Review of The Idiots

Always one for controversy, Lars Von Trier's The Idiots is no exception.
Filmed in the Dogme 95 style, the handheld camera, dodgy sound and mis-matched cuts are at first a distraction, yet once the storyline draws you in they become almost unnoticeable.

The film follows a group of young adults, who routinely "spazz out" in public in order to indulge their "inner idiot". The scenes of their play are not only disturbingly accurate and sometimes distressing but showcase an extraordinary amount of acting talent in the cast. They are not only believable but also serve to question your own view on stereotypes of the mentally impaired. Do we see what we commonly think of mentally disabled people to be, or are their acts true to life? It's an uncomfortable question, and one that is important to the film, as seen through newcomer Karen's eyes - are the group mocking the mentally disabled or the people who they come into contact with?
The scene in which the group are forced to interact with actually mentally disabled visitors is key to the discussion, and really opens the eyes of both the actors and the viewer.

This whole theme pieced together with the infamous orgy scene which features real sex, serves to violate the viewer's comfort zone, while the final scene in which Karen returns home to deal with her family and a recent tragedy, leaves the film scarily open-ended with no resolution.

It's not for everyone, but The Idiots is a superbly acted and thoughtful piece of cinema that really challenges the viewer. It fully deserves its cult status.

10/10