“’s Renewal of Film is a master- Danish director Lars von Trier has Lars von Trier’s ful study of the full breadth of von Trier’s produced more than 20 films since work. The book presents a chronicle of the his first appearance with The Elements Bodil work, expertly situated in the history of the of Crime in 1984. One of the most Marie Renewal of Film medium of film, in its relation to video and acknowledged – and most controversial Stavning digital media. More than that – and this is – film directors of our time, Trier’s films Thomsen what puts the book in a league of its own often escape the representational 1984-2014 – Thomsen develops an original theory of production of meaning. the image unique enough to merit a new Lars von Trier’s Renewal of Film name: “signaletic materialism” might do. SIGNAL PIXEL DIAGRAM But don’t be misled by the weightiness of In Lars von Trier’s Renewal of Film the term. It signposts an approach uniquely 1984-2014. Signal, Pixel, Diagram equipped to make felt immediacy of the scholar Bodil Marie Stavning Thomsen image, accounting for its embodied nature offers a comprehensive discussion and affective force with both evocative power of Lars von Trier’s collected works. and analytical precision. Thomsen’s in-depth, Examining his experiments with narra- often scene-by-scene, analyses of von Trier’s tive forms, genre, camera usage, light, compositional techniques go beyond formal and colour tones, she shows how analysis to convey how the logic of the Trier’s unique and ethically involving medium is one with an event of perception, style activates the viewer’s entire ever renewed and endlessly varied.” perception apparatus. In understanding Brian Massumi this affective involvement, the author author of Semblance and Event: frames the discussion around concepts Activist Philosophy and the Occurrent Arts from Gilles Deleuze, Alois Riegl, Brian Massumi a.o. on the haptic image, the diagram, affect, and the signaletic “An inspiring and insightful work of passion and scholarly dedication, Bodil Thomsen’s material. thorough analysis of Lars von Trier’s oeuvre is an aesthetic revelation of haptic quality and potentialities. While the Deleuze- 1984 Guattarian inspired concept of the ‘affect diagram’ is the guiding method to navigate Trier’s audio-visual style across pixels,

- colors and digital signals, one can almost 2014 feel and touch the images on every page AARHUS UNIVERSITY PRESS that disclose always new senses and Bodil Marie Stavning Thomsen sensations beyond the film’s stories and representations.” Patricia Pisters University of Amsterdam

108027_cover_lars von trier_cc18_r1_.indd 1 11/05/18 07:19 Lars von Trier’s Renewal of Film 1984‑2014

This page is protected by copyright and may not be redistributed.

108027_lars von trier_cs6_.indd 1 04/05/18 09:08 This page is protected by copyright and may not be redistributed.

108027_lars von trier_cs6_.indd 2 04/05/18 09:08 Lars von Trier’s Renewal of Film 1984‑2014

signal, pixel, diagram

Bodil Marie Stavning Thomsen

aarhus university press | a

This page is protected by copyright and may not be redistributed.

108027_lars von trier_cs6_.indd 2 04/05/18 09:08 108027_lars von trier_cs6_.indd 3 04/05/18 09:08 To Andreas, Malthe and Thomas

This page is protected by copyright and may not be redistributed.

108027_lars von trier_cs6_.indd 4 04/05/18 09:08 To Andreas, Malthe and Thomas It is common knowledge that photography depends on an atmos‑ pheric perspective, which means that the contrast between light and shadow diminishes towards the background. Maybe an idea for an interesting abstraction lies in a conscious elimination of the atmospheric perspective – or, in other words, in relinquishing the much‑coveted depth – and the effect of distance. Instead one ought to work towards a wholly new construction of pictorial colour surfaces, which all lie on th