Customer Reviews

Medea

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This beautiful piece of art is one of Lars Von Trier's best works, and is certaintly the best of his pre-dogma period. It is based on a previously unfilmed script by the master Carl Th. Dreyer (Lars claimed to be in constant telepathic communication with him during its filming), and tells the story of Medea's revenge on Jason (of the Argonauts) after he leaves her to become the heir of a throne. The plot is sparse; the real star of this film is Von Trier's direction and great command of mood. Many of the techniques employed in "Zentropa" and "Element of Crime" are used, as well as an extremely drab and degraded film image, and all serve to create a harsh other-world filled with despair.

About the DVD: sound is good, and while the image is made intentionally ugly by Von Trier, it is hard to say if the picture was made any worse in this transfer. Regardless, this release marks the first time U.S. audiences get to see this masterpiece, and lovers of Von Trier, Dreyer, art, and avant-garde cinema can't afford to miss it!!

...Wordlessly submissive in body and deed? What rights have women?" --Medea

People seem disappointed with the transfer to DVD, but it didn't bother me too much. It's an old video, so I wouldn't expect it to be perfect. All things technical need not be perfect at all times.

This story was one of my favorites in college, so I was naturally interested in the film versions. I prefer this adaptation to the one with Maria Callas. The atmosphere is more suitable in von Trier's work, with the mist, wind, barren land, gray seas. It also reflects Medea's mood, I think. Such bleak imagery for her depressed state.

However, I found it interesting that birds were chirping on the sunny day that Medea hung her children (I think she stabbed them in the book). I also found it somewhat unrealistic when the older son told her that he knew what was going to happen, and when he put the noose around his own neck.

Not much dialogue, but that's okay, because it didn't need much (if you know the story).

Great lines by Medea, as one would expect: "I'd rather bleed behind a shield than bearing a man's children." With this review's title quotation, it is clear that Medea feels her oppression as a female in a patriarchal society. She would rather be a soldier than a mother - more active, aggressive. Alas, she "was but his prey." She left her country and family for Jason, helped him find the fleece, but he ends up betraying her.

Medea is obviously a feminist of her time, noting how society discriminates against her, knowing that pride is good fortune for Jason, but bad fortune for her. That's still true in today's society. Aggressive, arrogant women are looked down upon much more than are aggressive, arrogant men. It's the "bitch" character flaw vs. the "normal (strong!)" male personality. And her powers and intelligence (again, also happens today) are underestimated until the end.

There is a beautiful scene involving a horse that was cut by the poisoned crown. It appears to go crazy, breaking free from its ties and frantically running out to the beach towards the sea, until it finally collapses, seizing until it is still. That horse did some good acting, or maybe they really stabbed it or something.

Something that bothered me about Medea's appearance - that hideous skull cap. I wanted to see her hair, I've always pictured Medea with wild long hair. She let it out one time, at the end of the movie. Perhaps the cap represented her bondage to Jason, and taking it off signaled her release? That's probably a stretch, but it's what came to mind when I saw it.

I've never felt sorry for Jason. He brought it on himself. Did he deserve to have his children, new wife and father in law murdered? Perhaps not, but it is Medea's last hurrah and her right as a scorned woman. Men tried to diminish her power, but she outsmarted them all by pretending that she had been wrong, apologizing to Jason, acting proper, submissive, meek (non-threatening).

The sad thing is, Jason seems like the kind of man who would do that all over again if given the chance. He is too self-centered to see what how his actions will affect those who have grown to trust and love him. Moral of the story: obey the "Do not commit adultery" commandment, or someone might break the "Do not murder" commandment.

"There is no greater sorrow than love." --Medea

Many big-time spoilers included here.

It's very clear that Lars von Trier has a penchant for digging his nails into the festering wounds of the human psyche, which is almost invariably grist for the psychopathological mill. An asset of this film is that, in disarming the legend of Medea of its fantastic/mythical qualities, and thus "reducing" it to a story about a rejected woman who seeks revenge for the slight committed against her, it resonate a lot more with everyday experience, allowing it to shape itself according to our notion of reality. This can be terrifying, especially with the subject matter at hand. Some authors have argues that there is an infanticidal urge in all mothers, whether conscious or not (usually the latter). Those who act on it are usually portrayed as demonic and/or insane. This is a massive denial of the murderous tendencies present in all living creatures, a denial which seems necessary since it allows people to have some semblance of control over their minds and actions. But, given the right circumstances, the illusion is shattered, and a new balance needs to be reached. In the case of Medea, her narcissistic wound is too great to bear, yet the perpetrator cannot be attacked directly (for whatever reason). Her sexuality is rejected, thus she proceeds to destroy any evidence of his. She murders his bride-to-be as well as some of her family members. The epitome of her acts is the killing of her 2 children, which happens in a very matter-of-fact manner. The "intruder complex" can be felt in the mind of the eldest son, who gladly assists in killing the younger brother, pulling him down as he hangs helplessly from the tree. He thus fulfills his own unconscious wish of destroying his uterine rival. Her "psychogenic sterility" is accomplished, and she can depart. Again, the more realistic tones to the film are a huge asset.. she sits on a ship, waiting for the tide to carry them away... had the golden chariot of Helios, pulled by winged dragons, flown her away holding her dead sons with her, perhaps the impact wouldn't have stuck... score one for the director.

I did not want to see this movie at all. I knew the sad story, so why would I want to see it? Curiousity got the better of me when my husband was viewing it. Von Triers triumphed in this brilliant piece of work. I ended up considering it one of the finest films I have seen. In my opinion, Von Triers got everything right.

Don't miss this!!

Stay away from Facets. I thought the transfer was poor on the Facets edition of Heimat, but this makes the US Facets Heimat look hi-def by comparison. This dvd is pixelated, grainy & just barely this side of unwatchable. This transfer makes many of the dollar store dvd's look good by comparison. I can't believe Facets has the gall to charge $30 for this. This review & the 1 star rating is for this dvd, Not for the film. The transfer is so bad that I can't judge or enjoy the film.

Edit 1/13/12: I posted the following in the comments section also, but since Facets is only partially to blame for the horrific video quality, I am also adding it to the original review.

I just got a copy of the PAL edition. For whatever reason (see the comments for one person's opinion as to why), this film was shot in HORRIBLE quality. To me it's bad beyond art, but for each his own.

As bad as the PAL edition is, the Facets is worse. The Facets has pixelization in the dark segments that is 100% missing in the PAL, & also has less detail than the PAL. I'm not totally certain if the lack of detail is due to an attempt to smooth out some of the grain by Facets, or if the 2 dvd's are a couple analog generations apart (i.e. the PAL being a direct film transfer & the Facets being perhaps a copy of a copy).

But to be perfectly honest, both versions do have almost unwatchable picture quality.

My interest in this is due to being a huge fan of Carl TH Dreyer. While he may have enjoyed the acting (I haven't watched the extras on the PAL disc yet; one of which is supposed to discuss how closely Von Trier did or did not follow Dreyer's script), but I strongly believe Dreyer would be as disgusted with the production values of this film as I am.

One final comment: The PAL edition has 2 "bonus features". One of the 2 features compares 2 scenes; as written by Dreyer & as filmed by Von Trier with no editorial comment. I obviously have no way of knowing how representative the 2 scenes in question are due to the lack of editorial comment; but the 2 scenes as filmed bare absolutely NO resemblance to what Dreyer wrote.

What I am suggesting is that there is a strong possibility that this film has next to nothing to do with Dreyer other than Von Trier using his name & reputation.

I found it hard to follow the plot in this movie. The children being hanged was horrifying.

Trier, who is at times an accomplished director, has an eye for great art. This film, which deals with the Greek mythology of Medea, who killed her children in order to appease the gods, is an artistic telling of the event, from deep colored shots of the ocean to lens filtered wind brushing against the actors shade, this is all visual, but the film is quite utterly boring and thus, we are not interested in the development of sequences which Trier arranges from us. Udo Kier is common in this adaptation and by the end, we are glad that the screen is no longer filled with such blatant incoehesion.

First I would like to say that I have a deep knowledge of Von Trier- he was brought to my attention before any of his films saw US release by friends in europe and well before Dogme existed. This is probably the worst work I have seen from Von Trier. The film is incredibly short, and still manages to seem long and grating at points. Stylistically, themetically, and in regards to acting, this film is very strong, however it is overly minimalistic to the point of being off-putting.

If you absolutely have to complete your Von Trier collection then consider purchasing this DVD, otherwise I'd recommend seeking out the complete Europa trilogy and the under appreciated Kingdom miniseries. Worth a viewing, not a purchase.