Forbrydelsens element (1984)

Director:

Lars von Trier

Writers:

Niels Vørsel (writer) &
William Quarshie (dialogue translation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 May 1984 (Denmark)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A cop in a dystopian Europe investigates a serial killings suspect using controversial methods written by his now disgraced former mentor.

Plot Keywords:

Method | Serial Killer | Hypnosis | Detective | Rain

Awards:

11 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Michael Elphick	...	Fisher
Esmond Knight	...	Osborne
Me Me Lai	...	Kim (as Meme Lai)
Jerold Wells	...	Kramer
Ahmed El Shenawi	...	Therapist
Astrid Henning-Jensen	...	House Keeper
János Herskó	...	Coroner (as Janos Hersko)
Stig Larsson	...	Coroner's Assistant
Harry Harper	...	Portier 1
Roman Moszkowicz	...	Portier 2
Lars von Trier	...	Schmuck of Ages (as Lars Von Trier)
Frederik Casby	...	White Policeman
Duke Addabayo	...	Black Policeman
Jon Bang Carlsen	...	Angry Policeman (as Jon Bang-Carlsen)
Leif Magnusson	...	Hotel Guest
Preben Lerdorff Rye	...	Grandfather (as Preben Leerdorff-Rye)
Camilla Overbye Roos	...	Lotto Girl 1 (as Camilla Overbye)
Maria Behrendt	...	Lotto Girl 2
Mogens Rukov	...	Librarian
Gotha Andersen	...	Judge

Directed by
Lars von Trier		(as Lars Von Trier)

Writing credits
Niels Vørsel		(writer)
William Quarshie		(dialogue translation) &
Stephen Wakelam		(dialogue translation) (as Steven Wakelam)
Lars von Trier		writer

Produced by
Per Holst	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Bo Holten

Cinematography by
Tom Elling		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Tómas Gislason

Casting by
Liz Cassidy

Production Design by
Peter Høimark

Makeup Department
Birte Christensen	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Palle Arestrup	....	post-production manager
Per Årman	....	production manager
Sanne Arnt Torp	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Åke Sandgren	....	assistant director
Åke Sandgren	....	second unit director

Art Department
Peter Grant	....	property
John Johansen	....	property
William Knuttel	....	property
Jeffrey Nedergaard	....	assistant production designer
Lars Nielsen	....	property
Tove Robert Rasmussen	....	property master

Sound Department
Iben Haahr Andersen	....	sound engineer: dubbing, mix (as Iben Haahr)
Morten Degnbol	....	sound engineer: dubbing, mix
Peter Englesson	....	assistant sound engineer (as Peter Engleson)
Henrik Fleischer	....	location recordist
Tómas Gislason	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Peter Høimark	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Poul Kristensen	....	opticals

Stunts
Lasse Spang Olsen	....	stunts (as Lasse Spang-Olsen)
Ole Jacob Victor	....	stunts (as O.J. Victor)

Camera and Electrical Department
Søren Berthelin	....	camera operator
Søren Berthelin	....	camera operator: second unit
Tom Elling	....	photographer: second unit
Jens Gielow	....	gaffer
Jan Guldbrandsen	....	electrician
John Johansen	....	still photographer
Birger Larsen	....	gaffer: second unit
Steen Møller Rasmussen	....	camera operator
Eg Norre	....	lighting engineer
Flemming Bruhn Pedersen	....	gaffer
Preben Seltoft	....	gaffer: second unit
Otto Stenov	....	camera operator: second unit
Otto Stenov	....	grip
Leif Stubkjær	....	underwater photographer
Lars von Trier	....	camera operator: second unit (as Lars Von Trier)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Manon Rasmussen	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Michael Frank Nielsen	....	color grader (as Michael Nielsen)
Jack Thuesen	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Henrik Blichmann	....	composer: song "Der Letzte Tourist in Europa"
Mogens Dam	....	composer: song "Der Letzte Tourist in Europa"
Bo Holten	....	conductor

Other crew
Inge Breitenstein	....	8 mm film
Tom Elling	....	shooting script
Willy Flint	....	Japanese consultant
Stine Monty Freddie	....	continuity (as Stine Monty)
Tómas Gislason	....	shooting script
Christel Hammer	....	public relations
Jørgen Lyd	....	8 mm film
Niels Nedergaard	....	8 mm film
William Quarshie	....	dialogue consultant
Jan Richter-Friis	....	production assistant
Ole Ross	....	8 mm film
Mogens Rukov	....	consultant: scenario
Lars von Trier	....	shooting script
Christian Clausen	....	consultant: FI (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Det Danske Filminstitut
• Per Holst Filmproduktion

Distributors

• Kærne Film (1984) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Metro Cinema (1987) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Forum Distribution (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• Slovenska Kinoteka (2004) (Slovenia) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2005) (France) (DVD)
• A-Film Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Accent Film Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Electric Parc (2005) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Electric Parc (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Electric Parc (2005) (Norway) (DVD)
• Electric Parc (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Independent Film Channel (IFC) (????) (USA) (TV)
• Independenta Music & Video (IMV) (2005) (Romania) (DVD)
• Legend Films International (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Raro Video (2004) (Italy) (DVD) (boxed set)
• Raro Video (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• Reel Movies International (1987) (USA) (dubbed)
• Tartan Video (1992) (UK) (VHS)
• Tartan Video (2002) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Ars Nova  music performers
• Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra  music performers
• Europa Film  mixing studio
• FilmTeknik A/S  8 mm film
• UV-Foto  underwater photography

Also Known As:

The Element of Crime (UK) (USA)
The Last Tourist in Europe (Denmark) (working title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

Denmark

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White (tinted) | Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Italy:T | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:R(A) | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 | UK:15 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Det Danske Filmstudie, Lyngby, Sjælland, Denmark

Company:

Det Danske Filminstitut

Trivia:

The first film in Lars von Trier's 'Europa' trilogy which illuminates the traumas of Europe in the future. The two other parts are Epidemic (1987) and Europa (1991).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Therapist: [to Fisher] Fantasy is OK, but my job to keep you on the right track. We are after the facts. You seem to return to Cairo and me whenever you have a problem. Two months ago you left Cairo, your wife, everything for a police job in Europe. Now you are back haunted by headaches. If you want me to help you get rid of these headaches, we must go back two months in the time. Back to where it all started. All I know... Europe has become an obsession for you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Im Laboratorium des Doktor von Trier: Zurück zur Magie des Kinos (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Der Letzte Tourist in Europa

Groundbreaking use of cinematic styles and expressions

Some called it the kick in the pants cinema needed, the savior of cinema and work of genius. Others find Lars von Trier's debut feature unbearably pretentious and consider this a beautiful but utterly empty work of art. Whatever your opinion will be after seeing this film, you're almost guaranteed to have strong feelings about it afterwards and will almost force you to reconsider the possibilities of the medium of film once again.

Shot in English, ELEMENT OF CRIME was the first film in the Europe-trilogy, followed by EPIDEMIC (1987) and ZENTROPA (1991) and is best described as a futuristic neo-noir crime thriller. Von Trier never intended this film to be part of a trilogy. He only came up with that concept right before filming on ZENTROPA started. Actually, the three films are all very different and the only thing they have in common is a vaguely defined theme of "Europe" (practically all the films made in Europe deal with the subject in some way) and that they all start with the letter E. It's a practical joke to give his films some extra cachet, just as he's doing with his America-trilogies now. Set in the near future, the film gives an apocalyptic view of a decayed and demonic Europe, stunningly photographed in yellow and sepia colours with a vision of constant darkness (no ray of light whatsoever in the film), abandoned buildings and almost constant rain. Police detective Fisher is called in to solve a series of murders of small girls. In the process he gradually comes to realize that he must follow in the footsteps of the assumed murderer, finally completing the murderous pattern himself.

Von Trier's passion about Europe is almost exclusively a deep and long-going fascination with Germany, the catalyst of modern history, that has been the defining factor in Europe's faith for most of the twentieth century. This film, as ZENTROPA and to a lesser extent EPIDEMIC, paint the apocalyptic picture of a world, resemblant of post-war Germany, with not just the physical damage involved, but with people who were emotionally battered as well. It's one thing to lose your belongings, even your relatives, but they didn't just lose everything they had, they lost morally as well. Von Trier presents to us a sort of neitherworld where morals are discarded and people are merely trying to survive.

Not an easy film, to be sure. It was rewarded with a technical prize at Cannes in 1984, but was denied the grand jury prize, mainly because of Dirk Bogarde, who headed the jury, and reportedly was appalled by the film. He thought von Trier wanted to put an end to cinema and destroy the medium of film altogether. He threatened to pull out of the jury, if the film got any prizes. Apparently, they somehow managed to give the film this award for technical achievements. Relatively harmless and who would notice anyway? In interviews Von Trier blatantly claims that his film was historically by far the most important that year and this claim can arguably be protracted for a considerable longer period of time.

Could this film be recommended for your enjoyment or regular entertainment value? No, it can't. But most movies can't. Historically however, this film is important, if there ever was one. This one of the few examples of a film that poses real questions about the way we judge film. Perhaps it's best enjoyed, and I don't want to sound pretentious myself here, by the more experienced moviegoer and for me the film worked best the second or third time I saw it. Upon it's first release in Denmark, half the people - even ardent cinema lovers - were running for the exits within the first half hour.

To the horror of many and delight of some, it's already a staple for students at many film academies, and understandably so. The film is an innovative panache of cinematic styles and expressions, gorgeous sets, the yellow lighting (they used very powerful natrium lights) and stuffed with references and allusions to earlier cinema, like Andrei Tarkovsky and BLADE RUNNER. Any reference to Tarkovsky will probably have the other half still watching running for the exits as well, but cinematic literacy is easily misunderstood.

Not my favorite or the most enjoyable in any sense, so one star off because of the silly detective story and the sometimes over-pretentiousness, otherwise a stunning work of visual art. I think everyone with an interest in cinema should see this film.

Camera Obscura --- 9/10