Breaking the Waves (1996) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

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Bess falls madly in love with Jan, an oil-rig worker, and against the wishes of the strict Calvinist elders of her community, she marries this outsider. When Jan returns to the oil-rig, Bess misses him terribly and prays fervently to God to bring him home. Shortly thereafter, Jan is injured in an accident that leaves him paralyzed. Knowing that he will never walk again and devastated that his beautiful, young wife will never make love with him again, Jan misleads Bess by convincing her he can only survive if she takes a lover. Because she is so pure, Bess does what she believes she must in the hope of keeping him alive and soon finds herself in a complicated spiral of love, community and tragedy.

Cast & Crew

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Lars Von Trier

Emily Watson

Stellan Skarsgård

Katrin Cartlidge

Jean-marc Barr

Udo Kier

Man On The Trawler

Film Details

Also Known As

Rompiendo las olas

MPAA Rating

Genre

Drama

Foreign

Period

Romance

Release Date

1996

Production Company

Argus Film Produktie; Christa Saredi World Sales; Cobo Fund; Corbett & Keene; Danish Broadcasting Corporation; Danish Film Institute (Dfi); Det Danske Filmstudie; Eclair Group; Eurimages; European Script Fund; Ex Camera; Film Finances, Inc.; Finnish Film Foundation; Icelandic Film Corporation; Jens Georg Hansen; La Sept Cinema; Lange-Moller Catering Aps; Liberator Productions; Lucky Red; Mainstream Productions; Manipulation; Media Investment Club; Netherlands Film Fund; Nordic Film & TV Fond; Northern Lights A/S Productions; Norwegian Film Institute (Nfi); October Films; Scale/Strategics; Sedgwick A/S; StudioCanal; Sveriges Television (Svt); Swedish Film Institute; Swedish Television Drama; Trust Film Sales; Tv 1000; Villealfa Filmproductions Oy; Vpro; Yle - Finnish Broadcasting Company; Zdf/Arte; Zentropa Entertainment

Distribution Company

October Films; Alternative Films; Argus Entertainment; Evergreen Entertainment; Foxguild; Golem Distribution; Les Films Du Losange; Lucky Red; Monopole Pathe Films Ag; Monopole Pathe Films Ag; October Films; Pandora Film Produktion; Triangelfilm; Triangle Entertainment

Location

New Hebrides Islands; Denmark; Isle of Skye, Scotland, United Kingdom

Technical Specs

Duration

2h 36m

Synopsis

A powerful story, set in a remote Scottish village in the early 1970s, about a unique young woman and her profound experience of love and devotion. Bess falls madly in love with Jan, an oil-rig worker, and against the wishes of the strict Calvinist elders of her community, she marries this outsider. Jan is captivated by the innocence radiated by his new bride and for a brief time they have an intensely happy, passionate life together. When Jan returns to the oil-rig, Bess misses him terribly and prays fervently to God to bring him home. Shortly thereafter, Jan is injured in an accident that leaves him paralyzed. Knowing that he will never walk again and devastated that his beautiful, young wife will never make love with him again, Jan misleads Bess by convincing her he can only survive if she takes a lover. Because she is so pure, Bess does what she believes she must in the hope of keeping him alive and soon finds herself in a complicated spiral of love, community and tragedy...

Directors

Lars Von Trier

Kristoffer Nyholm

Cast

Emily Watson

Stellan Skarsgård

Katrin Cartlidge

Jean-marc Barr

Udo Kier

Man On The Trawler

Adrian Rawlins

Doctor Richardson

Jonathan Hackett

Sandra Voe

Mikkel Gaup

Roef Ragas

Phil Mccall

Robert Robertson

Desmond Reilly

Sarah Grudgeon

Finlay Welsh

David Gallacher

Ray Jeffries

Owen Kavanagh

Man At Lighthouse

Bob Dogherty

David Bateson

Callum Cuthbertson

Gavin Mitchell

Police Officer No 1

Brian Smith

Police Officer No 2

Iain Agnew

Praying Man No 1

Charles Kearney

Praying Man No 2

Steven Leach

Praying Man No 3

Dorte Romer

Anthony O'donnell

John Wark

Ronnie Mckellaig

Christian Steenstrup

Jonathon Hackett

Crew

Dag Alveberg

Co-Producer (Nordic Film & Television Fund)

Kristian Eidnes Andersen

Supervising Sound Editor

Lars Kolding Andersen

Special Effects (Scotland)

Poul Erik Andersen

Ian Anderson

Song ("Cross Eyed Mary")

Johan Ankersjerne

Laboratory (Laborator)

Anna Anthony

Assistant (To Lars Jonsson)

Jonas Alexander Arnby

Property Assistant

Morten Arnfred

1st Assistant Director

Peter Asmussen

Johann Sebastian Bach

Music Composer ("Siciliana-Sonata Bwv 1031/2nd Movement")

Klas Baggstrom

Sound Recording (2nd Unit)

Eric Bell

Song Composer ("Whisky In The Jar")

Peter Bensted

Post Syncing ("Ugly Man")

Ritchie Blackmore

Song Composer ("Child In Time")

Philippe Bober

Birger Bohn

Marc Bolan

Song ("Hot Love")

Dorota Boroska

Make-Up Assistant

David Bowie

Song Performer ("Life On Mars" (Theatrical Version))

David Bowie

Douglas Brand

Gary Brooker

Song ("Whiter Shade Of Pale")

Stephen Burt

Runner (Scotland)

Soren Buus

Visual Editor (Chapter And End Sequence)

Anne Campbell

Extras Casting (Scotland)

Lars Christensen

Recording Engineer ("Siciliana-Sonata Bwv 1031/2nd Movement")

Leonard Cohen

Song Performer ("Suzanne")

Morten Constantineanu Bak

Graphic Designer

Ulrik Corlin

Song Performer ("Blowin' In The Wind"), Song Performer And Arranger ("Gay Gordons" Scotland The Brave" "Barren Rock Of Aden")

Morgens Craner

Louise Cross

Assistant (To Joyce Nettles)

Linda Daae

Niels Valentin Dal

Visual Editor (Chapter And End Sequence)

Binkie Darling

Costumer (Scotland)

Yann Dedet

Anthony Dod Mantle

Location Scouting (Scotland)

Brian Downey

Song Composer ("Whisky In The Jar")

Patrick Dreyfus

Colorgrading On Video

Bob Dylan

Song ("Blowin' In The Wind")

Tony English

Leif Barney Fick

Olivier Fontenay

Colorgrading On Film

Terry Forrestal

Stunt Coordinator (Scotland)

Bengt Forslund

Co-Producer (Nordic Film & Television Fund)

Charlotte Giannetta

Ian Gillan

Song Composer ("Child In Time")

Tomas Gislason

Script Consultant

Roger Glover

Song Composer ("Child In Time")

John Goodwin

Eva Gottrup

Peter Grant

Property Master

Peter Grant

Property Master

Simone Grau Larsen

Property Master

Sanne Gravfort

Tine Grew Pfieffer

Production Assistant

Tine Grew Pfieffer

Post-Production Assistant

Anne-maris Gudnitz

Costume Assistant

Christel Hammer

Jens Georg Hansen

Insurance Services Provider (Sedgwick A/S)

Niklas Hansen

Steen Lyders Hansen

Visual Editor (Chapter And End Sequence)

Jan Harboe

Song Performer ("Blowin' In The Wind"), Song Performer And Arranger ("Gay Gordons" "Scotland The Brave" "Barren Rock Of Aden")

Tom Harboe

Scottish Music Consultant

Tom Harboe

Song Performer ("Blowin' In The Wind"), Song Performer And Arranger ("Gay Gordons" "Scotland The Brave" "Barren Rock Of Aden")

P Harmann

Song Composer ("Happy Landing")

Else Hartzberg

Folkdance Consultant

Rie Hedegaard

Casting (Denmark)

Per Heegaard

Photographer/Rigshosputalet

Rasmus Heisterberg

Axel Helgeland

Thomas Helm

Camera Assistant

Joachim Holbek

Music Arranger And Orchestrater; Music Arranger ("Siciliana-Sonata Bwv 1031/2nd Movement")

Casper Holm

Production Assistant

Steve Holtson

Ian Hunter

Music Composer ("All The Way From Memphis")

Ian Hunter

Lars J÷nsson

Executive Producer

Morten Jacobsen

Special Makeup & Surgical Effects

Peter Aalbaek Jensen

Marianne Jerris

Negative Cutter

Anders Johannes

Assistant Editor

Elton John

Elton John

Song Performer ("Love Lies Bleeding" "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"), Song Performer ("Your Song")

Henrik Jongdal

Henrik Jongdal

Jennifer Jorfald

Simon Towler Jorfald

Post Syncing ("Boy In Film")

Leo Jorgart

Construction Manager

Karl Juliusson

Tove Jystrup

Post-Production Supervisor

Frederik Kihl

Per Kirkeby

Visual Digital Artist (Chapter And End Sequence)

Morten Kleener

Location Manager

John Knight

Additional Property (Scotland)

Peter Ovig Knudsen

Location Scouting (Scotland)

Rolf Konow

Stills Photographer

Eric Kress

Photographer (2nd Unit)

Jorgen Krogh

Rob Langestraat

Jorgen Ljungdalh

Assistance (Danish Film Institute)

Jon Lord

Song Composer ("Child In Time")

Phil Lynott

Song Composer ("Whisky In The Jar")

Per Lysander

Assistance (Swedish Film Institute)

Alistair Macgregor

Building Construction (Scotland)

Christina Mackay

Church Consultant

Christine Maclean

Production Consultant (Scotland)

Peter Roderick Macleod

Song Performer ("Pipe Major Donald Maclean")

Peter Roderick Macleod

Elspeth Macnaughton

Nanny Mainland-hansen

Production Assistant

Mini Mandal

Props Seamstress

Damien Maurel

Digital Video Consultant

Jean-paul Meurice

Camera Operator

Soren Johannes Meyer

Leif Mohlin

Production Manager

Hans Moller

Dialogue Editor

Robby Muller

Director Of Photography

Carl-ulrik Munch Andersen

Julien Nardin

Joyce Nettles

Lene Nielsen

Unit Production Manager

Ghita Norrekjaer

Production Accounts

Kristoffer Nyholm

Director (2nd Unit)

Nynne Oldenburg

Production Assistant (Paris)

Ian Paice

Song Composer ("Child In Time")

Hanne Palmquist

Charlotte Pedersen

Assistant (To The Producers)

Rene Pejl

David Pirie

Christopher Porter

Peter Raeburn

Assistant (To Ray Williams (Pollyanna Music Ltd))

Kirsten Bonnen Rask

Script Consultant

Manon Rasmussen

Costume Designer

Ricki Rasmussen

Runner (Scotland)

Anders Refn

Keith Reid

Song ("Whiter Shade Of Pale")

Niels Reierman

Janet Riddoch

Location Manager (Scotland)

William Ryan

Peter Schultz

Nynne Selin

Public Relations Assistant

Soren Simonsen

Torben Skallebaek

Per Fredrik Skiold

Camera Assistant

Brigitte Skov

Ann Koj Slemming

Production Accounts

Marianne Slot

Otto Stenov

Gaffer (Special Effects Crew)

Rod Stewart

Song Performer ("In A Broken Dream")

Ad Stoop

Per Streit

Sound Designer And Recording Mixer

Gunnar Svensrud

Assistance (Norwegian Film Institute)

Jonathan Sydenham

Script Translation

Ruth Tarko

Additional Casting

Bernie Taupin

Song Composer ("Love Lies Bleeding" "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road")

Mads Thomsen

Pim Tjujerman

Oddvar Bull Tuhus

Assistance (Norwegian Film Institute)

Jethro Tull

Song Performer ("Cross Eyed Mary")

Dr Tv

Peter Van Vogelpoel

Charlotte Vinther

Ann Vognsen

Production Accounts

Anse Vognsen

Lars Von Trier

Mark Warrick

Music Producer (Pollyanna Music Ltd)

Frank Weinberger

Jan Weincke

Photographer (Special Effects Crew)

Glenn Weinhold

Runner (Scotland)

Grethe Wejlgaard

Medical Consultant

Thomas Westi

David Wilder

Ray Williams

Executive Music Producer; Executive Music Producer (Pollyanna Music Ltd)

Vibeke Windel°v

Rasmus With

Property Assistant

Lars Wodschow

Morten Ziersen

Film Details

Also Known As

Rompiendo las olas

MPAA Rating

Genre

Drama

Foreign

Period

Romance

Release Date

1996

Production Company

Argus Film Produktie; Christa Saredi World Sales; Cobo Fund; Corbett & Keene; Danish Broadcasting Corporation; Danish Film Institute (Dfi); Det Danske Filmstudie; Eclair Group; Eurimages; European Script Fund; Ex Camera; Film Finances, Inc.; Finnish Film Foundation; Icelandic Film Corporation; Jens Georg Hansen; La Sept Cinema; Lange-Moller Catering Aps; Liberator Productions; Lucky Red; Mainstream Productions; Manipulation; Media Investment Club; Netherlands Film Fund; Nordic Film & TV Fond; Northern Lights A/S Productions; Norwegian Film Institute (Nfi); October Films; Scale/Strategics; Sedgwick A/S; StudioCanal; Sveriges Television (Svt); Swedish Film Institute; Swedish Television Drama; Trust Film Sales; Tv 1000; Villealfa Filmproductions Oy; Vpro; Yle - Finnish Broadcasting Company; Zdf/Arte; Zentropa Entertainment

Distribution Company

October Films; Alternative Films; Argus Entertainment; Evergreen Entertainment; Foxguild; Golem Distribution; Les Films Du Losange; Lucky Red; Monopole Pathe Films Ag; Monopole Pathe Films Ag; October Films; Pandora Film Produktion; Triangelfilm; Triangle Entertainment

Location

New Hebrides Islands; Denmark; Isle of Skye, Scotland, United Kingdom

Technical Specs

Duration

2h 36m

Award Nominations

Best Actress

1996

Emily Watson

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Winner of the 1996 awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Emily Watson), and Best Cinematography from the National Board of Review. Robby Muller was also cited for his cinematography on Jim Jarmusch's "Dead Man" (USA/Germany/Japan/1995).

Winner of the 1996 Golden Satellite Award for Best Foreign Language Film from the International Press Academy.

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.

Released in United States Fall November 13, 1996

Expanded Release in United States November 22, 1996

Expanded Release in United States November 27, 1996

Expanded Release in United States December 20, 1996

Expanded Release in United States December 27, 1996

Released in United States on Video May 13, 1997

Released in United States 1996

Released in United States August 1996

Released in United States September 1996

Released in United States October 1996

Released in United States August 1997

Released in United States September 2007

Shown at Montreal World Film Festival (Hors Concours) August 22 - September 2, 1996.

Shown at New York Film Festival September 27 - October 13, 1996.

Shown at Drambuie Edinburgh Film Festival August 11-25, 1996.

Shown at Boston Film Festival September 6-19, 1996.

Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival October 4-9, 1996.

Shown at Mill Valley Film Festival October 3-13, 1996.

Shown at Chicago International Film Festival October 10-20, 1996.

Shown at Brisbane International Film Festival in Australia August 1-10, 1997.

Shown at San Sebastian International Film Festival (Thematic Retrospective. Cold Fever) September 20-29, 2007.

The first English-language film for acclaimed Danish director Lars von Trier.

Emily Watson received the 1996 award for Best Actress from the New York Film Critics Circle. Lars von Trier was also cited for Best Director and Robby Muller received the Best Cinematography award for his work on "Breaking the Waves" (Denmark/Norway/Sweden/France/1996) and "Dead Man" (USA/Germany/Japan/1995).

Emily Watson received the 1996 New Generation Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Completed shooting October 20, 1995.

Began shooting August 7, 1995.

Released in United States Fall November 13, 1996 (NY)

Expanded Release in United States November 22, 1996

Expanded Release in United States November 27, 1996

Expanded Release in United States December 20, 1996

Expanded Release in United States December 27, 1996

Released in United States on Video May 13, 1997

Released in United States 1996 (Shown at Montreal World Film Festival (Hors Concours) August 22 - September 2, 1996.)

Released in United States 1996 (Shown at New York Film Festival September 27 - October 13, 1996.)

Released in United States 1996 (Shown at Telluride Film Festival August 30 - September 2, 1996.)

Released in United States August 1996 (Shown at Drambuie Edinburgh Film Festival August 11-25, 1996.)

Released in United States September 1996 (Shown at Boston Film Festival September 6-19, 1996.)

Released in United States October 1996 (Shown at AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival October 18-31, 1996.)

Released in United States October 1996 (Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival October 4-9, 1996.)

Released in United States October 1996 (Shown at Mill Valley Film Festival October 3-13, 1996.)

Winner of 1996 Felix award for European Actress of the Year and the FIPRESCI Critics prize from the European Film Academy.

Released in United States September 2007 (Shown at San Sebastian International Film Festival (Thematic Retrospective. Cold Fever) September 20-29, 2007.)

Released in United States August 1997 (Shown at Brisbane International Film Festival in Australia August 1-10, 1997.)

Released in United States October 1996 (Shown at Chicago International Film Festival October 10-20, 1996.)

Winner of 1996 Cesar Award for Best Foreign Film.

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