It didn’t take Natalie Portman too long to find her footing in the realm of acting, following her powerful film debut in the Jean Reno-led Léon: The Professional. Since then, the Annihilation Star’s career has witnessed a plethora of classics, ranging from 2005’s V for Vendetta to Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, which Portman explained pushed her as an actor.
But the film that had the most impact on her, which Portman also deemed as one of her favorites to date, is Emily Watson’s feature debut, the psychological drama Breaking the Waves.
Also read: “I don’t want my kids to see pictures online”: The 1 Thing Natalie Portman Won’t Ever Do in Movies
One of Lars von Trier’s Best Works Had a Lasting Impact on Natalie Portman
Often considered one of Lars von Trier’s best, who is known for his female-centric parables and exploration of controversial subject matter, Breaking the Waves is held high by critics and fans of arthouse cinema. Known for putting Emily Watson on the map, the provocative film deeply resonated with Closer Star Natalie Portman, stating that Watson’s performance was “one of my all-time favorite performances”. She told A-Frame:
“Breaking the Waves was a really important film for me in terms of the way the story’s told and the acting of Emily Watson. It’s one of my all-time favorite performances. It’s so extreme, and yet believable what she does. And then the way the story’s told — with the intervals with music over those postcard images — is just so punk, and in between a classically-told story. It really impacted me a lot.”
While Breaking the Waves is adored by many to this date, the film isn’t for everyone, as being a Von Trier tragedy, the theme it tackles can be pretty heavy for some fans. Following the extreme themes the film tackles, no prominent names wanted to attach themselves to the project, including Fight Club Star Helena Bonham Carter.
Prominent A-Listers Were Afraid of Starring in the Provocative Film
Before casting a virtually unknown actor at the time to the project, the Danish filmmaker revealed they approached several big A-listers to star in the psychological drama. Von Trier, who broke the Dogme 95 movement’s rules for Breaking the Waves, thus relying on non-diegetic sounds and built sets, revealed Helena Bonham Carter was one of the initial picks for the tragic character. But reportedly, the acclaimed actor backed out at the last minute following the heavy themes of the film, which revolved around religion, s-x, and obsession. Per Björkman’s Trier on von Trier (via Criterion),
“It was probably the story as a whole. It’s a strange mix of religion and s-x and obsession. The well-known actors we approached didn’t want to lay their careers on the line, like Helena Bonham Carter, who pulled out of the project at the very last minute. So it felt important to find actors who really wanted to be involved. And I think it shows, that the actors we chose in the end are wholeheartedly committed to the film.”
But losing such a prominent star ended up becoming a blessing in disguise, as after witnessing Emily Watson’s audition, who he recalled had a Jesus-like aura to her, the director was taken aback. As the story goes, Watson with no prior film experience played the challenging role, which not only earned her stardom but also left a huge impact on the viewers, including Natalie Portman.
Breaking the Waves is available to stream on Max.
