Geister

Dieser Typ ist ein SCHUSSEL!!! The Kingdom ist ein sehr merkwürdiges Projekt, das in seinem sumpfigen Herzen eine Parodie auf medizinische Serien, Horror und absolut bestialischen Psychoterror vereint, was Herrn Trier offensichtlich gut tut. Traditionelle Attribute wie zivile Darsteller, ein dokumentarisches Gefühl, wackelige Kameraführung und fast schon Lynch'sche Absurditäten schaffen eine erstickende und elektrisierende Atmosphäre eines Ortes, der zwar an der Oberfläche ein stolzes Andenken an die Zivilisation ist, dessen Härte sich keine Mystik entziehen kann, der aber in seinem Kern (sei es der Genius Loci oder die Beziehungen der Figuren) so sehr von Mysterien und Irrationalität durchdrungen ist, dass er den Betrachter einfach nur deprimieren kann. Ein Kabinett der Kuriositäten und bizarren Dinge. Und nur ganz nebenbei eine der besten Serien aller Zeiten. (05.03.2004)

The Danes obviously have interesting creators and I also have the feeling that "Twin Peaks" paved the way for interesting series. "Kingdom" is one of the weirder ones, but thanks to its atmosphere and the crazy characters, it just has something to it. You won't forget some scenes, including the opening theme song or the final birth. (15.03.2016)

In the mid-90s, The Kingdom was a revelation on the television screen and, together with Lynch's Twin Peaks, it was proof that series can be made completely differently than before - more refined, more provocative, with consistent violation of serial conventions, mocking clichés, parodying characters and environments as well as traditional themes - and above all, mixing genres. Lars von Trier placed a horror supernatural theme into the serious setting of a royal hospital and confronted rationally-thinking doctors with the irrational world of the afterlife. At the same time, Trier proved himself as an eternal experimenter when he extensively tested the possibilities of handheld cameras or jump cuts. Personally, more than this search for a new film language (which I found rather annoying in the form of wild cutaways and restless handheld camera), I appreciated Trier's traditional ability to create gloomy images and, in combination with movement and music, to create a claustrophobic and suspenseful atmosphere. Even during the opening credits, when the camera slowly descends underground and from beneath cracking planks, accompanied by choral singing, and trickles of blood emerge, something monstrous can be sensed, I consider it a treat even after all these years. Unfortunately, Lars did not play with his characters nearly as long as Lynch, and I consider the subsequent continuation a loss in every aspect. With the passage of time, the first season of The Kingdom appears as a fragment of something that could have been grand and could have belonged among the deserved cult series. Nevertheless, even in this state, it remains interesting in its execution, but ultimately leads nowhere and is unfinished. I would still recommend Twin Peaks to those interested in this style of filmmaking. Overall impression: 80%. (24.09.2014)