I was watching this movie the other day and had a panic attack. Quite severe I would say. Took me almost 48 hours to shake it off. Well, maybe I was too tired, but when Jan was laying on his bed in hospital when Bess visited him and Jan told her to wear something more lose, I felt so horrible I couldn't continue to watch, I immediately went to bed, but couldn't sleep. Pretty intense experience. Not sure if it has to do with the movie a lot, but just a fact...
sharethat's probably the weirdest thing i've read here on imdb
shareI actually don't think it's that weird. Lars von Trier's films inspire oftentimes very violent reactions in viewers. I still remember my mom and sister calling me--in violent sobs--after watching _Dancer in the Dark_ on my recommendation. They were genuinely angry with me for telling them to watch it.
All I can say to the OP is that it's probably a good thing that you stopped watching it when you did. The movie only spirals downward after that point; while I love the film, it is excruciatingly painful to watch.
Wow, I didn't know that. I usually don't have too much problem disconnecting from the movie if I get to involved. Maybe Lynch movies manage to completely suck me in. Anyhow, when I looked up my symptoms, I found that it was existential panic attack, when person is extremely aware of his mortality. I guess those somewhat gloomy thoughts I was pondering earlier that day may have been enhanced by extremely sad story and projected them on my own life.
It's not that I was sad... I enjoyed the movie very much, was sober and in quite a good mood. Than I suddenly became very much frightened, and the worst part I couldn't find the reason why, and what was even scarier, I stopped believing in reality for some time.
It's been more than a month since, and I can tell I'm still not 100%. Not sure if I ever will be.
I talked to my psychologist about that and she wasn't surprised at all. She said the director suffers from phobias, anxiety and she avoids watching his movies. Who knows, maybe I caught some weird subliminal message... Maybe sometime in the future I'll gather enough courage to finish the movie.
shareWhile von Trier is exorcising his demons through his films, it seems to me that your psychologist is suffering from a Lars von Trier phobia. Avoidance is a sign of denial and repression.
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kind of glad that i read this. i JUST finished watching the damn thing, and i feel very very weird. i'm either emotionally overloaded or emotionally numb. this was a confusing experience. i think i'll have to avoid this dude.
Balehead. Skarsgirl.
I couldn't sleep either, after watching this movie. I felt very depressed, so I took a half Valium to sleep. Then I woke up with blood in my left ear, and blood on my right thumb. It's a very disturbing movie.
shareI am glad I read these comments, I had enough depression after watching Grave of the Fireflies, don't need another depressing movie for the rest of my life, actually.
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Movies are supposed to have an impact -- the good ones at least -- so it's not surprising that you had a reaction. A good movie will draw you into the story, almost making you a character/observer. There are plenty of movies that have made my either hyper or depressed when watching them.
I had a horrible reaction to the film The Green Mile. I'll never be able to listen to Heaven, I'm in Heaven by Fred Astaire without bursting into tears. I was appalled by the depths of inhumanity in the film.
I do not want to offend any of you, because I know that a panic attack is always a very disturbing experience.
But it's also very interesting, because you remind me of Bess herself and something that von Trier is criticising in his film: You seem to think that something must be wrong with you, because you intensely feel something. But like the doctor told Bess, your reaction seems completely adequate to me. Like macktan894 said: If it's a good movie, it's supposed to make you feel something (and if you believe Aristoteles, that should be the goal of any art). However unpleasant that is.
It's sad that most western cultures try to supress any kind of negative emotions. There is just no room for that in our world, where everybody is moving fast and happy all the time. But believing that is denying our own human nature. And I personally believe, that this will lead to even more problems.
I'm not a therapist, but I definetely would recommend you to watch this movie again. Not just because avoidance is generally making anxiety worse, but because if you let it, this movie is not only going to make you scared, sad and angry. It might also make you happy in a scene or two. And in the end, maybe you will have the feeling that it was unpleasant at times, but it all made kinda sense. So it's a lot like life itself.
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I've had panic attacks in certain movies. But this was somewhat a pleasant experience. I thought it was light compared to Trier's other stuff, but also full of beauty and life.
I'd also HIGHLY RECOMMEND you watch it bc the ending is beautiful and will help you. It's a very uplifting film. Don't you ever ask the question...what if my lover just lost a limb or was paralyzed, would I still love them? Bess is a beautiful crazy person. A person that I can't tell if she's insane, or an angel. The fact that I don't know, makes me love this movie.
No offense to anyone, but I think all of you have anxsiety problems, and movies like this only awakes the attacks.
I have also a minor anxsiety, not strong, so i don't need any meditations, and cold water and deep breating usually helps, but I know where you are...
Von Trier himself has very suvere anxsiety, so I can feal his struggle in his movies to. But somehow wathing his films actually maked some kind of catharsis to me, so they actually lift me up somehow. Hard to explain, but if I'm depressed or have some dark thoughts, watching his movies actually destroys this melancholia, in me...
Sory for bad english spelling, I'm not from english speaking conutry.
God, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or take all this seriously. A panic attack? Really? Either you have some high anxiety or issues or you live in a bubble and the first sight of trauma or violence provokes you. I have seen many Von Trier films, and yes, they are shocking, disturbing, whatever you wanna call them, but I have never experienced something like a panic attack or running short of breath over a movie, and Breaking the waves is not even that bad. What's in it that is so shocking? Nudity? A woman crying? There's not even that much violence. A 'severe panic attack'? There's people for everything I suppose.
sharePanic attacks are extremely unpleasant, you actually think your are dying when they happen - shame on you winonaforever2 for trivialising something you obviously know nothing about.
Nobody gonna sleep here