The Celebration

Helge (Henning Moritzen) is celebrating his 60th birthday at his family inn at Denmark. His three children, Christian (Ulrich Thomsen), Michael (Thomas Bo Larsen), and Helene (Paprika Steen) return home for the party but their joy is tempered by a recent suicide in the family. At the birthday celebration, Christian stands before the assembled guests and exclaims that his father is not the upstanding man that many believe him to be. In fact, Christian accuses his father of horrible acts committed upon his children when they were younger. The evening further spirals out of control when Helene's boyfriend becomes the target of the family's bigotry and a servant reveals an affair she had with a family member. By the next morning, the dynamics of Helge's family have irrevocably changed.

"The Celebration" is one of the products of the "Dogma 95" document in which a group of Danish directors pledged to shoot films using only hand-held cameras and the natural sounds and props found on location. These films were not to include any special effects or musical scores. This minimalist approach to filmmaking proves fascinating as it allows the true essence of the creative process to filter through in the end product. Vinterberg had nothing at his disposal to enhance or salvage his film if what he had on film proved lacking. He had to produce an involving product with only his wits and instincts to guide him on a day-to-day basis. Did he succeed? Most definitely. One viewing of "The Celebration" proves that Vinterberg successfully crafted a quality film in as pure and raw a form as possible. It is a testament to the unconventional and unyielding vision of a talented director.

As the film opens, we see various people, in groups of two, three, and more, converge on a large house--walking, driving, and bicycling. They are gathering to celebrate the 60th birthday of the man who fathered four children--they who have now come to pay their respects with their wives, husbands, boyfriends and girlfriends. The man has made a tidy sum thanks to his unnamed business, and he and his wife live quite comfortably. Also invited are the older couple's friends, and by the time everyone has arrived, there is a full house indeed, all seated at the host's large dinner table.

Speeches are made, glasses are chinked together in toasts, food is eaten. The daughter has a black American boyfriend and it's a wicked foreshadowing that has him insulted by one of his girlfriend's brothers--an out and out racist remark.

This sets the stage for a shocking turn of events when one of the man's sons stands and proposes a toast to his father that leaves the guests completely stunned. A dark secret is revealed that is so out of place with the reason for the "celebration", nothing can ever be the same following the younger man's toast.

The drama here is powerful, intense, seething. One of the trademark strengths of Dogme 95 cinema, as many of us know by now, is its focus on story alone, without reliance on any special effects--CGI, lighting, or otherwise--and Vinterberg has here wisely chosen a story so strong that to "enhance" it with anything remotely resembling special effects would be doing it a major disservice--would be, in fact, blatantly stupid.

This is one of the best Danish films of the 20th century and should absolutely not be missed.

Very highly recommended.