gets more films under his belt, the obstructions become more passive, quizzical and vague. By the time we arrive at the delivery of his final film, a light, enjoyable concept has become too heady and analytical for its own good, and neither man is smiling with the kind of vigor they were at the outset.