The Element of Crime: Difference between revisions

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[[The Element of Crime]] is [[Lars Von Trier]]'s 1984 debut film, a [[Genre Busting]] movie, a [[Science Fiction]] film as well as a [[Psychological Thriller]] with plot and characters typical of [[Film Noir]], but the general atmosphere of a [[Cyberpunk With a Chance of Rain]] story, located in [[After the End|immediately post-World War III]] [[Crapsack World|Europe]], with [[Mind Screw|surrealist undertones]], and the whole thing filmed in a fashion homaging [[German Expressionism|expressionist movies]]. The result is one of the gloomiest movies every directed which makes even ''[[Blade Runner]]'' look bright and optimistic.
''[[The Element of Crime]]'' is [[Lars von Trier]]'s 1984 debut film, a [[Genre Busting]] movie, a [[Science Fiction]] film as well as a [[Psychological Thriller]] with plot and characters typical of [[Film Noir]], but the general atmosphere of a [[Cyberpunk with a Chance of Rain]] story, located in [[After the End|immediately post-World War III]] [[Crapsack World|Europe]], with [[Mind Screw|surrealist undertones]], and the whole thing filmed in a fashion homaging [[German Expressionism|expressionist movies]]. The result is one of the gloomiest movies every directed which makes even ''[[Blade Runner]]'' look bright and optimistic.


It tells the story of detective [[Meaningful Name|Fisher]], expatriate in Cairo, who undergoes [[All Psychology Is Freudian|therapeutic hypnosis]] in order to recall the events of his last case, which left him quite traumatised. The rest of the movie thus [[Whole-Episode Flashback|consists entirely of a flashback of said events]]: the search for an [[Hidden Villain|elusive]] [[Serial Killer|child killer]], using a controversial [[The Profiler|profiling method]] created by his [[Shell-Shocked Veteran|former mentor]] and described in a book, the titular [[Title Drop|Element of Crime]].
It tells the story of detective [[Meaningful Name|Fisher]], expatriate in Cairo, who undergoes [[All Psychology Is Freudian|therapeutic hypnosis]] in order to recall the events of his last case, which left him quite traumatised. The rest of the movie thus [[Whole-Episode Flashback|consists entirely of a flashback of said events]]: the search for an [[Hidden Villain|elusive]] [[Serial Killer|child killer]], using a controversial [[The Profiler|profiling method]] created by his [[Shell-Shocked Veteran|former mentor]] and described in a book, the titular [[Title Drop|Element of Crime]].


First film of the Europa trilogy.
First film of the ''Europa'' trilogy.


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{{tropelist}}
=== [[The Element of Crime]] provides example of: ===
⚫
* [[Alone with the Psycho]]: [[Subverted Trope|subverted]] and possibly [[Deconstructed Trope|deconstructed]], see [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]], below.

⚫
* [[Alone With the Psycho]]: [[Subverted Trope|subverted]] and possibly [[Deconstructed Trope|deconstructed]], see [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]], below.
* [[Anti-Hero]]: Fisher starts as one, but by the end of the film, he became a {{spoiler|[[Fallen Hero]]}}.
* [[Anti-Hero]]: Fisher starts as one, but by the end of the film, he became a {{spoiler|[[Fallen Hero]]}}.
* [[Bad Cop, Incompetent Cop]]: the police forces are so violent, expeditive, corrupted or unconcerned that they really act the part of [[The Mafia]].
* [[Bad Cop, Incompetent Cop]]: the police forces are so violent, expeditive, corrupted or unconcerned that they really act the part of [[The Mafia]].
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* [[City Noir]]
* [[City Noir]]
* [[Crapsack World]]: post-[[World War III]] Europe is nothing but [[After the End|a crumbling pile of ruins]] where eveybody has gone [[Wretched Hive|dirt poor, deeply corrupt, completly mad, or a combination of those]].
* [[Crapsack World]]: post-[[World War III]] Europe is nothing but [[After the End|a crumbling pile of ruins]] where eveybody has gone [[Wretched Hive|dirt poor, deeply corrupt, completly mad, or a combination of those]].
* [[Cyberpunk]]-[[Diesel Punk]]-[[Punk Punk]]: difficult to place exactly, but definitively ''Something'' Punk; the atmosphere certainly gives a [[Cyberpunk With a Chance of Rain]] [[Blade Runner]]-esque feeling, but the time period is post [[World War III]], in an un-named European country in ruins, though [[Schizo-Tech|weird contraptions and anachronical apparatuses]] do show up here and there.
* [[Cyberpunk]]-[[Dieselpunk]]-[[Punk Punk]]: difficult to place exactly, but definitively ''Something'' Punk; the atmosphere certainly gives a [[Cyberpunk with a Chance of Rain]] [[Blade Runner]]-esque feeling, but the time period is post [[World War III]], in an un-named European country in ruins, though [[Schizo-Tech|weird contraptions and anachronical apparatuses]] do show up here and there.
* [[Cyberpunk With a Chance of Rain]]: this movie ''outdarks'' and ''outrains'' [[Blade Runner]].
* [[Cyberpunk with a Chance of Rain]]: this movie ''outdarks'' and ''outrains'' [[Blade Runner]].
* [[Darkened Building Shootout]]: [[Invoked Trope|invoked]] but [[Averted Trope|averted]] [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|with a veangeance]].
* [[Darkened Building Shootout]]: [[Invoked Trope|invoked]] but [[Averted Trope|averted]] [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|with a veangeance]].
* [[Deliberately Monochrome]]: see [[Real Is Brown]] bellow.
* [[Deliberately Monochrome]]: see [[Real Is Brown]] bellow.
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* [[He Who Fights Monsters]]: a rather unfortunate consequence of a profiling method where one needs to think like the criminal; {{spoiler|Fisher ends up killing a child, and it is strongly implied that Osborne killed one too}}.
* [[He Who Fights Monsters]]: a rather unfortunate consequence of a profiling method where one needs to think like the criminal; {{spoiler|Fisher ends up killing a child, and it is strongly implied that Osborne killed one too}}.
* [[Hidden Villain]]
* [[Hidden Villain]]
* [[Humans Are Bastards]]
* [[Humans Are the Real Monsters]]
* [[Infant Immortality]]: averted. Hard.
* [[Infant Immortality]]: averted. Hard.
* [[Instant Index, Just Add Water]]: "There's water everywhere". Indeed.
* [[Instant Index, Just Add Water]]: "There's water everywhere". Indeed.
* [[Mind Screw]]: a case of [[Zig Zagging Trope]]; individual sequences and dialogues are sometimes difficult to make sense of, but put together they form a rather consistent and straightforward story (the audience is even given enough clues to predict some of the twists)… until you get hit by the [[Gainax Ending|ending]].
* [[Mind Screw]]: a case of [[Zig-Zagging Trope]]; individual sequences and dialogues are sometimes difficult to make sense of, but put together they form a rather consistent and straightforward story (the audience is even given enough clues to predict some of the twists)… until you get hit by the [[Gainax Ending|ending]].
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: at what seems to be climax of the movie and the setup for a [[Darkened Building Shootout]], Fisher is acting as the bodyguard of a young girl who is supposed to be meeting with someone suspected to be the killer. Footsteps are heard outside the room. {{spoiler|Then one of the killer's statuettes falls from Fisher's pocket. The girl, believing him to be the killer, tries to flee, and in the ensuing panic and attempt to subdue her, he strangles her to death}}.
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: at what seems to be climax of the movie and the setup for a [[Darkened Building Shootout]], Fisher is acting as the bodyguard of a young girl who is supposed to be meeting with someone suspected to be the killer. Footsteps are heard outside the room. {{spoiler|Then one of the killer's statuettes falls from Fisher's pocket. The girl, believing him to be the killer, tries to flee, and in the ensuing panic and attempt to subdue her, he strangles her to death}}.
* [[Nightmare Fuel]]: the entire movie looks like {{spoiler|and probably ''is''}} an insane nightmare.
* [[Nightmare Fuel]]: the entire movie looks like {{spoiler|and probably ''is''}} an insane nightmare.
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* [[Psychological Thriller]]
* [[Psychological Thriller]]
* [[Real Is Brown]]: possibly [[Justified Trope|justified]] as the whole movie is a [[Flashback Effects|hypnotic flashback]]; interesting in that it was ''not'' done with [[Camera Tricks]], but by lighting the sets almost only with [[wikipedia:Sodium-vapor lamp|low pressure sodium vapor lamps]].
* [[Real Is Brown]]: possibly [[Justified Trope|justified]] as the whole movie is a [[Flashback Effects|hypnotic flashback]]; interesting in that it was ''not'' done with [[Camera Tricks]], but by lighting the sets almost only with [[wikipedia:Sodium-vapor lamp|low pressure sodium vapor lamps]].
* [[Riddle for The Ages]]: {{spoiler|the identity of the original killer is not revealed}}.
* [[Riddle for the Ages]]: {{spoiler|the identity of the original killer is not revealed}}.
* [[Scenery Gorn]]
* [[Scenery Gorn]]
* [[Sci Fi Ghetto]]: Averted, the [[Criterion Collection]] dvd outs it as a work of [[Science Fiction]].
* [[Sci Fi Ghetto]]: Averted, the [[Criterion Collection]] dvd outs it as a work of [[Science Fiction]].
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[[Category:Films of the 1980s]]
[[Category:Films of the 1980s]]
[[Category:The Element of Crime]]
[[Category:The Element of Crime]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Element of Crime, The}}
[[Category:Film]]

Latest revision as of 01:07, 5 October 2020

The Element of Crime is Lars von Trier's 1984 debut film, a Genre Busting movie, a Science Fiction film as well as a Psychological Thriller with plot and characters typical of Film Noir, but the general atmosphere of a Cyberpunk with a Chance of Rain story, located in immediately post-World War III Europe, with surrealist undertones, and the whole thing filmed in a fashion homaging expressionist movies. The result is one of the gloomiest movies every directed which makes even Blade Runner look bright and optimistic.

It tells the story of detective Fisher, expatriate in Cairo, who undergoes therapeutic hypnosis in order to recall the events of his last case, which left him quite traumatised. The rest of the movie thus consists entirely of a flashback of said events: the search for an elusive child killer, using a controversial profiling method created by his former mentor and described in a book, the titular Element of Crime.

First film of the Europa trilogy.

Tropes used in The Element of Crime include:
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