Lars Von Trier’s Porn Stack Joke: Did Nicole Kidman Laugh?
LARS Von Trier is Nazi non grata at the 2011 Cannes film festival. But were his jackboot-in-mouth comments an improvised, bad joke told in a second language, possibly to try and shame and shock Kirsten Dunst sat to his side, or something more sinister? Anorak reader Debbie directs us to an interview the Guardian’s Tim Adams conducted with Paul Bettanty in 2004.
The British actor was talking on the matter of his role in Von Trier’s film Dogville, also starring Nicole Kidman:
When Bettany arrived in Copenhagen, Von Trier collected him from the airport and took him to the little town where they were staying during the shoot. En route they stopped for petrol, and Von Trier returned to the car with a stack of porn magazines which he gave to Bettany, despite his protestations that he ‘was good for porn right now’.
When they got to the hotel, they were chatting in Bettany’s room when there was a knock at the door. It was Nicole Kidman, whom Von Trier introduced, and they exchanged small talk. The director then said, entirely straight-faced, ‘Nicole, has Paul shown you his porn collection?’ and he gestured to the side table, stacked with the magazines.
Funny? Yes. But only briefly. It’s knowing when to stop that makes the joke…
Posted: 20th, May 2011 | In: Film Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
