The Five Obstructions
Seen it?2003 | 88 min | Documentary
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (89% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for the curious. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Eye-opening.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 28 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Danish, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
In 1967, experimental filmmaker Jorgen Leth created a striking short film, The Perfect Human, starring a man and women sitting in a box while a narrator poses questions about their relationship and humanity. Years later, Danish director Lars von Trier made a deal with Leth to remake his film five times, each under a different set of circumstances and with von Trier's strictly prescribed rules. As Leth completes each challenge, von Trier creates increasingly further elaborate stipulations.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.9 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
0 wins and 2 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$279K worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 31K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Jørgen Leth, Lars von Trier
- Jørgen LethVoice-over (from Det perfekte menneske) / Self - Director / +
- Lars von TrierSelf / Obstructor (segment "The Conversations")
- Claus NissenThe Perfect Man (from Det perfekte menneske) (archive footage)
- Majken Algren NielsenThe Perfect Woman (from Det perfekte menneske) (archive footage)
- Daniel Hernandez RodriguezThe Perfect Man (segment "Cuba")
- Jacqueline ArenalThe Perfect Woman (segment "Cuba")
- Vivian Rosa(segment "Cuba")
- Patrick BauchauThe Perfect Man / Voice-over (Brussels) / Speaker (Cartoon)
- Alexandra VandernootThe Perfect Woman (segment "Brussels")
- Marie DejaerMaid (segment "Brussels")