I see a lot of reviews here talking about this film as "anti American"... I'm not sure whether this refers to something that von Trier said in an interview somewhere (and we all know how reliable he can be...), but for me I thought that the American setting was just coincidence. Or convenient, given the gangster theme?
However, one - and definitely not the only - reading of this though puts Kidman as Christ, and Caan as God, and the whole film as an allegory of his/her treatment at the hands of the human race, I think. It's very interestingly done, with a great voiceover from John Hurt, and a whole heap of good acting - not least from Kidman herself - although I still remain unconvinced by Paul Bettany. In anything.
I'm not sure it needed to be three hours, and I'm sure I'll never watch it again, but I'm glad I've seen it.
However, one - and definitely not the only - reading of this though puts Kidman as Christ, and Caan as God, and the whole film as an allegory of his/her treatment at the hands of the human race, I think. It's very interestingly done, with a great voiceover from John Hurt, and a whole heap of good acting - not least from Kidman herself - although I still remain unconvinced by Paul Bettany. In anything.
I'm not sure it needed to be three hours, and I'm sure I'll never watch it again, but I'm glad I've seen it.