One of my all time favorites.

Fantastic!

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The element of crime plays like a Film Noir, set in a dystopian alternative universe, within the mind of David Lynch. Detective Fisher returns to Europe after a thirteen year stay in Ciarro, to catch a murderer responsible for the deaths of several young girls. Fisher takes an untested approach to investigating, after reading a book written by his old mentor entitled "The Element of Crime". This book argues for an alternative method of understanding the human mind. It requires the researcher to relive the life of the one they are following, in order to gain a greater understanding of who that person is. Fisher soon finds himself, living the life of suspect Harry Grey, living in his home, interacting with his cohorts, and loving his former lover. Fisher's sense of identity is challenged as his individuality becomes indistinguishable to that of Harry Grey. The film is encompassed in a reddish overtone, resembling an eternal twilight, which could either represent dawn or day break. The story is told from the point of view of a man attempting to recall his memories while in a hypnotic state. Fisher even deliberately skips certain parts of his story, declaring that they are pointless to recall and at times admits that he isn't sure if certain parts of the story are true. 'The Element of Crime" is a good introductory film for anyone interested in the works of director "Lars Von Trier" It's unorthodox style of environment and story telling immerse the viewer head first into the mind of Lars Von Trier, showing them that the typical rules of story telling no longer apply.

One detects the influence of many directors on the young Von Trier, many have already been mentioned (Tarkovsky, Hitchcock, Bergman, etc), but Tarkovsky looms the largest. The opening scene is a direct quote of 'Andrei Rublev', from there on in we are treated to ever increasing levels of Tarkovsky-esq rain, dripping faucets, people standing in water, until it becomes almost comical. The story is ostensibly your generic 'washed up cop pursuing a murder' mixed in with some hypnosis and color filters. The main character is apparently following a crime detection method outlined in a book (entitled 'Element of Crime', of course). This involves somehow 'becoming' the killer by recreating his steps, rather predictably, the line becomes blurred between cop and killer and then nothing seems to happen. The movie starts with good energy and atmosphere, but then fails to capitalize on the setup, scenes just seem to serve the purpose of allowing Lars to insert yet more Tarkovsky/noir references until it all starts to feel a little pointless. The movie then ambiguously grinds to a halt with no obvious conclusion (at least not one which was clear to me). One can't fault Von Trier's imagination, scenes often startle with their originality and composition, but it just starts to feel played out by the middle of the movie, the story is simply not strong enough to support the visuals. As a first movie, it's pretty damn good, but it just doesn't quite come off. Zentropa is a much better movie.

The Element of Crime, also known as Forbrydelsens element, is a 1984 crime film directed by Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier that also marked his international debut. The Element of Crime is the first installment in von Trier's highly acclaimed Europe Trilogy—the other two being Epidemic (1987) and Europa (1991). Renowned for his exceedingly unconventional and visually stimulating style that often reminds one of Andrei Tarkovsky, Lars von Trier is unarguably the most influential filmmaker to have emerged out of Denmark since Dreyer.The Element of Crime presents the story of a European police detective whose morbid obsession for the criminal investigatory methods of his mentor makes him question the veracity of his own existence as he slowly gets engulfed in a miasma of delirium and paranoia. The Element of Crime is cryptic, bizarre, hypnotic, ambiguous, contradicting and at times absurd, and perhaps that's what makes it so brilliant, unique and engaging at all levels. The movie's experimental camera-work is highly reminiscent of Welles' Citizen Kane (1941). Von Trier films the movie in an orange monochrome, occasionally punctuated by shafts of green and blue—a facet that inexplicably reminds of Tarkovsky's use of the sepia tone in Stalker (1979). In fact, it would be safe to concede that von Trier's mise en scene seems to be a well thought-out variation of the Russian master's mise en scene in Stalker.The Element of Crime despite being rife with analogies, symbolism and allegories serves to be a consummate cinematic experience for the intelligent viewer. The Element of Crime is a psychological thriller, part character-study, part police procedural with surrealistic overtones that's intellectually and technically superior to most movies of its kind. The Element of Crime catapults the viewer in a Kafkaesque world of breathtaking visuals, bizarre juxtapositions and endless absurdities. The Element of Crime is a difficult movie to watch and is surely not meant for those who are looking for a popcorn flick to spend a cozy evening in a dormant state of mind. It's a movie that the less keen viewer may like to skip, but it definitely serves to be a rewarding experience for those who understand and value thought-provoking cinema.A more detailed review of the movie can be read at:http://www.apotpourriofvestiges.com/

How to describe a film so avant-garde that Dirk Bogarde threatened to quit the Cannes jury if it got an award? A film that references Blade runner, with a burned-out cop (Michael Elphick) brought back into a futuristic Europe to find a serial killer. A film that has been described by some as "The Silence of the Lambs" meets "Delicatessen".Fans of David Lynch may thrill at this futuristic film noir. Many will run for the exits, as it takes quite a bit of time to develop.It is Lars von Trier's first English-language film, and it is in a sepia-tone that adds to the feeling that Europe is crumbling. Water is an element that flows throughout, again adding to the feeling that something is rotten.Elphick hooks up with Me Me Lai in her last film. She had done a lot of cannibal work before this - an interesting combination of actors.Elphick goes into a experimental drug-induced hypnotic state to try and recreate the crimes and catch the killer. Things get really surreal from here.Cinematography, sound, and special effects were all superb in this very strange film.