Breaking the Waves tackles love, sex and death

Two of the greatest distractions-pardon me, attractions-that Oberlin has to offer its students are the Oberlin Film Series and the Independent Film Series. Although the difference between the two eludes many a first-year, suffice it to say that both groups are dedicated to bringing to the Oberlin campus a narrow variety of alternative films that would not otherwise be available to its students. One of these shining cinematic stars is Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves, which honors OC this Saturday night at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. in Kettering.

Contrary to popular belief, Breaking the Waves is not just another lovey-dovey drama. It's a movie about love, faith, miracles, and insanity, and, for the hormone-crazed and "action"-starved, it's about sex too. Bess, the heroine, invites the audience to peep into her life story, escorting them through her struggle to uphold faith in God and husband. One also witnesses the exact point at which the process of proving her love trespasses the boundaries that traditionally define good and evil.

Much of the film's beauty flows from watching faith in action, in defiance of both appearance and reality, upheld to the death-a kind of faith absolutely inconceivable to normal human beings. In order to enhance coherency, Von Trier painstakingly binds the chapters of Bess's story with inspirational interludes of song and cinematography.

Very rarely can an independent film of any genre overcome the obstacles faced by Breaking the Waves. Some may find the Scottish accents difficult to wade through. Beyond that, the start times should indicate that only the fittest survive this marathon of a movie; 160 minutes can intimidate even the most passionate of film goers. Another annoyance involves a camera style reminiscent of granddad's old home videos. Those highly susceptible to seasickness be forewarned.

So, is the movie good or bad? Well, it's worth seeing. In spite of the obvious drawbacks, Breaking the Waves spurs a few laughs, a tear or two, and more thoughts than can be mulled over during one round of 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall. That's more than can be said for many a blockbuster, and for the price of $1, it's a hell of a deal. Therefore, go out with joy, do something new Saturday night, and expand your mind in the bargain.

Breaking the Waves shows this Saturday, Sept. 6 in Kettering at 7 and 10 p.m. Admission is $1.