Breaking The Waves (1996)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A young woman in the Scottish Highlands undergoes extreme sexual debasement to save her paralyzed husband from what she perceives as God's punishment.
The story
Set in the Scottish Highlands in the early 1970s, the film follows Bess McNeill, a young woman with a history of mental health issues who marries Jan Nyman, a Danish oil rig worker. Despite the disapproval of her community and her Free Scottish Presbyterian Calvinist church, Bess remains steadfast in her devotion to Jan. She maintains a spiritual life, believing she can converse directly with God. However, when Jan is severely injured in an industrial accident, Bess becomes convinced that her prayers caused his suffering. As Jan faces paralysis and struggles with his condition, the couple's relationship is pushed to a breaking point.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Bess McNeill, a simple and childlike woman, marries Jan Nyman, a Danish oil rig worker, despite opposition from her Free Scottish Presbyterian Calvinist church. Bess believes she can communicate directly with God. When Jan is paralyzed in an industrial accident, Bess interprets it as divine punishment for her selfishness. Jan, unable to perform sexually, urges Bess to find other lovers to revitalize his spirits. Influenced by her sister-in-law Dodo, Bess begins to view this as God's will. Despite her inner turmoil, she begins engaging in increasingly cruel and brutal sexual encounters with men off the street to save Jan. This behavior leads to her excommunication from the church. Dodo and Jan's doctor eventually decide to have Bess committed. Before her death, Bess makes a final sacrifice by returning to a derelict ship where she is attacked by sailors. She dies in Dodo's arms. The church deems her soul lost, but Jan and his friends secretly substitute sand for her body in her coffin. Jan, restored to health, eventually buries her in the ocean. The film ends with Jan hearing church bells ringing from the sky.
- First release year
- 1996
- Runtime (minutes)
- 158
- Production countries
- Denmark; Sweden; France; Netherlands; Norway; Iceland; Finland; Italy; Germany; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Lars von Trier
- Writers
- Lars von Trier · writer; Peter Asmussen · writer
- Cast and characters
- Emily Watson · Bess McNeill; Stellan Skarsgård · Jan Nyman; Katrin Cartlidge; Jean-Marc Barr; Udo Kier
- Genres
- psychological romantic melodrama; drama; independent
- Themes
- religion; martyrdom; sexuality; disability; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- naturalistic; raw; experimental; religious
- Premise and plot tags
- psychological drama; religious film; sexual perversity; female martyrdom
- Source material / true-story basis
- Guldhjerte (a children's book)
- Franchise connections
- Golden Heart trilogy
- Content notes
- nudity; sexuality
- Reception
- The film was well-received, with Emily Watson's acting receiving unanimous critical praise. It was described as perhaps von Trier's most widely acclaimed film and cited as among the best films of the 1990s.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 85% · review count: 65; Metacritic · score: 82 · scale: 100 · review count: 28
- Awards and nominations
- Grand Prix · Cannes Film Festival · 1996 · win
- Production trivia
- Helena Bonham Carter was the first choice for the role of Bess but dropped out.; Emily Watson was expelled from the School of Philosophy and Economic Science for her role.; The film was shot entirely with handheld Super35mm cameras.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…