The Element of Crime

Director: Lars von Trier
Year Released: 1984
Rating: 1.5

Jaundiced view of mental illness by von Trier - it's his first feature film - has an awesome visual appeal, but it's weak on substance and dialogue ("I want you to screw God into me" is one of the many unintentionally funny lines). I predicted the ending within the first twenty minutes, and the images are not powerful enough to compensate for the numerous flaws and junk narrative; von Trier thinks he's heir to Dreyer, but apart from Breaking the Waves, his early films seem conceited and empty.