Vile Genius

Von Trier is a truly twisted genius, his films horrify more than any horror film because his monsters are us.

He makes cozy, rational men who wear jumpers into rapists, cowards, murderers and despicable liars. He seems to have a deep hatred and mistrust of modern Western culture, and relishes showing us a vulnerable woman become gradually ruined and destroyed by a patriarchal world.

Whatever his politics and his religiosity, Von Trier has insight into human evil. He peels back the layers of civility and order, to reveal the rutting animals beneath. Tom writhing on top of Grace, desperate to fúck her despite most of the town's men having raped her, is such a sickening concept that one almost needs a shower after watching the film.