Kingdom, The: Series Two (Lars von Trier) (DVD)

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I have mentioned only a few of the series´ more outrageous elements. The show abandons any pretense of structure as it collapses into the final episode as almost full-blown parody. Still, while "Kingdom 2" doesn´t have the same fine edge as the first series, it compensates for it with more laughs; this is easily one of the funniest television series I have seen in the past decade. Even Stig becomes comic relief by the end, as he finds himself slowly succumbing to the power of the "Danish scum" around him. The hospital genre has never seen a television series quite like "The Kingdom."

Video

The episodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 full-screen aspect ratio. Though not a Dogme 95 project, "The Kingdom" was shot roughly in the Dogme style with a free-floating handheld camera and rapid, jarring cuts. The series was shot on 16 mm film, so it looks a bit grainy and rough around the edges, but that´s part of the Dogme-ish aesthetic. The interlaced transfer is mediocre, showing many instances of combing. "The Kingdom" isn´t supposed to look sharp and polished, but we could have at least asked for a progressive transfer. Still, the transfer is adequate.

Audio

The DVDs are presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. Optional English subtitles support the Danish audio.

Extras

The first disc contains the Episodes 5 ("Mors in Tabula") and 6 ("Birds of Passage") of "The Kingdom," along with a few special features. Partial commentary by Trier and crew is available as a separate feature, about ten minutes from each episode. These must be accessed from the special features menu, not by hitting the Audio button on your remote while watching the full episode.

"In Lars von Trier´s Kingdom" is a 40-minute interview with the sarcastic Dane that only briefly touches on "The Kingdom." Trier proves to as elusive as ever in front of the camera, alternately claiming to be cynical and sincere in his various films, and frequently deflecting the interviewer´s questions. There is some interesting footage of von Trier speaking at various awards shows and other events.

The second contains Episodes 7 ("Gargantua") and 8 ("Pandaemonium") of "The Kingdom." Partial commentary for each episode is also included. Viewers also get a music video and a short feature labeled as "bloopers" which really looks to just be another music video.

Film Value

The biggest disappointment at the end of "Kingdom 2" is that "Kingdom 3" never followed. The final episode leaves several cliff-hangers that will almost certainly never be resolved, at least not by Trier. Still, the series had become so (intentionally) absurd by the end that viewers probably won´t be overly concerned with the lack of resolution. "The Kingdom 2" isn´t quite up to par with the first series, but it´s still mordantly amusing and quite entertaining.

Koch Lorber previously released "The Kingdom: Series One" a few years ago. This is the first release of Series Two. If you already have the first, this makes a fine pick-up. However, those wishing to purchase the entire series will be better off buying Koch Lorber´s upcoming release of "The Kingdom: Series One & Two" which retails at $44.98 while Series Two alone retails for $29.98.