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Summary: Hypnotic and dream-like, a unique and haunting experience
Review: Set in post-war Germany, an American consciencious objector, with German roots, returns to the land of his ancestory with nobel intentions. He soon finds that in a country of victors and the defeated, that the greatest sin of all is neutrality. told with stunning and original effects and cinematography, along with a reverent eye to early German cinema, this is an unforgettable tale that is a must for any fans of modern European cinema.
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Summary: Hypnotic
Review: Surely one of the GREATEST directors of all time, this is his masterpiece. Armed with the most hypnotic narration I've ever heard & an extraordinarily abstract form, the story is constantly propelled forward by Max Von Sydow's unmistakable voice. Along with DANCER IN THE DARK, DOGVILLE & BREAKING THE WAVES, ZENTROPA is an unforgettable journey. Please plead with this film's distributor to give it the beautiful widescreen DVD release it deserves.....
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Summary: Zentropa
Review: The best film that Lars von Trier directed, better than the more well known films"Breaking the Waves"&"Dancer in the Dark".Although the critics didn't pick it up, this film,I believe, must have been influenced by Herman Melville. It has the theme of an innocent man who ends up dead under the water due to his hubris and naivete. It tells the story of Kessler, an American who makes the fateful decision to become a sleeping car conductor in 1945 Germany. He is beset by his cranky uncle who is his superior at work, he is seduced by asympathizing femme fatale, among other events. The movie has both substance and style and is never short of fascinating due both to its plot as well as the directorial technique. The performances are outstanding. It is highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Zentropa
Review: The first film from Lars Von Trier's "Europa" trilogy that I have seen. It was a very intriguing film and definitely bears similarities with Von Trier's later films, but is SO much different. It is so stylized and well shot and so glossy and, dare I say, very Hollywood of him. Whereas, his new films are shot on DV and look very rough. I prefer the new way, haha, but this was still a very good film. It lacks the emotion of Von Trier's newer stuff, though, which was sad. But I really liked it, reguardless.
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Summary: A triumph of form over substance.
Review: The other reviews here focus almost exclusively on the cinematography and direction (both of which were excellent), rather than on the story itself, which could have used some major work.Although the concept of an American "everyman" exploring post-WW II Germany is brilliant, the execution is poor. The concept of the Werwolf (the German spelling) organization is introduced, but otherwise it is handled as though it were just a run-of-the-mill terrorist group. No effort is made to explore the deeper philosophical or ideological implications of the group, it just seems to fall into the Holywood stereotype "Bad Nazi"-mold. Furthermore, the plot is extremely trite and predictable. The only real surprise comes in the form of the protagonist's ultimate fate. But other than that moment, the story runs like a grade-B thriller. The protagonist is drawn into a tug-of-war between rival parties that wish to exploit his position with the Zentropa rail company. However, given that the protagonist is such a sweet guy, can there be any doubt about which side he will ultimately choose? (Can you imagine Jimmy Stewart as a terrorist? If not, you won't be able to imagine Leopold as one either.) And although the film treats the revelation about his wife's true loyalties as though it were a shocking discovery, anyone who paid attention to her comments during the model train display scene should have been able to figure out where her sympathies were. Now if the film had taken the time to explore her reasons for her allegiances, it could have been much better. Finally, the marvelous Udo Kier is wasted in a role that has only about 10 minutes of screen time and has next to no significance to the plot. Other than the character ultimately being killed off to show what mean guys the Werwolves were, I can't even figure out a good reason to have included him. There are other details which could be critiqued as well (such as why would the assassins sent to kill Ravenstein wait until they were in the compartment with him to load their guns? Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to have loaded the guns before boarding the train?), but it is not fair to expect a film to make every concession to reality. If you want to see a film which handled the psychology of post-WW II Europe much better, I would suggest "The Third Man". If you want to know the real story of the Werwolf organization, read Perry Biddiscombe's "Werwolf!: The History of the National Socialist Guerilla Movement".
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Summary: What cinema should be
Review: The perfect blend of ALL cinematic elements...image, sound, dialogue, cinematography, effects, performance, colour, props, sets, music, even voice over.....all on an equal footing; nothing predominant. In a "dialogue" myopic America, it is refreshing to see a film that actually uses ALL the available palettes in an creative and ingenious way. You'll wonder how you could ever have been satified with conventional hollywood style. This is what cinema should be. PS: See this on the big screen if you EVER get the chance.
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Summary: VonTrier's Twisted Vision
Review: The story of an American exile in Germany during the end of WWII. Germany is almost like a ghost town. The only connection to life seemingly being the constant back and forth of the trains which takes people away from their past lives and into unknown territories. The story is very cleverly told, with a voice over narration by Max Von Sydow playing a sort of all mighty hypnotist who decides our principal character's destiny. The film stands out not because of its rather simple tale, but as a visual marvel. Von Trier ("Breaking the Waves") seems to have an inate desire to breakthrough the rules of cinema, and in "Zentropa" (Originally titled "Europa") he comes close to fusing experimental visual imagery with the classic Hollywood narrative. It is a an exhilirating film to watch from beginning down to the very final frame. (Look out for Von Trier himself making a cameo as "the Jew")
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Summary: Brilliant Artistic and Enigmatic Tale of a Broken Europe...
Review: The voice of Max von Sydow hypnotizes the audience by stating, "You will now listen to my voice..." as he continuous to count to ten, which pulls the viewer into a nightmarish dream. Simultaneously the opening shot of railroad tracks is flashing by, which visually puts the viewer in a trance as the screen turns black. This beginning incites the audience participation as the film definitely requires a high level of cognitive participation, unlike most films made where the story is driven by the scripted dialogue. Zentropa becomes a visual and aural journey that mesmerizes the audience in a highly artistic manner.
Comparisons have been made with David Lynch's Eraserhead (1977), Hitchcock's Notorious (1946), and the director Wim Wender's cinematic creations. Despite the previous comparisons, Lars von Trier creates a unique cinematic experience that could be compared to an artistic and political journey into the aftermath of World War II. Cities lay in ruin and people suffer from starvation as the artery, the railroads of Zentropa, of the recovering Europa continues its exploitation of the people as it carted off millions to a certain death in the Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau during the war. This creates a tense Machiavellian atmosphere where fear, paranoia, and anxiety have a firm grip of the people. This causes most people to alienate themselves from society.
The cinematic journey begins with German-American Leopold Kessler (Jean-Marc Barr) who departs United States after the end of World War II for Germany. When Leopold arrives to the shattered Germany he is greeted by Uncle Kessler (Ernst-Hugo Järegård) who gets him a job as a train conductor on one of the luxurious sleeping-cars of Zentropa. Through work Leopold meet Katharina Hartmann (Barbara Sukowa), the daughter of the owner of Zentropa, with whom he falls in love. However, Leopold's desire for Katharina drags him into a dangerous affair of terrorism, politics, friendship, and murder.
The pacifist Leopold tries to balance his life through abstention of politics, avoidance, not choosing sides, and minding his own business, which is also suggested by his Uncle Kessler. However, no matter how hard Leopold tries to follow his own policy he is forced into situations where he must choose a side as it would otherwise have a catastrophic affect on the people for which he cares. Eventually Leopold finds out the hard way that choices must be made based on his own conscious.
Lars von Trier plays with the visuals throughout the film as a painter would with a new innovative color that would revolutionize art forms. The film is shot in black and white with occasional insertions of color, which enhances the cinematic importance of moment. Von Trier also uses trick photography and double exposures in order to artistically magnify the shot, which creates personalized imprints in the audience's cinematic experience. Ultimately, von Trier pushes the envelop as his message is decoded through his brilliant enigmatic tale of a broken Europe where unity is the sole answer for the continent.
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Summary: Unforgettable!
Review: This is a film of rare achievenment. The director uses wonderfully imaginative techniques to provide the surreal texture so necessary to the success of this bizarre tale. It is thought-provoking and deeply disturbing, perhaps the more so since it evokes a time within living memory when mankind was forced to confront the ultimate futility of our attempts to create a truly civilized world. It is a pity that this film is so obscure. Taken in the largest context, it raises many poignant questions about our future and is a very fine example of the film-makers art as well.
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Summary: A piece of Art that pulls you in till the end
Review: When you look back at this film the plot will seem plain, the charicters unrealistic, and the setting, too bare. But none of this will matter because the beauty of this film is in the cinematograhy that will stay in your mind for a long long time.
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