Breaking the Waves
Oilman Jan is paralyzed after an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when Jan urges her to have sex with another.
6 October 1936, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK
27 February 1968, Alta, Norway
June 17, 1970 in Denmark
9 February 1960
15 May 1961, Westminster, London, England, UK
26 November 1925, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
27 March 1958, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, UK
13 June 1951, Gothenburg, Västra Götalands län, Sweden
September 01, 2009
Von Trier may put his characters and the viewer through the ringer, yet his empathy toward both is unmistakable.
September 06, 2007
A powerful tear-jerker romantic drama that intriguingly also brings religion into the mix.
January 01, 2000
Watson's Bess is an unforgettable character -- simple, profound, heartbreaking, tragic and yet triumphant.
December 06, 2004
The actors are superb. [But] it is the easiest thing in the world to do ... move people by destroying something beautiful.
August 03, 2014
Both a ferocious love story and a tale of the triumph of vital individual faith over ossified and corrupt organized religion.
June 24, 2006
It's a remarkable achievement for all concerned, with Katrin Cartlidge, as Bess's widowed sister-in-law, sharing the acting laurels with the radiant Emily Watson, and writer/director Lars von Trier building the emotional and dramatic intensity ...
April 15, 2014
It's a testament to Emily Watson's astounding performance as Bess that she comes across as more than a von Trier construct; she's a woman of boundless passion, who follows her faith wherever it takes her.
April 18, 2017
Gloomy '90s drama has cursing, nudity, mature themes.
August 30, 2009
Here is a film that makes you feel like you've read the novel, seen the movie, and lived the life of a protagonist more empathetic than any other. You just might need a stiff drink afterward.
March 26, 2009
The performance from newcomer Emily Watson is the centerpiece of this spiritual journey.
September 15, 2005
The synopsis doesn't begin to do justice to the psychological and emotional complexities of the tale.
