Festen, a reaction by Robbie Vacik
     Thomas Vinterberg took the first step in applying the ideas of Dogme95 to a large audience. His film about a family gathering where a man reveals his father's transgressions not only employs the technical elements of Dogme, but also the psychological tone that other films would model. There is a great deal to think about when considering the film. The film's decadent environment is interesting in that is captured through a simple hand-held camera. The acting is well-executed, but is raw and real at the same time.
     What I found to be the most striking moment of the film comes when the central character, Christian, stands up at his father's 60th birthday party to expose his father's secret: that he had molested Christian and his twin sister, who had recently committed suicide because of her childhood trauma. While this kind of incendiary statement should cause a great stir and outrage among those present at the party, it does not. There is a muted moment, but it seems that the guests are more concerned with figuring out how to sustain the party's vibrance in the midst of such a heavy revelation. I was waiting for the scene to explode. When would the guests stand up in outrage, feeling ashamed they had been gathered for the sake of a man who had abused his own children and concealed it for so long?
     It is only through several more efforts by Christian that the party begins to descend into a state of disruption. At first it seemed unusual to me, but then I had to reconsider. Is the behavior of the dinner guests that inconsistent with what we witness everyday? Are humans as quick to have their complacency disrupted as we would like to think? These were questions that the movie forced me to confront. Perhaps we have all had that moment where our concern is with restoring a level of comfort, rather than facing difficult truths that are laid bare before us. Festen takes that moment and makes it a launching point for a severe drama that challenges the viewers comfort level in profound ways.