paul2001sw-1 Lars von Trier now has an international reputation for making intentionally teasing, one might almost say perverse, movies. But before any of his features films, he made 'The Kingdom', a hospital drama-cum-ghost story for Danish television. With it's cast of uniquely monstrous (but brilliantly original) doctors and patients, the programme hardly needs its supernatural element; but von Trier blends the two with considerable panache, drawing a dark, but hysterically funny, portrait of the hospital (quite literally) from hell. Vetern Swedish thespian Ernst Hugo Jaregard is brilliant in the leading role as a misanthropic doctor; he steals every scene he's in (apparently, in some cases, to von Trier's chagrin); but the whole piece is immaculately constructed. The claustrophobic, but superficially realistic, setting provide some boundaries to contain the drama that aren't always there in von Trier's movies. It's perhaps his most accessible work; but rest assured, it's scarcely a conventional one.

nostalgic-1 The original Kingdom is so superior to its American version ... In fact , there's no comparison ! I love this mini-series , it is so atmospheric and macabre . Well , I guess " bizarre " is the best adjective to describe it . It made me feel the same way I did when I was a kid watching classic horror movies , a feeling that I had never felt before with modern flicks . Stephen King's version , on the other hand , is sooo dull and not creepy at all . It is so boring that I gave up watching it after the second episode ! Don't get me wrong , I really love Stephen King's movies , but he truly failed in his version of " The Kingdom " .

mosheq The only thing verging on "extraordinary" in the first season of this TV drama is the degree to which it stretches our patience with the cliché of a mentally retarded character gifted with an inexplicable omniscience about every goings on in the hospital, supernatural or otherwise. His sometimes aphoristic narrative guidance is as gratuitous as it is unavoidable in this show. This was only the most trying of the devices that crop up. Fortunately, there are some well-crafted bits of dialogue and character development. Ernst-Hugo Jaregard in particular shines in the role of Helmer, a pompous, curmudgeonly surgeon from Sweden with an almost superhuman disdain for the Danes in his midst.However, the series is too heavily marred by a simplistic notion of character (or caricature), plot developments that are often too overblown to be taken at all seriously, and finally a miserly attitude in storytelling evident through a too-incremental disclosure of details that form the mystery of the central ghost story. The show is most surprising in how little, ultimately, it delivers. There's just a lot of hot air blowing around, and one can't help but suspect this is to conceal the skimpiness that truly rests in the heart of The Kingdom. I did laugh at several well-keyed moments, but I was never in suspense, and all too often I simply sat yawning.

Marcin Skoczylas First of all, Riget is wonderful. Good comedy and mystery thriller at the same time. Nice combination of strange 'dogma' style of telling the story together with good music and great actors. But unfortunately there's no 'the end'. As for me it's unacceptable. I was thinking... how it will be possible to continue the story without Helmer and Drusse? ...and I have some idea. I think Lars should make RIGET III a little bit different. I'm sure that 3rd part without Helmer wouldn't be the same. So here's my suggestion. Mayble little bit stupid, maybe not. I know that Lars likes to experiment. So why not to make small experiment with Riget3? I think the only solution here is to create puppet-driven animation (like for example "team America" by Trey Parker) or even computer 3d animation. I know it's not the same as real actors, but in principle I believe it could work... only this way it's possible to make actors alive again. For Riget fans this shouldn't be so big difference - if the animation will be done in good way average 'watcher' will consider it normal just after first few shots of the movie. The most important thing now is the story. It's completely understandable that it's not possible to create Riget 3 with the actors nowadays. So why not to play with animation? And... look for the possibilities that it gives to you! Even marketing one! Great director finishes his trilogy after 10 years using puppet animation. Just dreams?I hope to see Riget 3 someday... or even to see just the script. I'm curious how the story ends... and as I expect- everybody here do.greets, slajps: I'm not talking about the "kingdom hospital" by Stephen King ;-)