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Lars von Trier, Jørgen Leth - The Five Obstructions(2003) - 9/10

Lectie de cinema predata de cei doi, mai interesanta ca proces decat ca finalitate, mergand pe ideea restrictionarii ca motor creativ - Leth, autor-cult de documentare si scurtmetraje experimentale, este pus sa faca 5 remake-uri la propriul sau film 'The Perfect Human'. Doar ca fiecare dintre ele trebuie sa se supuna unui set de reguli impuse de von Trier - unul sa fie turnat in Cuba cu un montaj de 12 f/sec, altul sa fie animat, altul filmat intr-un decor extrem si totodata decontextualizat, altul fara nici o restrictie, etc. Rezulta 5 scurte inegale valoric (cu plusuri pentru Cuba, Bruxelles si Cartoon), intercalate de dialogurile celor 2 si de insert-uri din filmul original (care, pe bune, pare sa fie supermisto - experimental-metaforic, filmat in alb negru, aducand uneori a Bergman si alteori a Resnais). Si, ca sa nu se dezminta, von Trier regizeaza ultima 'obstructie', sub forma unei false scrisori narate de Leth:
(cititi daca aveti chef, dar pe imagini efectul este inzecit)

"Dear, silly lars, you thought you could trip me up. I hope you understand better now after more than a couple of days. You say your obstructions had no underlying plan. But you had a theory. You thought, "this is jorgen.
Just what is jorgen?" "Jorgen is a wretch, just like me. He'd made the film you felt more akin to than any other, so "i must be from the same family". Just as you wanted to be chastised, you would now chastise jorgen. It was a personal assault. Don't pretend it wasn't. You thought "jorgen is trying to hide his true self - behind his provocative,
perverse perfection." "He wants to conceal his angst behind a personal fiction of rows of armani suits on hangers, protecting him through his
months of depression on haiti." "Jorgen gets the rush of sartre and
hemmingway's historical wings - to wave away the discomfort
and that damned insecurity because he hasn't the guts to take wing for himself!" "I see through him." It was arrogant, but i realize it was meant kindly. You wanted to get into where the scream was, and let it out. "He is the most beautiful bird but just doesn't believe it." "I'll chase him till he takes wing." You ordered me around and issued prohibitions - to distract me, to penetrate my armor. "We could distract jorgen by getting him to make a film." "This is how the perfect human makes a film, watch him now... then he'd give himself away for sure... or what if i provoke him? Film him with his guard up and we'll find all the gaps." But no matter how odd the clarinet sounded - you could not see behind my eyes. No matter how close you got - you couldn't see beneath the skin of my hand - to the nerves and most delicate blood vessels. Nothing was revealed and nothing helped. I didn't come staggering out of the ruins to thank you, lars. Or did i? You've got me now. You're forcing me to read your words. So let's get it over with. Dear lars, thank you for your obstructions. They've shown me what i really am, an abject, human human. I try to fool the world because i don't want to be part of it. My trick is cheap
and i repeat it endlessly. If i go on telling the viewer what i see, - like a prisoner of war repeating his name and number, - without adding anything... emotions are far too dangerous, - the world and i will fall for it.
I call it art but i am certain that i cannot do a thing. I only do all this so
i can put up with myself. My films are bluff. A hideaway, lars. Thank you for chastising me so lovingly!
Was that nice?
Does it make any difference?
Maybe you put words into other people's mouths to get out of saying them yourself.No, it makes no difference, and you know it. Your theory didn't stand up, lars. Your pedagogical mission didn't get to grips. My hand shook less, obstruction by obstruction. I grew more sure of myself as we receded - from the person my first film was really about to anybody but you. You say i didn't dare to find my way into what i so dishonestly and skillfully conceal - and you imagine to be so valuable. But it's no good. The dishonest person was you, lars. You only saw what you wanted to see. The skepticism you felt about yourself must go for me, too.
But you exposed yourself. You wanted to make me human, but that's what i am! You got me to play along but you let me get on the defensive. As we all know, it's the attacker who really exposes himself. The truth is, you got it wrong!
I obstructed you, no matter how much you wanted the opposite. And you fell flat on your face. How does the perfect human fall?
This is how the perfect human falls."

And that's a von Trier movie.