FILM

Festen Examined

William Coade

In keeping with this issue’s theme, and with its upcoming Criterion Collection release, what better film to look at, than Festen (The Celebration). Except, director Thomas Vinterberg’s film is anything but a celebration; instead, it is a strenuously dark tragicomedy, that aims for humour in the face of alarming, taboo subject matter. I must confess I’d never heard of the film, nor had I heard of the Dogme filmmaking movement that it adheres to. Nonetheless, it is fair to say that Festen lent itself to an intriguing viewing experience, one whose influence I saw clearly in contemporary British and American television.

In summary, Festen’s plot revolves around a patriarch’s 60th birthday party. Extended family and close friends are reunited in what intends to be a celebration of life but instead for oldest son Christian (Ulrich Thomsen), the gloves come off and a scandalous secret is laid bare. For those who are not familiar with the Dogme filmmaking movement, it was established by Danish filmmakers Lars Von Trier and Vinterberg in 1995, with key technical features being the strict adherence to handheld camera, authentic performances and the use of natural lighting. Over 20 years after the film’s release, this unique aesthetic still unquestionably creates a radical, authentic viewing experience. For me, Dogme’s aesthetic make-up and Festen’s dark humour are paralleled within contemporary British and American television. Whether this be The Office, The Thick of It or more recently

Succession, the blend between fluid handheld camera movement and dark subject material has proven to be a popular combination. Whilst it is true that these examples do not adhere to all the fundamentals of Dogme, its influence nonetheless is visible.

Praise must be given to the cast, specifically the siblings played by Thomsen, Paprika Steen as Helene and especially Thomas Bo Larsen as their chaotic younger brother Michael. For a style of filmmaking that relies heavily on authentic performances, these actors encapsulate the messy, sibling rivalry dynamic. Larsen uncompromisingly, provides consistent laughs throughout the film, being the central point where serious subject matter is played off for humour. One scene comes to mind around halfway through, where Christian is kicked out of the party by a trio of men including 9

Michael, yet whilst the group berate and at times cause physical harm to Christian, Michael insists they go easy on him as he is “still my brother”, despite Michael being the key perpetrator of violence. Yet, whilst this provides humour in this specific scene, Michael’s cynicism and ignorance creates discomfort in others. It goes without saying that Vinterberg’s and Mogens Rukov’s screenplay does not shy away from the extreme (perhaps, this is the point). From the second act onwards, Michael is used as a vehicle for racist abuse towards Helene’s boyfriend Gbatokai. This for me, creates an uncomfortable viewing experience and fails to provide the humour the screenwriters intend. For a film that hinges on the dynamic between extreme subject matter and humour, the racist humour here is an uncomfortable step too far. This is not to say that the scandalous family secret or the

violence are not alarming, but both are presented in a way that successfully relieves the viewer from the uncomfortable action beforehand.

It is fair to say then, that Festen’s raw aesthetic, comprised of natural lighting, fluid handheld camera movements and authentic performances remains as radical as it perhaps was on release. Vinteberg’s film is satisfyingly uncompromising. It refuses to wrap up its conflicts in a bow, and even after 105 minutes in Christian’s world, we’re not given an answer to whether things are really on the up. In that sense, Festen is a film and Dogme a style of filmmaking that does not shy away from harsh reality, and one which leaves the viewer curious to delve deeper into this intriguing filmmaking movement.