History Film / BreakingTheWaves

Although not a UsefulNotes/{{Dogme 95}} film, it makes use of many of the movement's filmmaking principles. von Trier stated that the film's melodramatic plot would have been unbearable without the authenticity and gravity that the minimalist presentation provides.

* LighterAndSofter: Relative to the rest of Lars von Trier's filmography. True, it does still have a fair amount of the angst and gloom that defines much of the dour von Trier's oeuvre, especially towards the end, but it's leavened by more humor and exuberance than 90% of his other films. [[spoiler: And it also has somewhat happier ending than most of its movies.]]

* LighterAndSofter: Relative to the rest of Lars von Trier's filmography. True, it does still have a fair amount of the angst and gloom that defines much of the dour von Trier's oeuvre, especially towards the end, but it's leavened by more humor and exuberance than 90% of his other films.

Set somewhere in the [[UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} Highlands]] in [[TheSeventies the 1970s]], the story concerns Bess [=McNeill=] (Creator/EmilyWatson), a naive, borderline simple young woman, who marries Jan (Creator/StellanSkarsgard), a Danish oil rig worker, despite the disapproval of her stern Church Elders. Bess enjoys a brief period of wedded bliss before Jan has to go back to the rig. After he's crippled in a freak accident, Bess becomes obsessed with saving him, even if it means alienating herself from everyone she's ever known. Everything culminates in one of the most unpredictable endings in the History of Film; think you know where it's going? Guess again.

Although not a UsefulNotes/{{Dogme 95}} film, it makes use of many of those filmmaking principles. von Trier stated that the film's melodramatic plot would have been unbearable without the authenticity and gravity that the minimalist presentation provides.

Set somewhere in the [[UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} Highlands]] in [[TheSeventies the 1970's]], the story concerns Bess [=McNeill=] (Creator/EmilyWatson), a naive, borderline simple young woman, who marries Jan (Creator/StellanSkarsgard), a Danish oil rig worker, despite the disapproval of her stern Church Elders. Bess enjoys a brief period of wedded bliss before Jan has to go back to the rig. After he's crippled in a freak accident, Bess becomes obsessed with saving him, even if it means alienating herself from everyone she's ever known. Everything culminates in one of the most unpredictable endings in the History of Film; think you know where it's going? Guess again.

Although not a UsefulNotes/{{Dogme 95}} film, it makes use of many of those filmmaking principles. Director von Trier stated that the film's melodramatic plot would have been unbearable without the authenticity and gravity that the minimalist presentation provides.

''Breaking the Waves'' is a 1996 film written and directed by Creator/LarsVonTrier, the first entry of his [[ThematicSeries "Golden Hearts" Trilogy]], and the beginning of a radical change in direction for the famously restless filmmaker. Set somewhere in the [[UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} Highlands]] in [[TheSeventies the 1970's]], the story concerns Bess [=McNeill=] (Creator/EmilyWatson), a naive, borderline simple young woman, who marries Jan (Creator/StellanSkarsgard), a Danish oil rig worker, despite the disapproval of her stern Church Elders. Bess enjoys a brief period of wedded bliss before Jan has to go back to the rig. After he's crippled in a freak accident, Bess becomes obsessed with saving him, even if it means alienating herself from everyone she's ever known. Everything culminates in one of the most unpredictable endings in the History of Film; think you know where it's going? Guess again.

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: As it's in the {{Melodrama}} / SoapOpera tradition, the film's morality is largely this, with the [[IncorruptiblePurePureness Incorruptibly Pure]] Bess pitted against the [[TheFundamentalist unbending]] [[BlackAndWhiteInsanity absolutism]] of the Church. Dodo, Jan, and Dr. Richardson bring a touch of grey morality, but it's a very light shade thereof.
* BreakTheCutie: Bess. [[UpToEleven Oh. So. Much.]] Some have accused Von Trier of psychologically abusing Watson.

* CoolOldGuy: A church elder at the wedding, with no lines, gets into a test of manliness with some punks after spotting them chugging and crushing beercans. He matches them with a ''glass of lemonade.''

** God provides a far clearer [[spoiler:and more literal]] version of this when [[spoiler:after Bess's death, He proves His existence to her and helps her on to a next plane of existence.]]

* AGlassInTheHand: The old man at the wedding calmly crushes a glass with his bare hand after watching some punk kids do the same with a beer can.

* {{Jerkass}}: Seeing as it's Lars von Trier, there we going to be a few of these, in this case the Church Elders, much of the townsfolk, even Bess' mother. Dodo and Jan drift towards this at times, but their intentions are good.

* LighterAndSofter: Is this to the rest of Lars von Trier's filmography. True, it does still have a fair amount of the angst and gloom that defines much of the dour von Trier's oeuvre, especially towards the end, but it's leavened by more humor and exuberance than 90% of his other films.

* SpiritualSuccessor: This film is the one to ''Film/{{Ordet}}'' by Creator/CarlTheodorDreyer.