Director Lars von Trier: 'I Understand Hitler; I Sympathize With Him a Bit'

By John Mitchell Posted May 18th 2011 11:35AM

From Moviefone: Notorious wallflower Lars von Trier, director of acclaimed indies like 'Dogville,' 'Dancer in the Dark' and 'Antichrist,' did what he does best at the Cannes Film Festival press conference for his latest film 'Melancholia,' "a beautiful movie about the end of the world" starring Kirsten Dunst, Kiefer Sutherland and Alexander Skarsgard. And by that we mean he caused a ruckus by saying some pretty ridiculous things.

Von Trier is so well-known for saying controversial things that the Hollywood Reporter compares his press conferences to a "a dark stand-up routine." He took things a step further in Cannes yesterday, however, announcing he was "actually a Nazi" who "understands Hitler ... I sympathize with him a bit." Got that?

And now for some context. Von Trier has a notoriously dark, envelope-pushing European sense of humor that doesn't always translate across the Atlantic. So while he made Cannes audiences a bit uncomfortable, they laughed "with the sort of chuckle that gets caught in the throat." Others, including Dunst and co-star Charlotte Gainsbourg, were reportedly dumbstruck.

The American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors and their Descendants, however, is not laughing.

In a statement, the group said:

Holocaust survivors condemn Von Trier's repulsive comments as an insensitive exploitation of victims' suffering for self-serving promotion and publicity. His bizarre comments may have been made in jest and for shock, but those subjected to the brutalities of the Nazi regime cannot find amusement in recalling the torture and deaths of those terrible times. We cannot give a review of his film, but as a person Von Trier is a moral failure.

Von Trier's comments were in many ways an attack on Danish director Susanne Bier, who won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar this year for 'In a Better World' and directed the acclaimed 2004 film 'Brothers,' which was remade as an American film in 2009 starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman.

The director's full comment was an obvious dig at his fellow Dane. "For a long time I thought I was a Jew and I was happy to be a Jew, then I met Susanne Bier (who is Jewish) and I wasn't so happy," von Trier said. "But then I found out I was actually a Nazi. My family were German. And that also gave me some pleasure. What can I say? I understand Hitler ... I sympathize with him a bit."

Of course he didn't stop there: "I don't mean I'm in favor of World War II and I'm not against Jews, not even Susanne Bier. In fact I'm very much in favor of them. All Jews. Well, Israel is a pain in the ass but..."

Or even there. Asked if he would ever direct a larger film, von Trier said, "Yes. We Nazis like to do things on a big scale. Maybe I could do 'The Final Solution.'"

Yikes.

When not busy making light of genocide, the director set his sights on his 'Melancholia' actresses by playfully announcing his next film would be a 3 to 4 hour porn film "with lots of uncomfortable sex" starring Dunst and Gainsbourg.

Sadly, (but as usual) the director's comments have overshadowed the reason he was in Cannes in the first place. 'Melancholia' was well-received by critics, with the Daily Telegraph calling the film "mesmerizing, visually gorgeous and often-moving" and IndieWire declaring it a "dark apocalyptic masterpiece."

For more, visit Moviefone, and check out the 'Melancholia' trailer below:

Melancholia from Zentropa on Vimeo.

Tags: AntiSemitism, cannes film festival, hitler, lars von trier, melancholia, nazi

Comments

(10)

Wednesday 18 May

By eris

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Hitler was Austrian, not German, you self-important douche.

By sususu56

Really? you're a nazi? you sympathize with Hitler? So I guess you're a self-hating megalomaniac murderer who wants to be remembered for attempting to destroy an entire race of people. Not funny, not interesting, just very very very sad.

By lara

YOUR YOU KIDDING US?? YOUR A TRUE IDIOT!!!! GO AWAY..

By jwsexton9

Where in the world we find these idiots?,,It has been said,
'THEY MAY THINK YOU A FOOL BUT OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT"LOL

By Skeeter

JW - My sentiments exactly, even if your family were Nazi's, it's nothing to brag about. What a foolish man with an even more foolish mouth.

Thursday 19 May

By Eva

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Psychoracist.

By Sam

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That is how 80% of White American feels; especially now that Obama is in the White House more like 90% the rest are young people who minds are not so closed.

By Mireille

Shame on you Charlotte Gainsburg! With a Jewish father and and Israeli husband you did not quit the stage upon these horrible remarks expressed by Von Trier. You gave us the impression through your films of a strong opinionated woman - yesterday that must have been the real you - spineless opportunistic woman.

By zatopek

Von Trier is not antisemite. His wife and stepfather are Jewish!
He just has a bad sense of humor.

Tuesday 24 May

By madeline

Why doesn`t he make a movie with Oliver Stone. These two "Hitler was really misunderstood" haters deserve each other. I wouldn`t pay a dime to see one of his-or Stones`s films.

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