Let's get one thing straight from the very beginning: Lars von Trier's Antichrist is a seriously faulty movie, both in its execution as a story and the muddled message it is attempting to convey. I fully understand the heavy criticism the film has received for its misogyny but knowing von Trier I wouldn't take any of it without a heavy dose of salt. The man has a long history of prankster-like behavior, especially when it comes to his audience, so to a large extent - and despite the clear symbolism involved - the film's goriest scenes (both involving genital parts) are really just bad jokes. That said, Antichrist also presents a great field for discussion and mental gymnastics on such topics as "nature as Satan's church" and the host of rich symbols the film presents but fails to exploit to the fullest (how often do you really think about a horror film the day after?). Well, today I found an interesting blog post meditating on the film's symbols against ideas by Feuerbach and Heidegger and while I don't fully agree with what it has to say, it still has my highest recommendations. Note, though, you need to have watched the film before reading the text.
