Lars von Trier is a Nazi

Go to Politiken (scroll one page down for the movie) and see this clip of a press conference Lars von Trier gave about his new film Melancholia.

He says that he sympathizes a bit with Hitler, and that he is a Nazi. von Trier (that's pronounced 'fun', btw) is trying to make a joke with some truth in it. It's a very Danish thing to do, and a very Danish way to do it. Something that most Americans cannot understand. Look at Kirten Dunst. She is so uncomfortable that at one point she even leans over and says something to von Trier (maybe "time to shut the fuck up!") that makes him object that he is trying to make a point.

Granted, I cringed as well, but not because he talk about being a Nazi in order to make some point, but because his delivery was pathetic.

Also in video: why did Newt Gingrich say "Nice to live in a free country"?



Is it just me or did he really mean it's a bugger to live in a free country?

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Update 5/24/11:

von Trier has released this statement:

"In my opinion, freedom of speech, in all its shapes, is part of the basic human rights. However, my comments during the festival’s press conference were unintelligent, ambiguous and needlessly hurtful.

My intended point was that the potential for extreme cruelty, or the opposite, lies within every human being, whatever nationality, ethnicity, rank or religion. If we only explain historical disasters with the cruelty of individuals we destroy the possibility of understanding the human mechanisms, which in turn are necessary in order to avoid any future crimes against humanity."

Which I find very true.