Breaking the Waves

About Breaking the Waves

In a small, conservative Scottish village, an oilman is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when he urges her to have sex with another.

Breaking the Waves (1996) is a romance film directed by Lars von Trier. It runs 159 minutes and was released in July 1996.

The film is filed under audacious, dying and death, church, and priest.

Emily Watson appears as Bess McNeill, Stellan Skarsgård as Jan Nyman, Katrin Cartlidge as Dodo McNeill, and Jean-Marc Barr as Terry. The screenplay is by Lars von Trier. It comes from SVT Drama, YLE, and Zentropa Entertainments. In the United States it streams on MUBI and MUBI Amazon Channel.

First Reformed, East Is East, and A Clockwork Orange make useful companions to Breaking the Waves, all filed under faith and god. TMDB voters put it at 7.5 out of 10 across 1,156 votes and it carries a R rating.