Element Of Crime, The

Lars von Trier's Element of Crime is the first film in a trilogy that includes Epidemic and Europe. It is his first feature film about "hypnotism". Fisher, a detective suffering from permanent headaches, travels from Europe to Cairo. He is hypnotised by an Egyptian therapist who wants Fisher to revisit the place where everything began two months ago. This is the only way he will be able to rid himself of his headaches. The film seems to be almost all flashback. In fact, it is itself a second copy of events, not a record registered at the time the events occurred. What we see is a reflection of Fisher's unconscious intervening in his hypnotising voice. This makes Element of Crime a film full of powerful images but it puts aside the tenuous details based on political logic. Von Trier presents a story that we can never completely dominate but one whose atmosphere we can breathe in as a whole from start to finish. Even though the narrative (as told by Fisher) selects out the most striking elements for emphasis, it manages to maintain complete continuity while remaining eclectic. On the top of this, is a feeling of being driven in a serious sense. We are let adrift slowly but steadily together with Fisher's Europe nightmare. Element of Crime is a modern film noir classic that contains various properties of old film noir tradition characterised as non-stop rain and a cool (male) main character exposed to the past and frustration. It is also the first herald curiosity of remaking the cinematic genre which is no doubt well known by von Trier. The young von Trier's use of unusual camera angles and passion for technique reaches a level of fetishism in the film, which except for rare moments of blue, is strongly tinted throughout in tones of yellow. The film also reveals the lasting attitude of the director who uses simple techniques recently as well as differences between his past and present. It is an excellent work, which takes great pains with style and brings togeth
Denmark
'
1984

Director
Lars von Trier

Script
Lars von Trier
Niels Vorsel

Cinematography
Tom Elling D.F.F.

Editing
Thomas Gislason

Production
Per Holst Filmproduktion Rentemestervej 82 DK-2400 Copenhagen NV Denmark

Cast
Astrid Henning-Jensen
Esmond Knight
Ghota Andersen
Jerold Wells
Me Me Lei
Michael Elphick
Preben Lerdorff Rye

Music
Bo Holten

Awards
Best Picture
En İyi Kostüm Tasarımı
Best Editing
En İyi Ses Robert Festival
Best Production
Teknik Büyük Ödül; Josef von Sternberg Ödülü; Gümüş Hugo Ödülü Chicago; En İyi Film Bodil Ödülleri; En İyi Yönetmen Fantasporto; En İyi Film

Festivals
7th Festival on Wheels
BEST OF EUROPE