The Element of Crime with Michael Elphick: DVD Cover

    The Element of Crime Director: Lars von Trier Cast: Michael Elphick, Esmond Knight, Me Me Lai

    DVD - Wide Screen / Mono Learn more

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    • DVD Release Date: 09/19/2000
    • Original Release: 1984
    • Rating: Not Rated
    • Sales Rank: 7,725

    Viewer Rating: (2 ratings)

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    • Overview
    • Editorial Reviews
    • Scenes
    • Customer Reviews
    • Cast & Crew
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    Features

    Widescreen digital transfer, enhanced for 16x9 televisions; Stig Bjorkman's critically acclaimed 52-minute documentary: "Tranceformer: A Portrait of Lars von Trier" [1997], with optional English subtitles; Trailer; In English with optional subtitles; Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

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    Scene Index

    Side #1 --
    0. Chapters
    1. Cairo [:14]
    2. Osbourne [2:45]
    3. Kramer [5:38]
    4. Lotto Murders [1:53]
    5. The Archives [5:37]
    6. A Beatiful Corpse [3:42]
    7. Who Is Harry Grey? [4:37]
    8. The Tailing Report [:38]
    9. Halberschtad [2:38]
    10. Kim [5:16]
    11. Tunnel of Love [3:26]
    12. Counting [4:59]
    13. Dritten Marsk [:34]
    14. Drifting [3:38]
    15. A Mess [3:55]
    16. Meeting [3:56]
    17. The Dive [5:29]
    18. End Credits [5:45]
    0. Tranceformer: A Portrait of Lars von Tier
    1. From One to Ten [3:05]
    2. Orgins / Europa Trilogy [3:25]
    3. Upbringing [5:23]
    4. Enfant Terrible [3:43]
    5. Evil and Idealism [1:08]
    6. Phobias [6:42]
    7. Breaking the Waves [:12]
    8. A Little Knight [2:53]
    9. A Personal Perestroika [5:12]
    10. Creation and Destruction [1:15]
    11. End Credits [4:53]

    Scene Index

    Editorial Reviews

    A detective plagued by headaches goes to a hypnotist and relives his investigation into a serial killer case in Lars von Trier's first feature, The Element of Crime. Fisher (Michael Elphick), a retired policeman, returns to Europe at the behest of his mentor, Osborne (Esmond Knight of The Red Shoes). Osborne, the author of an influential textbook called The Element of Crime, has given up his investigation into the Lotto Murders, in which a number of lottery ticket salesgirls have been killed and mutilated. The new chief of police, Kramer (former Benny Hill Show regular Jerold Wells), is a trigger-happy lunatic who objects to Fisher's methodical approach to crime solving. Osborne, meanwhile, seemingly losing his grip on reality, insists that the killer, Harry Grey, died in a car crash. Using Osborne's methods, Fisher tries to delve into the mind of Grey by following the path of a trip the killer took three years earlier, while Osborne was investigating him. Along the way, Fisher hooks up with a prostitute, Kim (Me Me Lai), who also has a link to Grey. As he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, Fisher finds himself taking on more and more aspects of the killer's persona. Von Trier uses a traditional film noir style voice-over, while visually, his film is a monochromatic sepia tone with occasional flashes of fluorescent blue. This film brought von Trier international attention, paving the way for his success with Zentropa and The Kingdom. Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

    Customer Reviews

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    • Ratings: 2Reviews: 1

    Element of Crimeby Anonymous

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    July 15, 2003: OUT OF THOUSANDS OF MOVIES ONLY A HANDFULL ARE TRUE MASTERPEICES. THE ELEMENT OF CRIME IS ONE OF THOSE MASTERPEICES. SO FEW MOVIES ARE WELL CRAFTED FROM BEGINNING TO END. THE ELEMENT OF CRIME ACHEIVES ITS GREATNESS FOR ITS DREAM LIKE QUALITY.THE STORY SEEMS ALWAYS SLIGHTLY OUT OF FOCUS DRAWING YOU IN DEEPER AND DEEPER.ITS ONE OF THOSE MOVIES THAT NOT UNTIL ITS OVER DO YOU THINK WOW THAT WAS REALLY STRANGE. THATS WHAT THE ELEMENT OF CRIME IS STRANGE AND DREAMLIKE. THE CINEMATAGRAPHY IS SURREALISTIC. IT ALLWAYS SEEMS TO BE RAINING. THE BAD GUY IS NEVER FOUND BUT WHO CARES. WHAT A WEIRD RIDE. HERE IS MY TOP TEN FILMS. 2001 SPACE ODEYSSEY. THE GRADUATE.THE TIME MACHINE THE ORIGINAL NOT THE AWFULL REMAKE.GROUND HOG DAY. FORBIDDEN PLANET.ENTER THE DRAGON.THE MECHANIC.ITS A WONDERFULL LIFE.THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY. AND THE ELEMENT OF CRIME.