Lars von Trier’s “Kingdom”
Kingdom (1994,1997,2022)
Absurdist, Twin Peaks-inspired Danish melodrama-horror is a deliciously unpredictable joyride so long as you can roll with the insanity
If you enjoyed the crazy energy of Nobuhiko Obayashi’s “Hausu” or original series of Twin Peaks, it’s likely you’ll enjoy “Kingdom”. Influenced by Twin Peaks as well as Claude Barma and Jacques Armand’s series Belphegor(aka Phantom of the Louvre) created for French television in 1965, the “Kindom” of the title refers to the Copenhagen hospital Rigshospitalet (translating to 'The National Hospital' but also referred to as "Riget" which translates to 'the realm' or 'the kingdom').
Following the often times bizarre daily life of the hospital, something is stirring within its grounds built upon the historical site of “bleaching ponds” as various characters converge on the hospital. Sigrid Drusse(Kirsten Rolffes), an elderly woman who dabbles in the paranormal and whose adult son works at the hospital hears a girl crying in a lift and begins investigating. Stig Helmer(Ernst-Hugo Järegård), a Swede who detests Denmark has recently joined the staff of the hospital but becomes embroiled in controversy when one of his patients is left in a persistent vegetative state. Einar Moesgaard(Holger Juul Hansen), a well-meaning but timid leader is coming under increasing scrutiny from administrators and politicians. All this will sound fairly pedestrian but it in no ways indicates how far the show will go in terms of absolutely anything advancing the plot.
Saying that, it all miraculously holds together whether the hospital experiences a couple minutes of zero gravity, a lawyer has inexplicably set up shop in a toilet cubicle or a doctor drives a mini car through the corridors of the Kingdom. Most of the ingredients, we’ve seen before but never quite to this unique recipe that veers from laugh out loud funny to horrifying.
Within each episode, there is something of a Greek chorus that gives cryptic commentary on proceedings as dishwashers. This is brilliantly done with two actors with Downs playing the part in the first two series followed by Jesper Sørensen(who suffers from Progeria) and a robotic arm in the third series. An episode covers a day at the hospital ending with a monologue from Lars von Trier himself commenting on the events of the installment.
The cast are all fantastic and play their parts in earnest. In addition to the core cast, recognisable actors from Willem Dafoe to Stellan and Alexander Skarsgård make colourful appearances.
True of most absurdist entertainment, it’s best enjoyed in the company of like-minded people. I watched it with my son and we howled with laughter at every ridiculous turn in the story. Watching it alone, it might not truly hit until you’ve discussed what happened with another. That said, the story takes a soap opera approach but one with no bounds so if you roll with the ridiculous, it’s an entertaining watch and surprisingly coherent across all three series.
