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In March 1995, directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg met in Copenhagen to compose Dogme 95, a manifesto for filmmakers dissatisfied with Hollywood's model for cinema. At the core of Dogme 95 are the 'Vows of Chastity' - ten commandments designed to revitalise cinematic form, including, e.g., injunctions to use only handheld cameras, and strict bans on all superficial action (murder, guns etc.). While many have dismissed the whole Dogme 95 movement as little more than a publicity stunt, it is difficult to deny that the Dogme seal has come to be a guarantee of quality. 'Festen', 'The Idiots', 'Mifune', and 'Italian for Beginners' are all highly original human dramas featuring extraordinary ensemble casts. Susanne Bier's 'Open Hearts', the 28th film to be released under the Dogme aegis, is no exception. Its opening image of city streets, shot through purple filters, constitutes a sort of Dogme in-joke: for according to the fifth Vow of Chastity, optical filters are forbidden; and while Bier is certainly not the first Dogme director to break the Vows, no other has quite so defiantly, or so early in their film, displayed their loss of chastity. In fact, the breaking of vows turns out to be a central concern in 'Open Hearts'. Loving father of three Niels (Mads Nikkelsen) meets young chef Caecilie (Sonja Richter) after Niels' wife Marie (Paprika Steen) accidentally runs over Caecilie's fiance Joachim (Mikolaj Kaas), leaving him permanently paralysed. The guilt-driven consolation which Niels brings to fragile and demanding Caecilie turns into an intense affair, and soon everyone is being betrayed or rejected by somebody else as the accident spreads turmoil through the emotional lives of all. Bier and her cast make the interactions of these damaged characters seem all too believable, if never predictable. Particularly outstanding is Birthe Neumann as Hanne, the nurse who must endure Joachim's endless stream of self-pitying verbal abuse; Neumann paints a picture of a dedicated and stoic professional, herself tainted by a past personal tragedy, and the duelling between her and Kaas proves to be more painful than any gun battle. An engrossing study of love, dependency and recovery, well acted and keenly observed. Very highly recommended. Anton Bitel, 1.4.3 |
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