Banned for children under 18, this disturbing film with unsimulated sex scenes was released in theaters in 2016.

From July 12, Les Films du Losange offers a retrospective of Lars von Trier in the cinema with the re-release of his films in restored versions. Among them is the controversial Antichrist, originally released in 2009.

What is it about? A heartbroken couple retreats to “Eden,” a secluded cabin in the woods, where they hope to heal their hearts and save their marriage. But nature takes over and things go from bad to worse…

A long legal battle

In 2009, Antichrist obtained an exploitation visa, which prohibits distribution to persons under the age of 16. In the process, the Catholic association Promoting is requesting the cancellation of this visa from the administrative court, so that the film is prohibited for persons under 18 years of age. A few years later, at the beginning of 2016, the courts decided in favor of the latter.

Motive: “Scenes of great violence”of Georgia “Non-Simulated Sex Scenes” and “The degree of depiction of violence and sexuality that requires, subject to applicable regulatory provisions, the prohibition of this film for all minors.”

A year later, the Council of State confirms this ban on persons under the age of 18: “Antichrist includes several scenes of extreme violence, filmed in a realistic manner, during sexual practices filmed without any concealment, including, in particular, a scene of sexual self-mutilation of a woman, filmed in close-up.”

Later, the CNC classified Antichrist as “Not for people under 16”. Lars von Trier’s thriller, resurfaced today, maintains this classification.

A controversial film

Antichrist was presented in competition at the Cannes Film Festival 2009. Although Charlotte Gainsbourg won the Best Actress award, the film caused controversy due to its many explicit (rather than simulated) sex scenes and its extreme violence (mutilation, etc.).

Antichrist also received a press average of 2.2/5 (for 24 media) and an audience average of 2.3/5 on AlloCiné. Although the press generally harshly criticized the feature film, some prominent newspapers such as Les Cahiers du Cinéma defended it.

Eva Green approached

If Charlotte Gainsbourg later became one of Lars von Trier’s favorite actresses, she was not the first choice for the role of the female protagonist of the Antichrist. Eva Green was originally filmed. But, due to her bad experience shooting sex scenes in Innocents – The Dreamers (2003), she preferred to decline the offer.

Lars von Trier is depressed

Antichrist was conceived and born while Lars von Trier was depressed. Thus, the film bears the scars of this ordeal, as the director recalls: “Two years ago I had depression. It was a new experience for me. Everything, absolutely everything, seemed insignificant, useless. I couldn’t work.”

“After six months, I wrote the script just for practice. It was a kind of therapy, but also a search, a test to see if I could make a movie.” The script was finished and filmed without much enthusiasm, it was done as it was, that is, using about half of my physical and intellectual abilities.

Note that Antichrist is the first part of Lars von Trier’s “Depression Trilogy”. It was followed by Melancholia (2011) and the highly controversial two-part film Nymphomaniac – Volumes 1 and 2 (2013).

The theme and script of the fetish

As in many of his works, Antichrist addresses a theme dear to Lars von Trier: “Once again the theme was ‘nature’, but in a different, more direct way than before. A more personal way. The film does not contain any particular moral code and only has what some would call the ‘strict minimum’ in terms of plot.”

“Working on the screenplay did not follow my usual modus operandi. Scenes were added for no reason. Images were composed without any logic or dramatic reflection. They often came from dreams or dreams at the time. Earlier in my life”– says the director.