Note: The following is Dogme 95 film review where the writer of this review has chosen to write a film review in 1000 or less. The idea of the review is to strip down the aesthetics and excess of previous film reviews. In spirit to the Dogme 95 movement, the writer has chosen not to receive any financial profit from this review. Instead, only gaining an artistic satisfaction in being true to the Dogme 95 brotherhood. For more information on Dogme 95, read De Lutrede

Written by Lars von Trier, Idioterne (The Idiots) aka Dogme #2 is a film about a woman who encounters a group of rich bourgeois individuals who rebel against the class in order to channel their inner idiot. The second part of von Trier's Golden Hearts trilogy following Breaking the Waves in 1996, Idioterne focuses on a woman named Karen (Bodil Jorgensen) finding herself part of a group of people rallying against the rules of society. In response to society's rules, a group of people act out by spazzing and acting like mentally challenged or disabled people.

The story begins when Karen is at a posh restaurant ordering a salad and water as she watches a man named Stoffer (Jens Albinus) along with Henrik (Troels Lyby) start acting out in rage. Karen believes they're mentally challenged as Stoffer grabs her hand and wouldn't let go. Saved by a woman named Susanne (Anne Louise Hassing), the four leave the restaurant but Karen's hand isn't let go as she enters a cab. Karen then learns that Stoffer isn't actually mentally challenged but pretended to only to beat the check. The four then go to a factory with another group of people who may or may not be mentally challenged as all sorts of problems happen. After leaving in a small bus, Karen is taken to a home that belongs to Stoffer. Around the same time, the group of people are being interviewed for a documentary where they talk about Karen's arrival.

Karen attempts to call her husband but finds herself feeling lonely. She finds herself enjoying the company of Stoffer and the gang that included Axel (Knud Romer Jorgensen), Jeppe (Nikolai Lie Kaas), Josephine (Louise Mieritz) Ped (Henrik Pib), Nana (Trine Michelsen), and Katrine (Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis). They go to a public pool where all sorts of hijinks occur as the anarchy continues with everyone going to a ski hill in the middle of the summer. With Stoffer using his house to let his friends live there, it's really his uncle (Erik Wedersoe) who wants to sell it. Stoffer and his gang invites a real group of mentally challenged people to have lunch but admits to feel troubled.

Many feel that those who are mentally challenged or disabled are the most innocent group of people who don't really need to live up to society's rules. In attempt to play against the rules of rich society, Stoffer and his gang try to sell Christmas candles for some odd amount of money and five cents. After meeting a woman (Paprikka Steen) who is interested in buying the house, Karen suddenly starts to act strange.

With Axel returning to his life as an advertisement agency, Katrine suddenly shows up to cause mayhem during a meeting. It's a response to their own affair that Axel is trying to break. Stoffer pushes the edge in causing more chaos when Jeppe plays around with bikers. When they returned home, a man (Michael Moritzen) from the neighborhood angers Stoffer as he calls for more anarchy. The next day, a party is held where Stoffer wants a gang-bang orgy. Nearly everyone is involved except Karen who watches from afar. Josephine meanwhile, doesn't take part but finds comfort in Jeppe.

The aftermath of the party turns sour when Josephine's father (Anders Hove) arrives the following morning to take her home. When Stoffer learns about why she has to be taken home, he gives in despite the protests of Katrine and Jeppe. Hoping to reinvigorate their own movement in anarchy, Stoffer's movement falls apart until Karen decides to take a chance with Susanne watching as she learns something about Karen.

Since the film is a Dogme movie, it's clear that the direction the director has chosen is in the spirit of the movement. Pure anarchy. The film is about a group of people rebelling against society while a woman is willing to sacrifice her own sanity to find a place where she feels she's a part of. The film's script by Lars von Trier is really an outline for social commentary on society and the middle class which Stoffer is rallying against. Yet, the antics in the film through its direction is very improvisational.

Though it's unclear what's real and what's staged, it's in its mayhem that causes the film to be unpredictable. Even the orgy sequence is something that comes out of nowhere. The cinematography, shot on digital camera, is all in the film's spirit with natural light and grainy photography to convey its realism. The editing itself plays true to its spirit with jerky jump-cuts and an unconventional rhythm to the film. Even the sound and music is heard naturally without being really mixed on post-production.

Then you have the film's cast whom are all brilliant in their performances and taking risks. The realism and documentary confessions in the performances are all brilliant. The film's real standout performances are definitely Jens Albinus as the anarchistic, radical Stoffer and Bodil Jorgensen as the observant, lonely Karen.

In the end, Idioterne is a radical, uncompromising, unconventional, anarchistic film from Lars von Trier. While not as good as his previous film Breaking the Waves or the more conventional Dancer in the Dark two years later. This film is still quintessential von Trier in all of its radical form.

Dogme 95 Reviews: Dogme #1-Festen - (Dogme #3-Mifune)

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age