When one thinks ofthe best countries for cinema, Denmark does not immediately leap to mind.
Going back even further, Danish cinema was actually the leading country in Europe for film in the 1910s.
All this means that contemporary Danish filmmakers have a rich cinematic tradition to draw on.
Image via Nordisk Filmn
These are the best movies the country has to offer, as ranked by the site’s users.
Jan becomes paralyzed in an accident, and encourages his wife to have sex with other men.
Breaking the Wavesreceived rave reviews on release, particularly for Watson’s beautiful, heartbreaking performance.
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
It brought director Lars von Trier to international attention, and remains his most beloved movie.
Visually, everything looks raw and low-res, but this is by design.
DirectorMartin Zandvlietdeftly combines psychological drama with knife-edge suspense.
There are moments of high tension, like when the prisoners defuse live bombs by hand.
There’s another fantastic scene where they venture out onto an uncleared beach to rescue a young Danish girl.
Ultimately, the movie succeeds because it resists easy answers.
All the characters here are realistic and morally gray.
They are also capable of change, with both the POWs and their overseers being altered by the experience.
He uses his charges for labor and subjects them to frequent beatings to keep them in line.
However, in Elmer and Erik, Heck may have found two children whose spirits he cannot break.
They use their vivid imaginations to cope with their situation and begin plotting a daring escape.
The Day Will Comeis heavy going, all the more so since it’s based on a true story.
Nevertheless, it is a great recreation of 1960s Denmark and the performances are stellar across the board.
Mikkelsen, in particular, is fantastically loathsome.
You don’t need subtitles to understand how great these foreign films are.
Image via Nordisk Film
He also discusses his strained relationship with his boyfriendKasperin the present day.
The movie consists of interviews with Nawabi and animated recreations of his memories, interspersed with archival footage.
Be sure to watch the English dub, which features great narration byRiz AhmedandNikolaj Coster-Waldau.
She hopes to raise enough money to pay for an operation that will spare him from her own fate.
Selma escapes her harsh reality by immersing herself in a vivid, musical daydream world.
However, a deadly accident threatens to throw her life into turmoil.
Once again, von Trier pairs moral drama (at times verging on horror) with experimental elements.
The music, mostly written by Bjork herself, is fittingly intense and gorgeous.
Not for nothing,Dancer in the Darkearned von Trier the Palme d’Or.
Image via Neon
Dogvilleis boldly avant-garde and grand in scope, clocking in at a whopping three hours long.
Endlessly allegorical, the movie critiques power dynamics, false morality and human cruelty.
Depending on your point of view,it’s either a masterpieceor an extended exercise in navel-gazing.
Its devotees includeQuentin TarantinoandDenis Villeneuve.
During the toast, Helge’s eldest son Christian (Ulrich Thomsen) makes a shock announcement.
He alleges that his father sexually abused both him and Linda as children.
Image via Angel Films
The rest of the movie deals with the fallout of this accusation.
It’s quintessential Dogme, emphasizing raw, naturalistic storytelling and characterization over effects or technical wizardry.
Both farcical and deathly serious, it’s one of the best black comedies of the 1990s.
Image via Nordisk Film
Her mother is saved from the stake by the elderly pastor, Reverend Absalon Pederssn (Thorkild Roose).
In return, he is given Anne’s hand in marriage.
However, transgressing the village’s strict moral code is a dangerous business.
Day of Wrathwas directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, the godfather of Danish cinema.
Like most of his work,it features atmospheric cinematography, intense performances, and moral dilemmas.
Here, he examines themes of guilt, repression and religious zealotry.
Image via Scanbox Denmark
Some have even interpreted the film as a metaphor for the Nazi occupation of Denmark.
Although not acclaimed on release,Day of Wrathis now considered a classic.
It’s one of the few moviesto hold a 100% ratingon Rotten Tomatoes.
Image via Janus Films
The average modern movie comprises over 1000 shots;Ordethas just 114.
It makes for challenging but rewarding viewing, with plenty to say about belief, rebellion and love.
This triggers a chain reaction of suspicion and hostility from the community.
Image via Janus Films
The Huntis a moral horror about the impact of a lie on a good man.
Here, director Thomas Vinterberg lets us know from the beginning that Lucas isn’t guilty.
This makes the movie all the more chilling.
A teacher lives a lonely life, all the while struggling over his son’s custody. His life slowly gets better as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but his new luck is about to be brutally shattered by an innocent little lie.
A teacher lives a lonely life, all the while struggling over his son’s custody.
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