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The Five Obstructions

Original title: De fem benspænd
  • 2003
  • Unrated
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
8.9K
YOUR RATING
The Five Obstructions (2003)
Home Video Trailer from Koch Lorber Films
Play trailer1:38
1 Video
5 Photos
Documentary

Filmmaker Lars Von Trier challenges Jørgen Leth, the filmmaker behind The Perfect Human (1967), to remake his classic short under circumstances of increasing constraint.Filmmaker Lars Von Trier challenges Jørgen Leth, the filmmaker behind The Perfect Human (1967), to remake his classic short under circumstances of increasing constraint.Filmmaker Lars Von Trier challenges Jørgen Leth, the filmmaker behind The Perfect Human (1967), to remake his classic short under circumstances of increasing constraint.

  • Directors
    • Jørgen Leth
    • Lars von Trier
  • Writers
    • Sophie Destin
    • Asger Leth
    • Jørgen Leth
  • Stars
    • Claus Nissen
    • Majken Algren Nielsen
    • Daniel Hernandez Rodriguez
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    8.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Jørgen Leth
      • Lars von Trier
    • Writers
      • Sophie Destin
      • Asger Leth
      • Jørgen Leth
    • Stars
      • Claus Nissen
      • Majken Algren Nielsen
      • Daniel Hernandez Rodriguez
    • 38User reviews
    • 84Critic reviews
    • 79Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    The Five Obstructions
    Trailer 1:38
    Watch The Five Obstructions

    Photos

    The Five Obstructions (2003)
    Jørgen Leth in The Five Obstructions (2003)
    Notater om kærligheden (1989)
    The Five Obstructions (2003)

    Top cast

    Edit
    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)
    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
    Jørgen Leth
    Jørgen Leth
    • Voice-over (from "Det perfekte menneske" 1967)…
    Patrick Bauchau
    Patrick Bauchau
    • The Perfect Man…
    Alexandra Vandernoot
    Alexandra Vandernoot
    • The Perfect Woman (segment "The Perfect Human: Brunelles Brussels")
    Marie Dejaer
    • Maid (segment "The Perfect Human: Brunelles Brussels")
    Pascal Perez
    • Couple (Man) (segment "The Perfect Human: Brunelles Brussels")
    Meschell Perez
    • Couple (Woman) (segment "The Perfect Human: BrunellesBrussels")
    Bent Christensen
    Bent Christensen
    • Gangster (from "Det gode og det onde" 1975) (segment "The Perfect Human: Cartoon"
    • (archive footage)
    Anders Hove
    Anders Hove
    • Naked Man (from "Notater om kærligheden" 1989) ( fsegment "The Perfect Human: Cartoon"
    • (archive footage)
    Charlotte Sieling
    • Naked Woman (from "Notater om kærligheden" 1989) ( segment "The Perfect Human: Cartoon"
    • (archive footage)
    Jan Nowicki
    Jan Nowicki
    • Man with Jacket (from "Notater om kærligheden" 1989) ( segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human
    • (archive footage)
    Stina Ekblad
    Stina Ekblad
    • Woman with Money (from "Notater om kærligheden" 1989) (segment "The Perfect Human
    • (archive footage)
    Lars von Trier
    Lars von Trier
    • Self…
    Bob Sabiston
    • Self (segment "The Perfect Human: Cartoon")
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Jørgen Leth(segments The Perfect Human: Avedøre, Denmark, The Perfect Human: Bombay, The Perfect Human: Brunelles Brussels, The Perfect Human: Cartoon, The Perfect Human: Cuba) (uncredited)
      • Lars von Trier(segment The Perfect Human: Avedøre, Denmark) (uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Sophie Destin(segment The Perfect Human: Brussels)
      • Asger Leth(segment The Perfect Human: Brunelles Brussels)
      • Jørgen Leth(segment The Perfect Human: Brunelles Brussels) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • 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.
    • Connections
      Edited from Det perfekte menneske (1968)

    User reviews38

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Von Trier's obstructions on film-making
    THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS (Lars von Trier - Belgium/Denmark/France/Switserland 2003).

    Lars von Trier is not known for trying to please his audiences, but this one is different... Probably, it wasn't his intention while making this film either, but with THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS he has come up with something surprisingly entertaining. In this documentary-like film he challenges one of his favorite filmmakers (and his old film school professor) Jorgen Leth to produce a remake of his 1967 short film "The Perfect Human", each to be directed by Leth according to von Trier's diktat, or his 'Five Obstructions'. The result is an interesting documentary about Leth's efforts and the limitations each artist has to impose on himself to create art or - in this case - film.

    The first obstruction is that Jorgen Leth should make a movie where no edit can last more than 12 frames (about half a second) and it must be shot on Cuba. Leth states it's impossible and can't be done, but he tries anyway and succeeds in making a wonderful film and von Trier is delighted with the results. Now he must make a film in the worst place on earth where he is "the perfect human." Leth is put to the test even more and decides to shoot in a red-light district in Bombay where he stages a sumptuous and decadent dinner table on the street, where he dines in smoking, while hordes of impoverished locals are watching him eat.

    The quality of the remakes may vary, but the film really comes to live when the two men meet. After the Bombay experiment Von Trier downtalks him, claiming he didn't stick to his obstructions, but Leth remains polite and buoyant during some of the brilliant verbal sparring matches about the endless limitations and possibilities of the medium. Despite Leth's difficulties in coping with the obstructions von Trier imposed on him, his most difficult assignment is when he is given complete freedom to make whatever he wants. It turned out to be the ultimate punishment von Trier could give him.

    Camera Obscura --- 8/10
    helpful•10
    1
    • Camera-Obscura
    • Oct 24, 2006

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 21, 2003 (Denmark)
    • Countries of origin
      • Denmark
      • Switzerland
      • Belgium
      • France
    • Official site
      • Films Sans Frontières (France)
    • Languages
      • Danish
      • English
      • French
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • De fem benspænd
    • Production companies
      • Almaz Film Productions S.A.
      • Panic Productions
      • Wajnbrosse Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $165,845
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $8,940
      • May 30, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $279,032
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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