Festen: 10th Year Anniversary Edition [DVD]

My Thoughts: Before telling people how astounding this story is - and laying down the bones of the plot - I should at least give some people a warning as to what to expect from this film and why it was shot the way it was (which many unwary viewers may take as poor quality).

In 1995 two Danish directors (now considered quite well known in their fields) by the name of Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg started a new avant-garde movement in the filmmaking industry which was named the "Dogme 95" movement (Dogme being the Danish for "Dogma"). The Dogme 95 Manifesto had a set of rules that stated the production had to be filmed under very special conditions to be certified as a Dogme 95 release; the main theme of the conditions was that the movie must be shot entirely with a hand-held camera in 35mm film, there must be no extra lighting, no filters, no sets, no props, all shot entirely on location and the sound must come from the scene itself (no ADR, no soundtrack, music must be diegetic).

This is the original Dogme 95 film, the template on which others would follow. This being the barest of bones of a movie is what is so brilliant; the lack of emphasis on special angles, filters, lighting, sets, means the focus on the story itself is all so much more powerful. The acting in this film is absolutely outstanding and believable. Some people may find it hard to get past the reveals of the edge of the lens on wide shots, or the graininess of low-lit scenes, but I urge you to overlook and try to see past these things to focus on what is a very gripping story and utterly fantastic performances from all actors involved.

The story here is absolutely staggering; the story runs steadily rather than having huge reveals and quickening pace to exciting levels. The realism here caught me and you can actually feel the emotions running at the table, the despair, the tragedy, the embarrassment, the disgust and the tension. This one should make you think, and most likely identify with the human need to be in denial over dark pasts, family secrets, and tragedy.

The Story: A family gather for a celebration; Helge, the successful owner of a family run hotel in the Danish countryside, is celebrating his 60th birthday: A landmark birthday that is to be marked with a fancy black tie affair at hotel in which his three children Christian, Michael and Helene will attend.

Michael, a hot-heated semi-abusive disappointment to his father feels the need to impress his new-found responsibility to prove himself to his father, oblivious to the recent suicide of his older sister Linda whose funeral he did not attend. Helene, the youngest daughter, struggles to keep herself together despite overwhelming grief from Linda's tragic suicide, but finds herself near breaking point when she finds Linda's suicide note. Christian, the eldest brother, has come from a successful business life in Paris where he lives a troubled life alone having several dysfunctional relationships with women despite being urged by his father to settle down.

At the dinner, Christian makes a devastating revelation during his speech, admitting that his father is not the man he seems and that something from their troubled past may have been the reason his twin sister Linda commited suicide; something the rest of his family are not prepared to face.

Vinterberg's Festen is a true masterpiece - it intertwines everything from awful family secrets coming to light during the father's 60th birthday celebration, to the relationships between siblings, racism, and and an extreme version of 'looking the other way'.

It is tragic, insightful, as well as deeply funny in a slightly disturbed way. Of all the Dogme 95 movies this one still works best in my opinion and it should also not be so hard to stomach as The Idiots [1999] [DVD] for most viewers. The gritty realism dictated by the manifesto adds very well to the topic being addressed in the movie.

It is definitely - as other reviewers have pointed out - a movie to buy, as repeated watching it does not detract from its quality, there is always the same sense of anticipation, and subsequently contentment for having seen and enjoyed it yet again.

A bit disappointed that one review of this film passed moderation so full of spoilers as to reveal the entire plot, but at least the film is good enough to continue to have an impact no matter how many times you have seen it. So knowing all the highlights of the story in advance is not a complete disaster; just blunts the incredible first coup de theatre a bit.

I try to limit myself to one viewing of this film a year and its power never diminishes; you just find new angles. Maybe that's some clue to its greatness, and I use the word advisedly. I have this small theory about films from 'minority' countries, in terms of the global film industry; countries that can more or less expect never to create a global box office hit. They accept their marginal status and make the films they want to, rather than the films they hope people will flock to. In any event, Scandinavia has a record of great film-making out of all proportion to its population, and this is the best I have seen by a margin. It raises endless questions and provides no answers. The very last shot is telling in that respect.

While the film appears to present a clear villain, what of the goodies? Who walks away untarnished? There was once an anti-mugging ad on the Hamburg underground railway. It translated as something like "This man was mugged by 15 people yesterday evening. 14 of them watched." Festen superficially invites a clear right:wrong distinction but any thought at all reveals an awful web of conspiracy, and only perhaps the long-haired waitress and the late arrival seem to have got their heads round it at all. Even the touching and sympathetic character of the chef; the anti-hero's oldest friend. What was he doing? And mother?

Depending on your family background, and the subject matter here is far more prevalent than many of us would care to admit, watching this film could be a traumatic experience. But it is a masterpiece of the film-maker's art and compelling viewing, however harrowing the story. Script, filming, story, cast of characters and acting are all outstanding. I'd buy two copies now, in case you make the mistake of lending it to someone.