ANTICHRIST!

Today in Film Languege, we were screened a film named Antichrist.
Now, I'd been told a few horror stories about how disturbing this film is, so I decided to do some research online before I was to watch it, as to see if it really does live up to my expectations...
Oh my goodness.
As I was aware of what was going to happen in the film, I guess I was quite apprehensive but I was also rather exited as the film had won awards at the Cannes Film Festival for its cinematography, hence the reason for us watching it.
Anitchrist opens with a very slow paced, dramatic 10 minute long sex scene, and the death of a child, with operatic lyrics throughout, very moving lyrics but also very powerful. This whole scene is in black and white and sets the scene for most of the film to be honest. Black, slow moving, dramatic and explicit. The mother of the child who fell out of the window whilst having sex with her husband, is now bedevilled by guilt, so both parents (who are named 'him' and 'her' though out the film) retreat to a cabin in the woods. Pretty much from here things go from bad to a hell of a lot worse..
At this point in the film, not much really goes on for I'd say about and hour. More uncomfortable sex scenes is about it. Gainsbourg however, is clearly going more and more insane. Defoe, acts as her helper. her therapist. listens to what she says and does what she says (by this I mean constantly sleeping with her, even though she is in no fit state mentally or physically)
Anyway, the ending is where it hits you, hard. 'She' hacks at her own genitals with a pair of scissors and squashes 'his' with a boulder whilst then drills a hold through his leg. By this point I felt very nauseas and 3 girls left the screening who never came back. The entire class was shrieking and cringing in sheer despair.
There is then a chase through the woods where Defoe tries to escape her as she is out to find him and kill him, then it all ends where he strangles her to death, burns her and hobbles out of the woods with his demolished leg.

So what with its explicit sex and female mutliation, I found the film extremely disturbing BUT I also found that with its slow paced camera shots, almost dream like in some aspects, shocking storyline and twist, Antichrist won it awards fair and square. Its a film that I will never forget, all maybe for the wrong reasons and am still cringing at how messed up it really is.
I doubt I'l be watching it again...