The Kingdom

This guy's SUCH A FREAK!!! The Kingdom is a very strange project that synthesizes a parody of medical dramas, horror and utterly beastly psychological terror in its swampy heart, which clearly makes Mr. Trier feel good. Traditional attributes like civilian acting, a documentary impression, the trembling camera and the almost Lynchian absurd scenes create a suffocating and electrifying atmosphere of a place that, while on the surface, is a proud memento of civilization, no mysticism escapes from its sight, but which is so saturated with mystery and irrational things (whether it is a genius loci or character relationships) that it simply cannot give the viewer anything other than a depressing impression. A cabinet of curiosities and bizarreness. And by the way, one of the greatest shows of all time. (05.03.2004)

In the first series, Stig Helmer addresses a sleeping city, whilst in the second he philosophizes with a toilet bowl. There are no better parallels to what has changed at Lars von Trier's hospital. The relatively irrational separation is transformed into a regular insane asylum, and the dark forces of the devil, hell, and alternative medicine seize all of the characters. Trier exorcises reason and ordains monstrous gargantuan feeling. It is such a beautifully repulsive trip beyond the limits of normalcy that it surpasses even the already brilliant first series. However, the missing end gives it a terrible scar. Where did Mrs. Drusse go? What does the monstrous Aage bring? Dansk jävlar!!! (13.01.2010)