The Element of Crime

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Mason M One of the absolute most visually stunning and impressive films ever made. It's unbelievable that Von Trier made this as his first real feature film. Maybe one of the times I've been most disturbed by a film due to it's shocking and horrifying ending. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/14/24 Full Review Dave S Always a polarizing force with audiences and critics alike, director Lars von Trier certainly got off on the right foot with his debut film, The Element of Crime. When a former police detective is put under hypnosis, he recalls his final case as an investigator, a grisly murder case involving the killing and mutilation of young girls who sell lottery tickets. Set in a sepia-tinged, nightmarish world of mist, rain, and darkness, The Elements of Crime is a visual wonder throughout, filled with creative camera angles, interesting lighting, and fantastic sets. Strangely, it is so visually arresting that the viewer may be distracted from the characters and the storyline, wondering to themselves as the credits roll ‘what the hell was that all about?' This is a classic case of style over substance. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member 20 minutes and I've had enough. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 05/11/19 Full Review vilém n It's kinda briliant but I still fuckin hate it Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I can't say I'm very fond of Lars von Trier's debut feature. It's certainly an atmospheric and visually stunning film, but the extremely sluggish pace isn't really rewarded with much of a plot. It's fine, but I enjoy his later work to a much larger degree. It is pretty wonderful that Me Me Lai has both "Eaten Alive!" and this flick on her resume. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member It looks beautiful (albeit in a maximally oppressive way) but almost wilfully refuses to make a lick of sense... welcome to the wonderful world of Lars von Trier. Obliqueness wouldn't normally be a problem, but I had a big suspicion that this story of those who have to get into the mindset of serial killers to hunt serial killers risking becoming monsters themselves was both a bit hackneyed and more than a bit plain nasty. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Element of Crime

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