Europa trilogy
| Europa | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Lars von Trier |
| Written by | Lars von Trier and Niels Vørsel |
Release dates |
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| Country | Denmark |
| Language | English |
The Europa trilogy is an experimental film trilogy created by Danish writers Lars von Trier and Niels Vørsel, comprising his three feature films The Element of Crime (1984), Epidemic (1987) and Europa (1991).
The films are set in different locations of Europe, and are not a narrative trilogy but rather are linked by common themes and stylistic explorations. The overarching subject of the trilogy may be taken to be the social crises and traumas of Europe in the future. Each of the three films follows a character whose idealistic actions ultimately perpetuate the very problem he seeks to solve. Von Trier's later USA - Land of Opportunities trilogy also deals with both apparent social collapse, and the ill-effects of the interventions of idealistic individuals. Themes and creative aspects that the films share include hypnosis, a dystopian version of Europe, and experimental uses of colour. The trilogy also experiments with film noir conventions, and explores the relationship between reality and unreality.
The first and third films received largely positive reviews and garnered numerous awards including the Vulcan Award twice, while the second received mixed reviews.