Deliver Us From Evil [DVD]

The Danish oddity "Deliver Us From Evil" courtesy of writer/director Ole Bornedal will undoubtedly be a very divisive film. Bold and disturbing, it is likely that you will either hate this lurid tale of violence, deceit, bigotry, and retribution or you may indeed love it (as I did)--but few will be apathetic after watching it. It is clearly Bornedal's intent to provoke his audience, to assault the senses, and to elicit a strong emotional response to the screen action. It's fair to say that goal has been accomplished. In a heightened state of reality, the film unwinds with a fevered pitch and an over-the-top zeal. An allegory of biblical proportions--this story presents a harrowing examination of class warfare, xenophobia, and mob vengeance within a small Danish community. It is stylized and unrepentantly bleak and, most assuredly, this is not a film that will be to everyone's taste. However, if you like offbeat international fare--this unfolds like the cracked cousin of Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" with strong religious undertones.

The film isn't meant to be realistic in the strictest sense, it is meant to be excessive and in-your-face. The screenplay sets this hyper-aware tone by introducing the story principles in a rather whimsical narration by a traveling carnival barker. Playing almost to comedic affect, the film soon sets up a deadly serious story line. Lars, an abusive and alcoholic trucker, runs over a local woman on a trip home in his rig. Covering his actions, he frames a Bosnian refugee for the act--knowing that the hated immigrant will provide the perfect patsy. But there's just one problem--the victim's husband is a local bigwig who demands retribution in a vigilante court. And the refugee happens to be staying with Lars' brother and his family. Soon all parties will converge in a terrifying night of violence in which no one is safe from the escalating tension.

Wildly unpredictable, the story starts to move like a runaway locomotive. And amidst all the turmoil, the biblical references bolster this nightmarish vision of hatred. It is in this conflict that all the characters will come to define, or redefine, themselves. But regardless, no one will remain unscathed. I loved "Deliver Us From Evil." And just when I thought I had it all figured out, the movie knocked me for one final (and beautifully twisted) loop. Horrifying, uncomfortable, funny--I found the film genuinely unsettling and wildly entertaining. It's not for the squeamish, though. If anything I've said makes you think you won't like the film--you probably won't! But if you want to walk on the wild side with a provocative Danish allegory, give this a look. Seriously, this one caught me by complete surprise! KGHarris, 6/11.

This is a true art. It happened to me that I had to watch this movie just with a flyer saying "In a small town, something happens. blar blar". It was a subtitled movie but it never bothered watching. Actually, I think, it did not to be subtitled. Watching the movie, I need not to even read subtitles. The screen said itself. Only watching the picture was enough to understand what was going on and feel all the emotions. They say music is the art without boundaries of language. I say this movie transcended languages. Movie is very Ole Bornedal. I pick Dina and this the favourite ones from director Ole Bornedal.

Judge Josh Rode, DVD Verdict-- Deliver Us From Evil is not a slasher flick, but make no mistake: it is raw and often brutal. It makes no bones about showing abuse, beatings, murder, and rape, and all of it in gritty (though not gratuitous) detail. Idealistic Pernille (Norwegian pop star Lene Nystrøm) tells her children early on, "There are no evil people. Only people in need of love." The rest of the film seems hell-bent on proving her wrong.

Deliver Us From Evil is set in a poor Danish town in the middle of nowhere and the feeling of small town hopelessness is so prevalent it almost becomes a character itself. Even the colors are faded, as if washed out by the weariness of existence. It's a strong effect, although it hinders some of the imagery possibilities; when Pernille stares with foreboding at spilled red wine, for instance, the muted color doesn't carry the same impact that a brighter tone would have.

Other than that, the picture is reasonably clean and sharp. The sound mixing is also nicely done, and I love the minimalist soundtrack. When there is music, it does a good job of fitting the scene and ramping up the emotion; only once does it spill over the top and become intrusive. Even better, Bornedal lets a lot of the film speak for itself without music, to great effect. The rape scene has only birdsong as its score, and is all the more unsettling for it.

The extras include a "making of" featurette, which talks mostly about small-town Denmark and how difficult it was for Bornedal to live there. There are also interviews with the main actors as they break down their characters. Then there is a trailer and "The Theme," which is just Bornedal talking about how everyone has evil somewhere inside them.
-Full review at dvdverdict.com