In 1967, Danish experimental filmmaker Jorgen Leth produced The Perfect Human, a meditation on mankind’s quest for superficial ideal. In 2003, upstart filmmaker Lars von Trier challenged Leth to recreate his early work five times under increasingly difficult conditions. The project is a playful creative exercise for finding new contexts in familiar things under diverse conditions. But even though it’s only a game, von Trier clearly takes great pleasure in cracking the whip over his hero, who struggles to keep his good humor throughout the ordeal.

The first remake requires Leth to limit each shot to no more than 12 frames. Though exasperated over the ridiculous restriction, he delivers a cleverly edited work that somehow seems more evenly paced than the languid original. Realizing his orders weren’t quite cruel enough, von Trier sends Leth on his second mission.

Part two is filmed in “the most Hellish place on Earth,” which Leth interprets as poverty-ridden Bombay. Wearing a tuxedo, The Perfect Man nearly breaks as he partakes of a gluttonous meal, surrounded by hoards of starving children. The once innocuous scene of man’s basic need is transformed into a weighty and disturbing spectacle, but his student/master is not yet satisfied.

For version three, von Trier truly punishes his subject by offering no obstructions whatsoever. Leth nearly flounders; the artist excels in exploiting limitations, and the lack of boundaries is too much to bear. Yet again, he comes through, and is faced with the next challenge.

Number four must be animated, a format neither participant can stomach. Leth collaborates with a digital animator and creates a piece that would please fans of Waking Life. But not von Trier…

The final film takes a twist on the whole game, flipping roles and revealing much about the character of both men. It’s an exhaustive journey, and even if not entirely successful, it certainly forces them to grow.

Oh, and if you’re not familiar with The Perfect Human, don’t worry. Excerpts of the original are shown throughout the film, clarifying as well as enriching the experiment.

There are no comments yet. You could be the first!