De fem benspænd (2003)

Director:

Jørgen Leth

Writers:

Jørgen Leth (2 segments)
Sophie Destin (poem) (segment "The Perfect Human: Brussels")

Release Date:

7 November 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

About a filmmaker not only revisiting, but also recreating (not in a conventional sense) one of his first films, The Perfect Human / Det perfekte menneske (1967)

Plot Keywords:

Director | Filmmaking | Remake | Experimental Film | Part Animated

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Claus Nissen	...	The Perfect Man - from 'Det perfekte menneske' 1967 (archive footage)
Majken Algren Nielsen	...	The Perfect Woman, from 'Det perfekte menneske' 1967) (archive footage) (as Maiken Algren)
Jørgen Leth	...	Speaker (from "Det perfekte menneske" 1967) / Himself - Director (segments "The Conversations") / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #1 - The Perfect Human: Cuba") / The Perfect Man / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #2 - The Perfect Human: Bombay") / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human: Cartoon") / Jørgen Leth / The Perfect Human / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #5 - The Perfect Human: Avedøre, Denmark") (also archive footage)
Lars von Trier	...	Himself - Obstructor (segments "The Conversations") / Lars von Trier (segment "Obstruction #5 - The Perfect Human: Avedøre, Denmark")
Daniel Hernandez Rodriguez	...	The Perfect Man (segment "Obstruction #1 - The Perfect Human: Cuba")
Jacqueline Arenal	...	The Perfect Woman (segment "Obstruction #1 - The Perfect Human: Cuba")
Vivian Rosa
Alexandra Vandernoot	...	The Perfect Woman (segment "Obstruction #3 - The Perfect Human: Brussels")
Patrick Bauchau	...	The Perfect Man / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #3 - The Perfect Human: Brussels") / Speaker (segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human: Cartoon")
Marie Dejaer	...	Maid (segment "Obstruction #3 - The Perfect Human: Brussels")
Pascal Perez	...	Couple (Man) (segment "Obstruction #3 - The Perfect Human: Brussels")
Meschell Perez	...	Couple (Woman) (segment "Obstruction #3 - The Perfect Human: Brussels")
Bent Christensen	...	Gangster from "Det gode og det onde" 1975 featured in segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human: Cartoon" (archive footage)
Anders Hove	...	Naked Man, from "Notater om kærligheden" 1989 featured in segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human: Cartoon" (archive footage)
Charlotte Sieling	...	Naked Woman - from "Notater om kærligheden" 1989 featured in segment "Obstruction #4 - The Perfect Human: Cartoon" (archive footage)

Also Known As:

Five Obstructions (France)
The Five Obstructions (International: English title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Denmark | Switzerland | Belgium | France

Language:

Danish | English | French | Spanish

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Australia:M | Hungary:14 | Norway:A | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:Unrated | Argentina:13

Company:

Almaz Film Productions S.A.

Trivia:

During one of the conversation segments in the documentary Lars von Trier and Jørgen Leth agree that Leth will receive full credit for the fifth and final Obstruction entitled "The Perfect Human: Avedøre, Denmark" despite not directing it, and that Trier will receive none, although he will direct it. This, apparently, is within the rules of the game played out by the two directors during the documentary, and serves as an inside joke.

Movie Connections:

References Le genou de Claire (1970)

Lars; Forever The Enigma

Lars Von Trier instigated this endlessly fascinating cinema experiment with fellow Danish filmmaker, and mentor/hero; Jorgen Leth. Trier challenged Leth to remake his 1967 short film "The Perfect Human" five different times, each time with a different set of obstructions or conditions. The obstructions range from technical to philosophical, and are sometimes plucked out at random by Trier in direct response to Leth's actions or words, during their many whimsical, very funny, nebulous exchanges. The most diabolical condition Trier concocts is of coarse that Leth has no conditions, which places all the potential blame, guilt, pressure, and creative insecurity totally back on Leth himself. Nothing though seems to get the better of Leth, and Trier appears to be frustrated and bemused every time Leth brings back a good film, of which we get to see the process and clips of the end creation. Trier states he wants to "banalize," Leth and each time hopes Leth will fail and return with a bad film, but Leth never does. Each reworking of The Perfect Human (1967) is an interesting and often poetic creation (at least the snippets that we get to see). One version is even animated by Bob Sabiston; the guy responsible for the great rotoscopish, brightly colored animation process and design in Waking Life (2001) and A Scanner Darkly (2005). It's hard to decipher Trier's true nature; at times he seems playful and at others, deadly serious. His intentions are (deliberately?) obscure. Is it all just a friendly game of chess or full on metaphysical warfare? This uncertainty and the sheer novelty of seeing Lars Von Trier and Jorgen Leth toy with each other on screen makes for a great shifty-eyed, quasi-exploratory, neo-deadpan, pseudo-straight-laced, doc-o-comedy, mock-drama.