Lars Von Trier’s very strange TV series from 1994 and 1997 has been released on DVD in the UK before, but this release from Second Sight marks the first British release of the original broadcast editions of all eight episodes. It follows a group of neurosurgeons and patients in Copenhagen’s Riget Hospital, who experience various bizarre events, some of which may be supernatural.
The easiest comparison to make is with Twin Peaks: both shows were made by established film directors branching out into television; both combine soap operatics with paranormal weirdness. Sometimes the similarity between the shows is a little stifling, with von Trier seemingly trying to out-weird Lynch Twin Peaks featured a backwards-talking dwarf relaying cryptic messages to Agent Cooper, so The Kingdom features two dishwashers with Down’s Syndrome relaying cryptic messages to each other (“it is night-time now”; “the girl is in the lift” etc).
However, there are plenty of features that make The Kingdom a striking and distinctive show in its own right: the grainy, sepia-toned visuals; the offbeat humour, and most importantly the characters Dr. Helmer (Ernst-Hugo Järegård) is a particularly monstrous and amusing creation. There’s also the odd anarchic touch the frantic theme music, with its thundering drums and synth stabs is utterly at odds with the subdued mood of the show; and von Trier himself appears at the end of each episode, tuxedo’d and grinning insanely, speaking to the audience about the events of the episode and what they can expect to look forward to next time.
Despite its creator’s mischievousness, The Kingdom can be very involving, and contains some genuinely stunning moments of horror and dark beauty. It does require some patience to get through, as it is a slow burner, and each episode is well over an hour long. But fans of interesting and unusual TV or film should definitely give it a go. The attractive packaging and meaty special features of the DVD box set are further incentives for a purchase.
Overall Verdict: A funny (in both senses of the word) hospital drama from Lars von Trier.
Special Features:
Tranceformer: A Portrait of Lars von Trier
In Lars von Trier’s Kingdom
Behind The Scenes
TV Commercials directed by Lars von Trier
Selected scene commentaries
Reviewer: Tom René