Film 5: The Idiots (1998)

The Idiots (Idioterne) is a Danish film that has been subtitled in English. It depicts, documentary fashion, with unstable camera work, a group of seemingly healthy adults who enjoy acting as retards in public situations and amongst each other.
Made to look as though the whole thing is genuine and not staged, the film focuses on events and the awkward situations presented regarding the company of retards, as well as pawing into the pyschological controversies, and really exploring this rather odd and potentially controversial concept.
It certainly borders on the socially and morally wrong, but the idea is pyschologically interesting. The characters talk about the 'inner idiot', a part of our psyche which we ordinarily keep hidden away. People talk about 'the real you' coming out when one is drunk, and perhaps this is a similar state.
To access this 'inner idiot', one must be free to express themselves in whatever way they wish to, ignorant towards the social and moral quelms and normalities. One must forget what normal is to mean. If a group of people are all secluded together, and all set about to find this inner idiot, then it is considered normal amongst this group, and there is nothing in the way of achieving this. Anything is acceptable, and nothing is frowned upon or 'wrong'. This sounds potentially dangerous, but if the right people are together, I can see no problem and it certainly sounds like some interesting sides to yourself and others could be revealed.

Some quotes I like from the film:

"And you feel you'll be more of an artist if you go a teeny bit mad?"

"It was an experiment."

*****

"Ped, Henrik, Jeppe and Josephine are just as good retards as you."

*****

"If you can go back to your families or jobs and still be a spass I'll believe you're serious."

"Of course we can. If we couldn't, it would be pointless. We're either idiots or we're not."

*****

(after/in response to the above):

"You're right, I have no pride in my inner idiot."

*****

It makes you think. It could be an interesting experiment. And it reminds me of the dice therapies Luke Rhinehart talks about in the fictional book 'The Dice Man'. To an extent, anyway.