Don’t get us wrong, not all the sex scenes in Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist” are awful. In fact, the opening scene is so beautifully shot and emotionally intense that some have crowned it one of the best sex scenes in cinema. However, one nude scene from “Antichrist” crosses the line.
Near the end of the movie, the nameless character played by Charlotte Gainsbourg undergoes a startling transformation. No longer is she a broken mother grieving her lost son; instead she has become like an animal. However, it’s ambiguous whether it’s because her grief (and her husband’s lack of empathy for it) has pushed her over the edge or she has been corrupted by some kind of ancient and powerful evil.
While having sex with her husband (Willem Dafoe), Gainsbourg’s character suddenly becomes hysterical, accusing him of not loving her anymore. Then she hits her husband in the crotch with a piece of firewood, instantly castrating him. Afterward, she falls to the ground, seemingly horrified at what she’s done. But nope, a moment later she is stroking his penis again. We’ll spare you the disturbing details, but let’s just say it only gets bloodier from there.
This scene marks the moment when the terror of existential dread morphs into revolting, gross-out horror. Knowing that the greatest strengths of this horror movie lie in its ability to get under your skin without relying on jump scares or bloody kills, this violent sex scene is where the movie falls apart.
