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Lars Von Trier Banned from Cannes

By Steven Lloyd Wilson | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (23)

lars_von_trier.jpg

Lars Von Trier managed in the span of about 48 hours to transform from that random independent director that a few people have heard good things about into that weird director who made awkward jokes about being a Nazi. And now the Cannes Film Festival has decided to make the worst interview meltdown since the last time Palin couldn’t name a newspaper into even more news by banning Von Trier from their film festival.

Says Cannes’ website:

The Festival de Cannes provides artists from around the world with an exceptional forum to present their works and defend freedom of expression and creation. The Festival’s Board of Directors, which held an extraordinary meeting this Thursday 19 May 2011, profoundly regrets that this forum has been used by Lars Von Trier to express comments that are unacceptable, intolerable, and contrary to the ideals of humanity and generosity that preside over the very existence of the Festival. The Board of Directors firmly condemns these comments and declares Lars Von Trier a persona non grata at the Festival de Cannes, with effect immediately.

Yes, they actually managed to use the phrase “defend freedom of expression” at the end of the sentence before they called his comments “unacceptable, intolerable, and contrary to the ideals of humanity.” But hey, they didn’t mind Mel Gibson showing up a couple days ago, and they’re still letting Von Trier’s film Melancholia air at their festival.

I think though that it is very easy to point out the hypocrisy, but that there is a kernel of something that actually makes intellectual sense here. Von Trier isn’t a Nazi, he’s just a moron. I don’t believe that if Von Trier had actually announced he was a Nazi that Cannes would have banned him. His offense was being so patently incapable of conveying ideas, that a bad joke became an incoherent rambling disgrace. Also in that interview he had this nugget, arguing that he was going to make a hardcore pornographic film with Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg:

Now she wants more. That’s how women are, and Charlotte is behind this. They want a really, really, really hardcore film this time, and I’m doing my best,” von Trier said, as Dunst and Gainsbourg chuckled uncomfortably beside him

Von Trier isn’t banned because Cannes didn’t like the ideas he was expressing but because he is an inarticulate jabbering mess. Supporting freedom of expression doesn’t mean you have to give a stage to the drooling guy mumbling to himself. It’s not censorship to have standards.

(sources: SlashFilm, The Superficial)









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Comments

He may not be a Nazi, but he is an ass. Which, I think we can agree, even if all asses aren't Nazis, all Nazis are asses.

Also, I'm stealing this: It’s not censorship to have standards.

Seriously. Consider it stolen.

Posted by: RobP at May 19, 2011 10:50 AM

Look, the dude was offensive, and as a Jewish person I'm glad that people are still taking antisemitism seriously. Should he have been banned? Probably not. But what I find far more offensive is that these same Directors of Cannes, circulated a petition in favor of exonerating a child rapist. The blatant hypocrisy is pretty infuriating.

Posted by: JenCanRead at May 19, 2011 10:52 AM

Very strange. While I think his comments were stupid and his sense of humor terrible, I can't say that banning the director is appropriate either. Condemn his comments, that should do the trick.

Posted by: Cindy at May 19, 2011 10:52 AM

I could probably make a list of movies Cannes has shown that in many circles would be considered morally reprehensible, but I don't have all day.

Posted by: , at May 19, 2011 10:58 AM

"Supporting freedom of expression doesn’t mean you have to give a stage to the drooling guy mumbling to himself."

So ... what was the Fox Presidential debate last week?

For the record, certain speech must be proscribed to a certain extent. Von Trier's blather is reprehensible, and almost guaranteed to earn him a broken nose. I agree with the decision to ban him.

Posted by: The Wanderer at May 19, 2011 11:08 AM

I was with you right up until the last paragraph. Not sure where you were going with that.

This is absolutely ridiculous and almost completely indefensible. Banning him for a bad interview and some rambling off-the-cuff remarks about Hitler? He was clearly not celebrating Hitler or intolerance and promoting anti-semitism. He clearly was rambling, possibly under the influence of something, expressing empathy as an artist for a monster as a person. This is the farthest thing from hate speech. (For Christ's sake, what are the heads of one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world not capable of analyzing these comments in the context of the guys greater body of work? It's Lars Fuckin' Von Trier! Crazy and incoherent, yes. A promoter of fascism and state sponsored murder of a innocent people? It's LARS FUCKIN VON TRIER!)


I'm shaking with rage, Shatner-style, screaming: CANNES!

Posted by: Yossarian at May 19, 2011 11:31 AM

Damn it, Lars. Every time I think you can't top your heinous behavior, you raise the bar. It's bad enough you made Bjork swear off acting before she even finished her first film (you bastard), and it's worse what you did to your mentor in making him film a banquet scene in an Indian slum inches away from starving children. Then you made a film where Nicole Kidman gets raped, raped, beaten, and raped again for good measure as commentary on America. Then you killed a donkey for your film. Then you did things you can't discuss in public with a pair of scissors and genitals. And now you're babbling incoherently about being a Nazi?

Dude, I'm out. I don't even want to say "at least we'll always have The Idiots" because in light of this new humorous streak, I think you were genuinely trying to make fun of developmentally disabled people with that film. Deuces.

Posted by: Robert at May 19, 2011 11:31 AM

Lars Von Trier is an idiot and I find his films unwatchable. But they're banning him for being an idiot with verbal diarrhea but they don't say a word about that child-sodomizing asshole, Polanski? Odd.

Posted by: Carolina Gilr at May 19, 2011 12:11 PM

Is Charlie Sheen welcome at Cannes?

Just askin'.

Posted by: , at May 19, 2011 1:09 PM

Yeah, um, Polanski much? Not to restart that debate, but...

Defending Polanski on the one hand while giving Lars the finger with the other one is - well - par for the course, I guess. But also stupid.

Posted by: MM at May 19, 2011 1:12 PM

They shouldn't have banned him. You can't say your festival "promotes freedom of expression" and then ban a guy for what he said. It doesn't work that way.

Unless you want to change it to say "we promote freedom of expression as long as it doesn't offend anyone."

They should have just said he's an idiot and we don't agree with his position and left it at that.

If what he said offends you then don't see his movie and put money in his pocket.

Posted by: John W at May 19, 2011 1:13 PM

Robert, I'm right there with you. My use for Lars von Trier began and ended with Dancer In The Dark. Not only did that film seem both crushing and pointless, it made Bjork swear off acting, and I love Bjork. Team Bjork 4EVA.

Posted by: MM at May 19, 2011 1:15 PM

As I suspected after watching Dancer in the Dark, LvT is less of a genius and more of a fumbling idiot who somehow manages to convince people their lack of engagement with his films stems from failure on their part vs. failure on the films' part. But ban him for being an idiot? Cannes will be short quite a few directors if this becomes their policy.

Posted by: Royalewithcheese at May 19, 2011 1:20 PM

I mean, look, I'm not even going to argue that he isn't an asshole and an egomaniac, possibly a misogynist, and definitely a pervert. There are all kinds of questions about how he treats animals, women, and people in general. His artistic sensibilities are warped and eccentric to put it kindly.

...but the end result of all these things is that Cannes will screen his films and give him awards and recognition and adoration. He is not being judged for any of that.

But the Hitler/Nazi comments (and, unless there was more to it than what I read, were not even really bad or damning or objectionable) result in persona non grata? Banned from the Festival? For rambling on in an interview about identifying with Hitler (clearly joking, clearly not in any way meant as support for what Hitler did, more about being self deprecating and obsessive and weird, and really not offensive in any way; just bizarre)

So let's convene an emergency session to vote on banning the dude because we can't touch anything even tangentially related to race or hate with any kind of reasonable or thoughtful response, just get it away quick before anyone tries to link the racist to us.

Stupid.

Posted by: Yossarian at May 19, 2011 1:50 PM

I’m sure Cannes didn’t want to be put in the position of attempting to defend Von Trier's incoherent remarks. The French may still be a little embarrassed by how the Vichy government treated Jews during WWII. Now might be a good time for them to take a long awaited position on the moral high ground.

Posted by: Mickey at May 19, 2011 1:58 PM

Seriously? The guy may be an idiot, but at least he's a talented idiot, unlike the swarms of Z-listers like Paris Hilton who get VIP treatment despite the fact they have no reason at all to be there.

I think the banning people because their morons ship has sailed.

Posted by: JJ at May 19, 2011 2:15 PM

I agree he's a moron and I agree Mad Mel should've been banned too, but there's a big difference between the ramblings of an addict and "I understand Hitler" and "Israel is a pain in the ass". This was not funny, not even a little. He's talentless ass and should keep his mouth shut.

Posted by: Sarah J-town at May 19, 2011 2:30 PM

I don't care about the artistic integrity of Cannes so I'm glad they banned him, even if the reasons they gave were incoherent but they should have banned him for being a moron and an ass instead. To do that while allowing Mel Gibson and circulating petitions in favour of that piece of filth Roman Polanski, is completely indefensible.

Fuck. Damnit.

Posted by: Ender at May 19, 2011 3:28 PM

Von Trier just held a (rambling - surprise!) press conference in which he indicated that he was "sorry if people have been hurt" by his comments.

Way to blame people for being too sensitive rather than taking responsibility for being criminally unfunny.

Posted by: Xiufetish at May 19, 2011 10:15 PM

All eyes are glued to the red carpet.I think his comments were stupid.

Posted by: Thomas at May 20, 2011 3:53 AM

Von Trier isn’t banned because Cannes didn’t like the ideas he was expressing but because he is an inarticulate jabbering mess.

Yet they hold a lifetime achievement event for Jean-Paul Belmondo where also Sammy Naceri was invited. Talk about jabbering messes.

Posted by: Adere at May 20, 2011 6:04 AM

I guess he didn't learn from Mel Gibson's mistake.

Posted by: MRod at May 20, 2011 10:26 AM

I loved that movie that had Hitler in it.

Wait, what? Damn. I didn't say I loved Hitl...no, Hitler was really a bad g...no, Hitler was not the re..crap.

Yes, now any sentence containing the name Hitler that isn't followed immediately by 100% non-negotiable condemnation of everything the man(monster!! I mean monster!! I swear!!) ever said or did earns one a trip to life's purgatorium. This is such social and emotional knee-jerk bullshit.

All Cannes is saying is, you can express your heinous opinions and continue to work in the community as long as your work rises above 'good' as in Polanski's case, but if you suck, like Trier, then you're done and easily cast off. Hypocrisy as usual.

Posted by: Protoguy at May 22, 2011 7:21 AM