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https://scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2146177/cannes-100-walk-out-lars-von-triers-gruesome-house-jack-built
World/ Europe

At Cannes, 100 walk out of Lars von Trier’s gruesome ‘The House That Jack Built’. Those who stay give it a standing ovation

Serial killer epic starring Matt Dillon was described as ‘vile’

Serial killer epic starring Matt Dillon was described as ‘vile’

Lars von Trier has never shied away from controversy, and his new film certainly delivered it: The House That Jack Built earned the highest level of ire and disgust seen at Cannes Film Festival this year.

In the gruesome film, which the Danish director has called his most violent film to date, Matt Dillon stars as Jack, a serial killer with more than 60 deaths to his name. Dillon’s murderer relishes bloodshed and plots increasingly horrifying ways to inflict death. And while his character espouses equal interest in killing men and women, it’s von Trier’s female characters who are slaughtered with the most gusto.

“Will you sleep tonight?” the woman next to this reporter asked as credits rolled.

Director Lars von Trier arrives for the screening of “The House that Jack Built” in Cannes. Photo: Reuters
Director Lars von Trier arrives for the screening of “The House that Jack Built” in Cannes. Photo: Reuters
Neither Uma Thurman, who is murdered first in the film, nor Riley Keough, whose stomach-churning death prompted more than a dozen walkouts, came to Cannes to promote the film or walk the red carpet. And unlike many other films here, von Trier won’t be holding a news conference for his film.
Monday night’s premiere marks von Trier’s first trip back to Cannes since he debuted Melancholia in 2011. The director was banned in the following years after joking about “sympathising with Hitler” (who is referenced in his latest work).
Uma Thurman and Matt Dillon in The House that Jack Built. Photo: Zentropa
Uma Thurman and Matt Dillon in The House that Jack Built. Photo: Zentropa

Variety’s Ramin Setoodah called Jack “one of the most unpleasant movie-going experiences of my life.” He counted more than 100 people walking out of the film.

Showbiz 411’s Roger Friedman was one of the walkouts, calling The House That Jack Built a “ vile movie. Should not have been made. Actors culpable.”

Al Jazeera reporter Charlie Angela also left midway, “because seeing children being shot and killed is not art or entertainment,” she wrote on Twitter.

New York magazine’s Kyle Buchanan observed crowd reaction to the depths of violence depicted on screen.

“Talked to someone who walked out of the Lars von Trier film at Cannes: ‘He mutilates Riley Keough, he mutilates children … and we are all there in formal dress expected to watch it?’”

The Cannes crowd at the gala who remained, however, gave the film a rousing standing ovation.