Breaking the Waves

1996 · 159 min · DA · R · 7.5 (1,156 votes)

Dir. Lars von Trier · Starring Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, Katrin Cartlidge, Jean-Marc Barr, Adrian Rawlins, Jonathan Hackett · Music Joachim Holbek

“Love is a mighty power.”

DramaRomance

In a small, conservative Scottish village, an oilman is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when he urges her to have sex with another.

VIBE

A profoundly devastating and raw experience, this film is a slow-burn exploration of extreme devotion and spiritual crisis. Its stark, handheld aesthetic immerses you in a harrowing journey of sacrifice against a backdrop of rigid societal judgment, leaving an indelible, emotionally visceral mark.

devastatingrawspiritually chargedharrowingintenseslow-burnraw naturalismemotionally visceralDogme-adjacentstark realismfaith and sacrificeunconditional lovesocietal judgmentfemale subjugationspiritual crisis

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underdogdying and deathprostituteparaplegicparent child relationshipfaithscotlandsocietytraditionprayerexcommunicationauthority1970scoerciongodpriestchurchpolyamory