The movie that “really impacted” Natalie Portman: “It’s so extreme”
A sense of versatility has always run through the performances of Natalie Portman, whether it was in her first film role in 1994’s Luc Besson film Leon: The Professional or in her later efforts in the likes of The Other Boleyn Girl and Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, the latter of which saw Portman win the Academy Award for ‘Best Actress’.
The recognition was more than deserved in Black Swan as Portman made a remarkable dedication to playing two roles in one and suffering a series of injuries from learning how to ballet dance. While the actor has made further notable roles in films like Jackie, it’s perhaps Black Swan which remains her most significant acting moment.
Portman has indeed made a serious impact on the cinema world ever since she arrived on the scene with Leon, and the actor herself has also been impacted by the history of film. In a feature with A-Frame, Portman opened up on her five favourite movies and pointed out one in particular that made a deep impression on her, one of the best efforts by Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier.
“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,” Portman noted, drawing attention to the phenomenal effort Watson gave in 1996. “It’s one of my all-time favourite performances. It’s so extreme, and yet believable what she does.”
The film dives into the themes of love, sacrifice and the battle between religious ideals and personal desires. Watson plays Bess McNeill, a devout and meek Calvinist woman from a remote part of the Scottish Highlands who experiences a wild transformation after her husband is paralysed following an oil rig accident.
Bess’ husband, Jan, asks his wife to have sex with other men in order to revitalise his spirits following his accident and subsequent depression. It’s typical ground for von Trier and examines heavenly communication in a truly erotic style. As Portman states, Watson is in scintillating form, and her performance garnered a nomination for an Academy Award for ‘Best Actress’.
Continuing to express her admiration for von Trier’s provocative movie and noting his ability to weave a truly unique narrative, Portman added, “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.”
Check out the trailer for Breaking the Waves below.
