`Festen,' or `The Celebration' as it is known in the US and UK, is a superb film if you look at it in the right context. Not only is it alternative to typical Hollywood filmmaking in that it is foreign from Denmark and therefore would naturally have its own differences and nuances about it, but that it was shot following a set of standards called the Dogma 95 Rules. In order to fully appreciate `Festen' you must come to understand why these ten rules were set in place and why the director, Thomas Vinterburg, felt it was necessary to film in this precise and odd manner. Otherwise the film may be interpreted as some low-budget independent film with a good plot but highly undeveloped and not entertaining.
The Dogma 95 Rules were set in place to restore truth back into the cinema. Nothing could take place that was not actually happening, so that everything the viewer was witnessing, although it may be a story and fiction, was being played out before them. For example, one of the rules states that the film must not contain superficial action. There are no murders that take place in the film because they would not be taking place in real life. Everything the screen shows you is real and therefore truth in its purest form that a fictional movie can offer. There are no illusions taking place- optical work and filters are forbidden. By doing so there is a sense of aesthetic purity in the film. Shooting must be done on location and temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. Knowing these rules before viewing the film gives you a certain level of respect for what was being done in the film. `Festen' is focused around the characters and the story, and by using these rules it more clearly sharpens and defines them because all the new technology and sensationalism is washed away and you are able to focus on the purer concepts of the film.
`Festen's' biggest fault is that although truth is viewed much clearer through these set of rules, the picture certainly isn't. These rules may seem to draw attention away from the fact that the film looks as though it was shot from a camera bought from Best Buy. It must also be understood that the camera must be hand-held, but any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. In contrast it's strongest advocate may be the rule that states that the director must not be credited. By not having the director credited alienates almost an director who might want to pursue such a radical project as this because he/she would not get a recognition for the film. At the same time it once again focuses on the film itself and not the fact that there was any production or technology involved in the process or making. It simplistically calls attention only to the actors/characters and what is going on in the film, because according to the Dogma 95 Rules nothing else matters. Therefore, in viewing the film within the context of these rules and understanding that the film is attempting to get back to truth and purity makes viewing it and unique and very enjoyable experience.
The Dogma 95 Rules were set in place to restore truth back into the cinema. Nothing could take place that was not actually happening, so that everything the viewer was witnessing, although it may be a story and fiction, was being played out before them. For example, one of the rules states that the film must not contain superficial action. There are no murders that take place in the film because they would not be taking place in real life. Everything the screen shows you is real and therefore truth in its purest form that a fictional movie can offer. There are no illusions taking place- optical work and filters are forbidden. By doing so there is a sense of aesthetic purity in the film. Shooting must be done on location and temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. Knowing these rules before viewing the film gives you a certain level of respect for what was being done in the film. `Festen' is focused around the characters and the story, and by using these rules it more clearly sharpens and defines them because all the new technology and sensationalism is washed away and you are able to focus on the purer concepts of the film.
`Festen's' biggest fault is that although truth is viewed much clearer through these set of rules, the picture certainly isn't. These rules may seem to draw attention away from the fact that the film looks as though it was shot from a camera bought from Best Buy. It must also be understood that the camera must be hand-held, but any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. In contrast it's strongest advocate may be the rule that states that the director must not be credited. By not having the director credited alienates almost an director who might want to pursue such a radical project as this because he/she would not get a recognition for the film. At the same time it once again focuses on the film itself and not the fact that there was any production or technology involved in the process or making. It simplistically calls attention only to the actors/characters and what is going on in the film, because according to the Dogma 95 Rules nothing else matters. Therefore, in viewing the film within the context of these rules and understanding that the film is attempting to get back to truth and purity makes viewing it and unique and very enjoyable experience.