: A grieving couple (played by Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg) retreats to their isolated cabin in the woods, named "Eden," after the tragic death of their infant son. The Struggle
⚠️ Trigger warnings: Graphic violence, genital mutilation, infant death, sexual violence, suicidal imagery. movie antichrist 2009 extra quality
The film is structured as a triptych: Prologue, Chaos, and Epilogue. It opens with one of the most stunning and tragic prologues in cinema history. Shot in luminous black-and-white and accompanied by the aria "Lascia ch'io pianga" by Handel, the sequence depicts a couple (credited only as "He" and "She") making love while their toddler son, Nic, climbs out of his crib and falls to his death from an open window. The aesthetic here is pristine, almost dreamlike, setting a standard of "extra quality" visual composition that persists throughout the film. : A grieving couple (played by Willem Dafoe
: A body double was famously used for Willem Dafoe in sex scenes because the director felt Dafoe's own anatomy would be "too distracting" for the audience. Reception and Controversy It opens with one of the most stunning
One reason for the film's "extra quality" status is the work of cinematographer , who won a European Film Award for his efforts.