A triple bill from director Lars Von Trier:
Element Of Crime (1984) - In his bold debut feature, a stylish and eerie murder mystery, Danish director Lars Von Trier creates his own vision of a futuristic post-apocalyptic world.
Police detective Leopold Fisher (Michael Elphick), an exiled ex-cop, returns after many years in Cairo to his old residence in Northern Europe. His former mentor, Osmond (Esmond Knight) author of a book called 'The Element Of Crime', asks him to solve a series of murders invloving young girls who are lottery ticket sellers.
He recommends that to solve the crimes, the investigators adopt viewpoints of the killers in order to better predict subsequent crimes. When Fisher meets the beautiful Kim (Me Me Lei), using a new victim as bait, they embark on a journey that threatens to blur the line between a simulated killer and the real thing.
In this unique and deeply puzzling cult story, the atmosphere and mood is heightened using hypnotism and flashbacks to support the story as it unfolds, and the film is shot in shades of sepia, startling flashes of bright blue with Super-8 footage and double exposures to dramatic effect.
Epidemic (1987) - Not availbale before in the UK on any format. Lars Van Trier both stars in and directs this cinematic essay pondering the possible future nature of a Europe falling further and further into both a physical and spiritual decay. This decay is highlighted by a mysterious illness, the epidemic of the title, which science seems incapable of halting. 'Epidemic' is filmed in eerily atmospheric black and white and color.
Europa (1991) - Lars Von Trier's 'Europa' is an alluring film that follows Leopald Kessler (Jean-Marc Barr), an American pacifist of German descent as he travels to Germany to help the country rebuild and becomes involved in a surreal nightmare. His uncle gets him employment working on the giant railway complex Zentropa where he falls in love with the daughter of the railway owner, Katherina (Barbara Sukowa) who lures him into becoming a pawn in a pro-Nazi terrorist scheme.
Despite his wishes he finds he cannot remain neutral and is forced into making some difficult choices. Von Trier's stylish thriller features hypnotic narration by the legendary Max von Sydow, and employs a series of ingenious technical tricks, using rear projection, as well as cutting between colour and black-and-white, in order to give the film a dazzling visual presentation that rewards multiple viewings.
The 4 disc package also features a 16 page booklet by film historian Peter Schepelern.
- Import DVD
- PAL Region 2
- 4 Disc Set
- Anamorphic Widescreen
- Special Features Listed Below
