Lars Von Trier and Nazi Weirdness

May 19, 2011 Topic: Globalization Region: Denmark Blog Brand: Jacob Heilbrunn

Lars Von Trier and Nazi Weirdness

Lars Von Trier is the not-so-great Dane. Great Scot! That is what most Europeans must be thinking about the filmmaker's recent remarks about what a swell fellow Hitler—you know, the guy who had a small obsession about wiping out the Jews—must have been. And how much he liked the architecture of Albert Speer, a convicted war criminal.

Kirsten Dunst remonstrated at Cannes that what he said was "really intense." Really stupid, too. What is it with Europe? Somehow the continent is still floundering when it comes to dealing with Jews and Israel. My own guess is that animus towards the Jewish state is what lies behind his odious comments. He delicately referred to Israel as a "pain in the ass"—an observation that might apply more accurately to himself.

Von Trier has now been declared persona non grata at Cannes. Perhaps he will realize that his boorish behavior is no joking matter.