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I flew home today from Cannes and am playing catch-up to Lars Von Trier’s Nazi and pro-Hitler outburst at a press conference for his film Melancholia, which was capably chronicled by my colleague Pete Hammond. I’m told that a post-premiere party for Melancholia was canceled, which is probably appropriate because the provocateur left nobody in a mood for revelry and put a blot on what has been a fine festival so far. After watching yesterday’s press conference with Jodie Foster, and the way she thoughtfully answered every question both in English and in French about her film The Beaver, I find it shocking that an experienced director like von Trier could be so graceless in his opportunity to introduce his film on a worldwide platform. It’s inexcusable to be making flip comments about being a sympathizer of the Nazis and Hitler, seemingly oblivious to the memory of genocide that is the first thing most rational, decent people think of when those words are brought up. If there was a festival prize for Biggest Douchebag, von Trier wins, hands down. Despite a tepid apology issued through the festival that he “let himself be egged on by a provocation” (what the hell does that mean, anyway?), von Trier deserves all the lumps that will be coming to him.
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“If there was a festival prize for Biggest Douchebag…”
I think you’re onto something, Mike.
Well, then there would be a VERY long list of winners…
I’m sure John Galliano would have come to the party. He loves Hitler too !
Yes, I’m sensing a theme here. Prince Harry might like to join them.
John Galliano — what an ugly fool.
Well said and could agree more!!!
Typo “Could” should be “Couldn’t agree with you more”
Give me a break. They gave Mel Gibson a standing Ovation at this festival and I’m sure more than a few people who sit on the Cannes jury signed that Free Polanski petition.
I will bet financers will still give the Nazi douche bag more money to make his next movie.
Nikki — I like your work and I like your style. Keep it up. Hollywood needs more Nikki’s. Peace/Warm Regards
-jeremy nerenberg
jeremyunfiltered.blogspot.com
dont know how to say this without stirring anything up but Lars is a pretty strange guy anyway so anything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. he seems so awkward and odd. i think folks should relax a bit. im gonna assume he was being flip in his own controversial way. would it have been better left unsaid? of course.
Please note how Von Trier, so hip and casual, tied his racist rant to his dismissive disdain for Israel. It was almost like he expected his words to be received with kisses and bravo’s. Israel is a litmus test that exposes that brand of Antisemitism that seems to find a comfortable home in limousine liberalism.
one can be against the policies of israel without being antisemetic. i’m guessing youre a zionist wacko…
the guy was raised by nudist jewish commies, his lastname is jewish, I mean, for God’s sake! How nazi can he be? If anything he is taking the piss out of the germans, calling them nazis… which of course is not acceptable …
Hear, hear.
Is Vincent Gallo at Cannes this year? No? OK, then Lars wins Biggest Douchebag.
Uh, it was completely in jest. Jodie Foster knowingly and willingly worked with a true anti semite but was polite about answering questions so it’s A OKAY! And answered them in FRENCH to boot!!!!! Someone give her an AWARD NOW.
I hadn’t even thought of that…. I knew the Jodie argument was rubbing me the wrong way, but you really revealed it. Very friggin good point.
Yeah, this is a weird psychological upskirt moment for Mr. Fleming.
Von Trier = Kidding
Mel Gibson = Not Kidding
They don’t come more pretentious than Jodie Foster. I’m surprised she didn’t throw in a few Chinese acrobatics to complete her portrait of perfection. I remember how she used to put down the films of Curtis Hansen before he made L. A. Confidential, how she eschewed his more commercial but well-made films such as River Wild while she herself made Maverick! The point about her canonizing Gibson is well made.
Jodie Foster knows Mel Gibson and you don’t. Bottom line is she is still a class act and it’s not fair to act like she did something wrong. The Beaver was shot long before those tape recordings were made public. She does not defend his actions, but like anyone you can love someone without approving of everything they do. If we were judged to be exactly like the people we worked with, then we’d all be scum.
I’m still mystified by why this is considered such a big deal.
I’m a Jew and I wasn’t offended because it’s so obvious Von Trier was just screwing around. of course he’s not super-articulate and well-prepared like Jodie Foster. Few directors are. Let’s not forget Terrence Mallick doesn’t even do interviews. Now everyone is held up to the golden standard of Jodie Foster’s bi-lingual awesomeness? Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Jodes, but using her as an example is a pretty specious argument.
yeah, von trier is a douchebag. big shocker! alert the media! dude has ALWAYS been a douchebag… it’s part of what makes him interesting. Vincent Gallo is a douchebag and, again, very entertaining when all that Brown Bunny silliness went down at Cannes. He wished cancer on roger ebert! And Ebert forgave him!
It’s not really such a “blot” on Cannes, which is mostly a super-boring festival, and this is the first time anyone is hearing an interesting story, so thank goodness for Lars Von Trier!
Again, not condoning Hitler-endorsing comments. Because that’s absurd. We all hate Hitler, we all hate Nazis, and so does Lars Von Trier. He’s not very good at English, he made a stab at humor which failed miserably, and he embarrassed himself, but that’s it.
Talented Filmmaker and Douchebag are not mutually exclusive.
Exactly how do you know that Von Trier was joking and that he hates Nazis? Are you a friend or family member of his, and if so, have you spoken with him in the past about his feelings on the subject? If not, you are just some shithead who feels the need to spout off about something that you couldn’t possible know the answer to. Thanks for sharing though.
how do you know he is not just kidding however inappropriate?
thank you diane.
of course I don’t know him. i’m not a shit head, or an apologist, and I’m certainly not speaking for all Jews. Did I say I was? Exactly. I didn’t. I only speak for myself.
Anyone who wants to take a pathetic pot-shot at me, call me a shit head, or not bright, when I’m just trying to state my opinion, is a clearly a sad and cowardly person, and has no business participating in a comments-forum discussion.
All opinions are allowed, people! Personal attacks are far more revealing of the attacker, than the one being attacked.
And you of course speak for all Jewish people. You’re not too bright yourself, apologist.
I completly agree, he has never had any tact, but has made very interesting films, where he challenge “normality”.
he is identifying with a crazy man isolated in a bunker, not the genoicide.
I dont think you need to now him personally to realize that his way of thinking does not always follow a normal logical red line.
Jojo, you put it perfectly. The guy was just riffing in a silly, lazy way, struggling to poke fun and be interesting. The outrage is just so silly. Even deadline calling it an “outburst” is absurd. There wasn’t an ounce of passion or belief in anything he said. He was just dithering and joking…. P.S. I have met Vincent Gallo on a few occasions and consider him to be the single most interesting person I have ever met. He is hilarious and unique and demonically insightful.
worst possible place this subject could come up…there have never been any nazi sympathizers in france.
Kevin Smith can breath easier now.
Unless he walked up a flight of steps.
I strongly disagree. Jodie Foster is a Bigger Douche for giving a job to Mel Gibson the biggest anti Semite in the business.
I heard the French are going to award him the special Swastika D’Or.
Genius! Kudos Furious D, kudos! It’s the least we can expect from the nation that turned collaboration into an art form. Ass von Trier should direct Mel Gibson next. As for Jodie Foster… Sticking by your friends is most laudable, but choosing to be friends with an anti-Semite and racist (I write these in alphabetical order: both are equally as bad in my book) shows very questionable judgement in whichever language she voices it.
Well Lars Von Trier doesn’t have an ounce of the class and intellect that Jodie Foster has. This woman had to deal with constant Mel Gibson questions. Even when she says she is not defending his behavior the sensationalist press still spreads, “Jodie defends Mel” headlines, and she still handled everything with grace. Von Trier just wants to provoke.
Well said buddy! Totally agree wirt you. At least that guy has balls to go out and talk, poor English and everything. I am proud jew and I don’t see the ‘commotion’ some people -and tje hypocrite media- are making oit of this event.
Anti-semitism is NEVER okay but it is a little hypocritical of you Mike to be so hard on Von Trier when you are so willing to give Mel a third chance!
Von Trier is the arthouse Uwe Boll.
Lars was clearly fucking around and being sarcastic. There are hitler and holocaust jokes everywhere. Remember when Jerry Seinfeld made out with a girl during Schindler’s List?!
How can everyone accept that ACTUAL anti-Semite Mel Gibson (who also throws around the N-word pretty casually) and be giving Lars Von Trier such a hard time?
Deadline gets offended when it’s convenient and popular to do so.
Once again this proves that mere WORDS are more important than raping a 13 year old in the ass. Hence the free-man and mega-award winner Polanski will still be worshiped as a visionary god – while this dude, whomever he is, will be vilified as the great satan because he once said something that was ridiculously stupid that one time.
His unapologetic comments regarding Israel are unforgivable.
van trier will recover. he’s a lefty. he won’t get the full mel gibson treatment.
Well, Hitler was dead and buried long time ago, but the Nazi sympathizers are still an undeniable presence all over the world. Just like the Communism, it never died in Russia, there are still lot of people love Stalin, just like there are still so many people privately love Hitler and hate the Jews. It’s an undeniable fact but nobody wants to accept it. Look at the 1.45 billion Chinese, they still love and adore Chairman Mao, even 60 millions of Chinese died because of him and his regime, but the Chinese Communist Party has been brainwashing the Chinese and has successfully manipulated their way of thinking, they adore the butcher and his Party. The Japanese love and adore their Imperial Emperor even he was the person who allowed the Japanese military forces to massacre so many people and looted the Asian Country. By watching the WWII footage, we saw the whole Germany gone crazy, 99% of the Germans blindly adored Adolph Hitler and followed his orders. These are the facts that we could never deny. Of course there are so many people who are still privately love the Nazi even it’s a hush-hush feeling. But only morons would publicly admit it. People should follow the example of the Chinese, they love the butcher who killed their parents and their grandparents, not just openly but wholeheartedly.
Take your meds dude!
I’m a Jew and I’m not offended at all. This is what Von Trier does. He’s an enfant terrible. He’s just there to mess with expectations.
I want to address Lars’ comment regarding “Israel is a pain in the ass”. It’s a stupid political statement from a very pathetic misinformed anti-Semite. Regardless his ignorance, Israel will survive.