Lars von Trier stories are always a fascinating ride — equal parts outrageous, uncomfortable, and oddly entertaining.
This latest one comes from Bryce Dallas Howard who is opening up about a tense and bizarre chapter in her career while working with the controversial Danish filmmaker on 2005’s “Manderlay.”
Speaking to The Times, Howard recounted a series of confrontational moments on set, which began almost immediately after arriving in Norway for the shoot. Von Trier, known for his unusual directorial methods, apparently set his sights on pushing Howard’s buttons by making it very personal, and insulting her father’s work — Ron Howard.
“He started insulting me: ‘Your father’s a terrible filmmaker,’” she recalled. “I went, ‘Lars, what are you trying to see?’ and he said, ‘Your angry face. I don’t know what it looks like.’”
Of course, Ron Howard is the director behind “Apollo 13,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “Rush,” and “Cinderella Man.” He’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Whether Lars was serious in telling Bryce that her father is a terrible filmmaker remains uncertain, but given the Danish filmmaker’s dark and eccentric filmography, I doubt he’s a huge fan either.
Howard went on to describe an even stranger incident that followed. According to her, after failing to provoke her with insults, von Trier escalated the situation. “So I threw a glass of water in his face,” she said.
Despite the tense exchange, Howard says she wasn’t shaken. “That was my introduction to the Lars von Trier experience, but it wasn’t like I went to my room and cried or anything,” she said. “I was sort of delighted by it.”
There’s something about the chaos that surrounds Lars Von Trier that makes every behind-the-scenes tale feel like part of a larger, cinematic experiment. Whether he’s provoking actors on set or delivering wildly polarizing films, the man never fails to leave a trail of stories worth telling.