If I am reading your comments correctly, you are saying none of his comments should be taken seriously, reported about, or be taken as offensive, because he is Lars Von Trier, indie filmaker who likes to cause a stir and get attention.

So saying offensive and ignorant things is OK if you are using and exploiting unrelated past tragedies to promote your indie movie? Also, if you are just saying them to get attention for yourself or your movie, then everyone should be allowed to say as many ignorant or racist comments as you want and not react to them? Curious – if Michael Bay or Brett Ratner did this at a press conference, also to just just garner press like you say Lars is doing, would you still be OK with it and make fun of anyone who reacts to it or is offended/annoyed by it?

Not exactly the same thing.

Your headline and article premise would work if you had linked it to other times he had said offensive remarks, not just \”typical\” stupid remarks.

Also, you say he is doing this to try to drum up promotion. Can you please name an instance where the \”insult Jews\” or \”director personally offending people\” strategy helped promote a movie?

For the record, I think his comments were pretty stupid and unfunny, but to use them as an occasion to start dissing his work seems kneejerk.

\”Haha stupid mainstream media so stupid they are reacting to Von Triers remarks! Which by the way were this, this, and this, and here\’s my reaction.\”

This doesn\’t feel like a Mel Gibson/John Galliano incident but could easily be made out to be one. I\’d like to hear Woody Allen\’s opinion on the comments.

He wasn\’t commenting to a room full of his disciples who appreciate him, he was commenting to a room full of reporters who write for the general public. Hitler and Bin Laden\’s followers understand and appreciate them, doesn\’t make the comments any less stupid.

Comments like this just do a disservice to everyone who worked on the movie. Instead of talking about the camerawork, acting, sets, etc, everyone will be talking about him – serves his ego just fine, and he gets to keep trying to make a reputation as a \”misunderstood crazy brilliant artist.\” what a jackass

Anyway, von Trier is just secretly laughing at the ridiculousness that gets thrown at him and his humour is very satirical in that sense. Slightly ignorant journalists like Friedman latch on to that and tweet stupidity only making themselves look foolish, wihle von Trier is laughing it up. And why not?

And Nik: the press conference lasted 40 minutes, and they talked about the film for 35 minutes of of it. It\’s von Trier\’s fault if they leave thinking about what he said regarding Hitler, Nazis or whatever? Don\’t think so.

And finally, to the writer … very strange article indeed. Quiet contradictory not only regarding von Trier\’s comments but also Melancholia. At first you imply the film is shite but then you suggest it has merits. Which is it? Oh and let\’s not make it seem like Antichrist is a chink in the man\’s filmmography, it has many many supporters because it\’s a pretty great film.

1) Yes, thank god Lars Von Trier exists, he is IMMENSELY quotables.
2) LTVs quotes, like his work, are getting a little predictable and therefore tiresome. The one this morning seems like a silly molotav cocktail thrown at a schoolbus of children just so he can smile and watch people freak out about it. The first time he did it, it might have been shocking or twisted funny. Not so much anymore.
3) To be outraged about his quotes are silly, he IS laughing.
4) To laugh at someone like Roger Friedman who should know better by now considering he has been in this business for a long time
5) Bringing back the discussion to film should never be hated on.
7) I don\’t imply Melancholia is shite, i haven\’t seen it. I said that based on our review, it sounds like his is continuing on a downward path. The film, even like the very uneven Antichrist (which is half brilliant, half goes off the rails), likely has merit. Almost all his work does even if he\’s forcing it in recent years.
8) Your mama.

I see your points and understand where your coming from. I guess my larger point is that I just don\’t get why being an \”Artist\” or \”acclaimed indie filmaker\” gives you a pass to be an moron.

A lot of people of strange senses of humor, I get that. Still, if a businessman, teacher, cop, repair man, athlete, busdriver, etc, came out and publicly said this kind stuff, no one would be calling them a \”misunderstood genius\” – just because he makes movies, he can not only be an ignorant assclown, but be celebrated for it? He should just keep that nonsense to himself.

\”It’s von Trier’s fault if they leave thinking about what he said regarding Hitler, Nazis or whatever? Don’t think so.\”

Yes it is – I think Von Trier has been around long enough to know that publicly stating that he sympathizes with Hitler will get attention for him and have it detract from his film, cast, etc.

Why? Because artist are like grown up children, that cannot put a lid on them self. They have free association and if you ask them questions you will not get a perfected answer as if it were a politician you asked. You will instead get a completely honest answer, a stream of thoughts that hasnt been adjusted to common norms or taboos.

Not only are they \”allowed\” to do this, we WANT them to do this. Thats the whole point of the existence of artist.

Lars Von Trier is an excentric, mad and brilliant artistic genius who writes, films and direct his own movies. Not many of those left in todays cinema.

Trier likes to provoke people and has a dark sense of humour. If you watch the press conference (which can be seen here: http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/mediaPlayer/11391.html) you can see that the nazi comments/jokes were not intended before hand as you seem to suggest. And more than anything these misquoted \”I\’m a Nazi\” -scoops are probably hurting the film more than giving it good publicity.

\”So which one is it Lars, you come from commie-hippie nudists or totalitarian assholes? Yawn.\”

Do your research, Eddie-boy. Lars comes from a hippie-nudist family but his biological father was German, which he found out only in his thirties.

Also your attacks at Trier\’s recent work is hilarious. Antichrist is far from weak, middling work and your blog seems to be in the minority about Melancholia also. There\’s many reviewers raving about it and even calling it a masterpiece.

“If I have hurt someone this morning by the words I said at the press conference, I sincerely apologize. I am not antisemitic or racially prejudiced in any way, nor am I a nazi.” – Lars von Trier.

http://www.indiewire.com/article/lars_von_trier_apologies_for_controversial_melancolia_press_conference/

But in short, no, i don\’t condone his comments Nick. I think comparing it to Bay/Ratner saying the same thing is totally different as they are not purposeful provocateurs.

🙂

Anyway, appreciate the responses good time had by all

Seriously to the person who is a Jew and thought it was funny. You\’re a dumbass too.

Plain and simple he is a crazy ass. Nothing is funny about Hitler, nothing in anyway can come out being funny when people start talking about Jews and especially with what happened to them in the 40s. Its a disgrace. Its disgusting behavior from anyone.

So the guy wanted to make a joke and he choose Hitler and Jews? Seriously what the hell.

people just keep on shitting on the Jews with their stupid words. So the majority of th middle east hates the Jewish people and lo and behold a bunch of other jackasses in Europe and America do as well.

Jews are the scapegoats of History. People disgust me.

Geesh. Dont say stuff that you think is funny with any type of people especially those who were murdered. People start saying I follow Stalin and murder my own people, Rwanda, Darfur. Its sick.

However I think this film looks good because of the actors. I do think he did a huge disservice to the wonderful actors on the film. He could talk about the sets, et. but instead he went to crazytown. But he lives there so what did I expect. But leave the Jews ALONE.