- Actors: Ulrich Thomsen, Henning Moritzen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Paprika Steen, Birthe Neumann
- Directors: Thomas Vinterberg
- Writers: Thomas Vinterberg, Mogens Rukov
- Producers: Birgitte Hald, Morten Kaufmann
- Language Danish, English, German
- Classification: 15
- Studio: Bluelight
- VHS Release Date: 4 Oct 1998
- Run Time: 105 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004D010
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 11,682 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Rising to the challenge of Dogma 95's self-imposed restrictions on aesthetic freedom, Thomas Vinterberg's Festen is a remarkable example of the way limits can give rise to creative opportunity. (Dogma 95 is a vow of chastity sworn originally by a group of Danish film-makers, which also includes Lars von Trier, director of Breaking the Waves. The group's manifesto in which its members vow to eschew special lighting, optical effects, props and the visible imprint of a director's personality in order to attain higher truths yielded by characters.) Festen, shot with a small video camera and transferred to 35mm film, concerns a black-tie birthday gathering for a family patriarch, Helge (Henning Moritzen), which erodes into a battle after long-suppressed secrets are revealed and the chance to settle old scores presents itself. Among the grievances are an accusation of incest and the responsibility for the death of a child--gruesome stuff, but Vinterberg doesn't characterise the partying crowd's reaction in quite the way one might have expected. In fact, the whole of Festen is about unexpected perspectives and vantage points emerging from out of nowhere, largely due to Vinterberg's free hand at editing the film in such a way as to yank truth from every corner. This is a strong work that belies scepticism over Dogma 95's bare-bones trendiness, and is perhaps a harbinger of great work to come from Vinterberg. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The very first film made in accordance with the Dogme 95 manifesto, and quite possibly the best. You don't so much watch Festen as get completely drawn into it. The natural lighting and hand-held camera give it an almost documentary feel, your being pulled - whether you like it or not - into the action from the very first moment.
All claustrophobically set in one day and in one hotel, over the course of the film you find yourself emotionally dragged through the gutter before being pulled out the other side. You find yourself thrown into the back of cars and into the middle of fights - so much so that by the end you rather feel like you've experienced the whole thing first hand rather than having been a passive spectator. The acting is incredible, and the utter intensity of the whole thing at times overwhelming. As another reviewer said, if you thought that your family had issues then prepare to be stunned.
Hence while the Dogme manifesto has now become rather old-hat, Festen is testament to what it set out to do in the first place. It stripped film-making down to its bare-essentials, shunning the high-tech equipment, lighting and special effects that have become predominant and instead took it back to its rawest and purest form. The result is a breathtaking and landmark film that will shock you, touch you and probably even disgust you, but that will ultimately also leave you fully convinced of the power of great cinema.
All claustrophobically set in one day and in one hotel, over the course of the film you find yourself emotionally dragged through the gutter before being pulled out the other side. You find yourself thrown into the back of cars and into the middle of fights - so much so that by the end you rather feel like you've experienced the whole thing first hand rather than having been a passive spectator. The acting is incredible, and the utter intensity of the whole thing at times overwhelming. As another reviewer said, if you thought that your family had issues then prepare to be stunned.
Hence while the Dogme manifesto has now become rather old-hat, Festen is testament to what it set out to do in the first place. It stripped film-making down to its bare-essentials, shunning the high-tech equipment, lighting and special effects that have become predominant and instead took it back to its rawest and purest form. The result is a breathtaking and landmark film that will shock you, touch you and probably even disgust you, but that will ultimately also leave you fully convinced of the power of great cinema.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Festen concerns the birthday of a wealthy Danish patriach. The whole family gathers in celebration(festen)at a large isolated hotel, just one year after the suicide of one of the daughters. The eldest son Christian has been invited to make a speach in honour of his father, but he has written two speeches, his father must choose...
This film is a raw and searingly honest exploration of family dynamics, both the dark and the light. Made as part of the dogma 95 contract (no artificial lighting, music etc) the stripped down method completely suits the content of the film.
As the contents of the speech are revealed so are the families skeletons in the cupboard, and with them all the denial and avoidance families use to try and keep harmony and avoid the painful truth.
This film manages to open the wounds of the characters without cliche, and shows the festering underbelly of the protagonists without judgement, an amazing feat given the history involved.
Because the filming technique is so close and visceral, the clostrophobia of the situation is felt by the viewer and it is easy to feel as one of the guests,who would rather not be viewing the intimate unravelling of extended family, but in the same breath is struck by morbid curiosity as to how things will unfold.
And when this is done, it is managed with real compassion, redemption and hope.
Festen is not a comfortable film, but it does not abandon the viewer in this, rather is uses the pain to reach resolution and beauty. Just watch it.
This film is a raw and searingly honest exploration of family dynamics, both the dark and the light. Made as part of the dogma 95 contract (no artificial lighting, music etc) the stripped down method completely suits the content of the film.
As the contents of the speech are revealed so are the families skeletons in the cupboard, and with them all the denial and avoidance families use to try and keep harmony and avoid the painful truth.
This film manages to open the wounds of the characters without cliche, and shows the festering underbelly of the protagonists without judgement, an amazing feat given the history involved.
Because the filming technique is so close and visceral, the clostrophobia of the situation is felt by the viewer and it is easy to feel as one of the guests,who would rather not be viewing the intimate unravelling of extended family, but in the same breath is struck by morbid curiosity as to how things will unfold.
And when this is done, it is managed with real compassion, redemption and hope.
Festen is not a comfortable film, but it does not abandon the viewer in this, rather is uses the pain to reach resolution and beauty. Just watch it.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This is possibly the best film I've ever seen. Watching it again (for the third time) last night, I was amazed by the subtlety and force of every single scene, image and gesture. The structure of the plot is on a par with a classic Greek tragedy, updated for the contemporary psyche. The transformation of every character through the gradual revelations of the story is thoroughly Shakespearean. As for the relentless power of truth, advancing slowly and unpredictably, but ultimately crushing all social artifice and pretence - it's art at its best. Awesome.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Most probably still the best Scandinavian movie out there
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... Read more
Published 21 months ago by AK
Festen DVD 1999
Unfortunatley this product was in the original language with no sub titles, so I have been unable to watch it! Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2009 by C. A. Zych
Disturbing and Awesome
I really don't use the word awesome lightly; this film inspires awe. It is so devastating I don't think I could bare to see it again due to how much of an impact it had on me... Read more
Published on 9 Dec 2007 by W. H. Parker
Thought provoking
I have just watched the film "Festen" and it was excellent. The film was well made and shot and had some great characters. Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2007 by Mr. G. P. Newman
Incredible
This film is absolutely, mind-blowingly incredible. It's like watching a revolution erupt in front of you. So real and so fantastically subversive. Read more
Published on 3 May 2006 by L. Chappell
Astonishing
This is an astonishing movie. I've come to it late, having missed it on its release, but was persuaded to see it after the excellent reviews the stage version has been having in... Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2005 by Sterling
festen -an uncompromising exploration of a family
Festen concerns the birthday of a wealthy Danish patriach. The whole family gathers in celebration(festen)at a large isolated hotel, just one year after the suicide of one of the... Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2005 by P. J. Mcnicholls
And I thought my family had issues....
I saw this in film class last year and absolutely fell in love with it and the dogme 95 pact, which Vinterberg and Von Trier (Dancer in the Dark) created together, which was... Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2004 by Zoe Allcock
easily the best drama on film since i claudius
thats quite a claim i guess. So why is it so good? In a word realism. Thisis such a brilliant piece of film making because you are placed at thecentre of the story due to the hand... Read more
Published on 26 April 2004 by belkin router
"Every family has a secret."
Thomas Vinterberg's ”The Celebration” examines what happens when the unease typically in the air at a family gathering transforms into terror upon the revelation of a... Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2004 by Steven Y.
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