The Idiots Details

The Idiots

Lars von Trier's first contribution to Denmark's Dogme 95 collective (subtitled "Dogme 2," following Thomas Vinterberg's THE CELEBRATION) concerns a group of adults who decide to get in touch with their "inner idiot." When Karen (Bodil Jorgensen), a shy, sensitive young woman, follows a group of mentally disabled individuals home after an encounter at a restaurant, she discovers that they are, in fact, healthy and intelligent. Led by Stoffer (Jens Albinus), the group lives communally in his wealthy uncle's house. Stoffer believes that by "spassing" in public they are rejecting the conformity and normality of modern society, and he spends his unemployed days thinking of different ways to toy with the world at large.
Shot with handheld digital cameras and using natural lighting and natural locations, THE IDIOTS possesses an urgency that makes it feel like a documentary. Von Trier sparked a heated controversy with his decision to film the sex scenes with actual intercourse, adhering to the Dogme tenets. (He hired porn actors for the close-ups.) This controversy aside, the film nonetheless raises questions about cultism, modern ethics, and the idea of individuality within the absurdity of the characters' world.

Starring	Jens Albinus, Louise Hassing, Bodil Jorgensen, Henrik Prip, Paprika Steen, Troels Lyby, Knud Romer Jorgensen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Luis Mesonero, Trine Michelsen, Louise Mieritz
Director	Lars Von Trier
Studio	PALISADES TARTAN
Run time	DVD: 1 hr 50 mins
Certificate
Genres	Comedy, World Cinema
Language	DVD: Danish
Subtitles	DVD: English
Released	DVD: 25 Sep 2000 Production year: 1998