The Idiots
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Lars von Trier |
| Products | Film |
The Idiots () is a 1998 black comedy-drama film both written and directed by Lars von Trier. Marking his inaugural project under the Dogme 95 Manifesto, it holds the designation Dogme #2. This film represents the second chapter in von Trier's Golden Heart Trilogy, succeeding Breaking the Waves (1996) and preceding Dancer in the Dark (2000). It is also notable for being among the earliest movies filmed entirely using digital cameras.
With a production budget of approximately USD$2.5 million, the movie was showcased at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival and contended for the Palme d’Or, despite facing considerable criticism upon its debut. The project was a collaborative effort involving several European production companies, such as Arte, Canal+, Danmarks Radio, and Zentropa Entertainments2 ApS.
Plot
A collective of adults aiming to shed their social inhibitions engage in a controversial practice they term "spassing," which involves feigning mental disability in public settings. Their disruptive behavior unsettles restaurant customers and is supervised solely by their "handler," Susanne. Karen, dining alone, initially feels empathy towards them, unaware that their conduct is an act. The group later brings her to a spacious house where she discovers that Stoffer, their leader, was meant to sell the property but instead uses it as a base for their activities.
Through "spassing," the group challenges societal conventions by adopting an idealized vision of disability as a form of uninhibited personal freedom. During Stoffer’s birthday celebration, the members participate in group sexual activity, excluding Karen. Josephine and Jeppe share an intimate moment; however, the following day Josephine’s father arrives, chastising her for neglecting her medication and insisting she return home. Despite opposition from Jeppe and others, she departs.
Stoffer encourages the collective to incorporate idiocy into everyday life, but most members decline and disband the group. Karen embraces this challenge and returns home accompanied by Susanne. After a two-week unexplained absence following her infant’s death, Karen attempts to "spaz" in front of her family but faces aggression from her husband Anders. Consequently, she leaves with Susanne.
Production
The Idiots was developed as a co-production among companies based in Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. Filming occurred during May and June 1997. The screenplay was completed rapidly over four days, from May 16 to 19. The director himself operated a Sony DCR-VX1000 camera during shooting.
Style
In alignment with the Dogme 95 manifesto, von Trier issued a confession acknowledging minor departures during production, such as employing a body double for a sexual scene, compensating actors with cash for props, modifying lighting sources, and renting a vehicle without one actor’s awareness. Nonetheless, he maintained that the film adhered to Dogme 95 principles.
To honor Dogme 95’s prohibition on non-diegetic music, harmonica performances were recorded live during filming—including for the closing credits—although the musician does not appear on screen.
Release
The Idiots attracted substantial attention and sparked controversy, especially concerning its fictional depiction of disability. Notably, film critic Mark Kermode expressed strong disapproval during its 1998 Cannes screening.
In 2005, Channel 4 broadcasted the film uncut as part of a "Banned" season focused on censorship issues. Viewer complaints prompted an Ofcom inquiry, which ultimately cleared Channel 4 due to the film’s serious artistic context, explicit warnings before airing, and late-night timeslot. Ofcom emphasized that similar content would be evaluated carefully on an individual basis.
The movie carries adult-only ratings across various countries including Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. In contrast, it was released uncut with a 16+ classification in theaters and on DVD within Switzerland and Germany.
In June 2023, coinciding with Mubi’s acquisition of eleven von Trier titles, a restored 4K edition of The Idiots was re-released theatrically to commemorate its 25th anniversary.
Critical reception
On the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a 72% approval rating based on 32 critiques, with an average score of 6.5 out of 10. The summarized consensus notes, "The Idiots comes across more as an experimental piece than a unified story, yet director Lars von Trier’s provocative approach and commentary on society will leave most viewers feeling like engaged participants." Meanwhile, Metacritic assigns it a score of 48 out of 100 from 17 reviews, reflecting "mixed or average opinions." Responses to the film varied widely, ranging from harsh disapproval to commendation. A.O. Scott from The New York Times described it as "a two-hour, semi-pornographic Mentos commercial," particularly condemning the concluding scene for its "despicable emotional cruelty." In contrast, Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly characterized the film as "a raw, humorous, and infuriating journey" with von Trier pushing artistic limits in pursuit of emotional release, highlighting the final scene as "an intense moment of profound anguish."
The Idiots was ranked number 76 in Empire magazine’s 2010 list of "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema," having previously received a five-star rating upon its UK debut. It also appears at position 941 in the compendium '1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.'
Sexually explicit scenes
The film sparked debate due to its notably explicit sexual content uncommon for narrative cinema. It features a brief shower sequence displaying an erection and a group sex scene involving one couple performing unsimulated vaginal intercourse (employing adult film industry doubles). Both explicit segments are shown only momentarily. The British Board of Film Classification granted it an 18 certificate for theatrical distribution. When aired on Film4 in 2000, these scenes were pixelated following directives from the Independent Television Commission.
Accolades
The movie was entered into competition at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.
- Bodil Awards (1999)
- Won: Best Actress – Bodil Jørgensen
- Won: Best Supporting Actor – Nikolaj Lie Kaas
- Won: Best Supporting Actress – Anne Louise Hassing
- Nominated: Best Film
- Cannes Film Festival (1998)
- Nominated: Palme d'Or
- European Film Awards (1998)
- Nominated: Best Screenwriter
- London Film Festival (1998)
- Awarded: FIPRESCI Prize to Lars von Trier
- Robert Festival (1999)
- Won: Best Actress – Bodil Jørgensen
- Valladolid International Film Festival (1998)
- Nominated: Golden Spike – Lars von Trier