The Element of Crime
The Element of Crime

Watch The Element of Crime Online Free

- 67/100 based on 10,821 votes

Fisher, an ex-cop, returns to his old beat somewhere in northern Europe after a thirteen-year hiatus in Cairo. His former mentor and role model, author of a treatise called "The Element of Crime", asks him to solve a series of murders involving lottery ticket sellers. Guided by the theories put forth in the book, Fischer retraces the steps of a suspect, Harry Grey, as recorded in a three-year-old police surveillance report.... (Full plot summary below)

Watch MOVIES for FREE on Prime Video

Enjoy FREE movies and series with your Prime (USA) subscription or when you start a 30-day free trial!

Share this

The Element of Crime Online Streaming

Links compiled using automated software. Availability of offers subject to change / might be region specific / out of date.

Rent The Element of Crime on DVD

Rent The Element of Crime on Blu-ray

Today's Featured Movies:

For a Few Dollars MoreFor a Few Dollars More
ApocalyptoApocalypto
The Passion of the ChristThe Passion of the Christ
The WrestlerThe Wrestler
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate EventsLemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Last King of ScotlandThe Last King of Scotland
SignsSigns
The ApartmentThe Apartment
MidsommarMidsommar
It's a Wonderful LifeIt's a Wonderful Life
The Mask of ZorroThe Mask of Zorro
Raging BullRaging Bull
VertigoVertigo
Chicken RunChicken Run
Knives OutKnives Out
AlienAlien

You Might Also Like:

Samaritan GirlSamaritan Girl
Torrente: The Dumb Arm of the LawTorrente: The Dumb Arm of the Law
The Discovery of HeavenThe Discovery of Heaven
Sweet SixteenSweet Sixteen
Clean, ShavenClean, Shaven
RopeRope

Actors in The Element of Crime:

Michael Elphick
Esmond Knight
Me Me Lai
Jerold Wells
Ahmed El Shenawi
Astrid Henning-Jensen

Full Plot Details

Fisher, an ex-cop, returns to his old beat somewhere in northern Europe after a thirteen-year hiatus in Cairo. His former mentor and role model, author of a treatise called "The Element of Crime", asks him to solve a series of murders involving lottery ticket sellers. Guided by the theories put forth in the book, Fischer retraces the steps of a suspect, Harry Grey, as recorded in a three-year-old police surveillance report.

Review & Comments

Leave your thoughts about The Element of Crime.

Movie Reviews

Nick's Flick Picks - 8/10 by Nick DavisMore than diverting, with entrancing production design, but not as fully realized as later Von Trier.
The A.V. Club - 8/10 by Keith PhippsCrime's dreamlike tone and fantastic visuals make it impossible to forget, like an absurd nightmare that overshadows the following day. Even if Von Trier never made another movie, viewers would still watch and admire this debut.
Portland Oregonian - 8/10 by Marc MohanA cinephile's film, stuffed with influences and allusions which, together with the precocious brilliance of every single image, can become numbing at times rather than stunning; but the absolute assurance and ingenuity make this a debut as startling as Eraserhead and every bit as spectacular.
Austin Chronicle - 7/10 by Marc SavlovUnsettling and odd, it's the perfect film for a dreary, rainy day.
The New York Times - 6/10 by Vincent CanbyA film noir that's murky without being terribly mysterious.
Cinema Writer - 6/10 by Jay AntaniNearly incomprehensible but stylistically dazzling
Q Network Film Desk - 6/10 by James Kendrickan utterly mesmerizing and completely disjointed crime thriller that is more about tone and style than it is about its fragmented narrative
User Review - 10/10 by Akash SThe Element of Crime (1984) Forbrydelsens Element. I thought I knew a lot about foreign film and independent film but I seemed to have missed Lars Von Trier of Denmark until recently. I viewed Europa/Zentropa last week. wow that was a movie. Tonight I watched his first film Element of Crime. It is an incredible film. really magnificent and inventive. It is a very stylized film noir sci fi murder mystery thing. Filmed in all sepia tones no real colors the film is a hybrid mixture of the genres of horror and post-apocalyptic science fiction. The plot is strange and concerns a serial killer who is killing again after a 13 year absence. The serial killer was supposedly dead. His former mentor and role model, author of a treatise called "The Element of Crime", asks him to solve a series of murders involving lottery ticket sellers. Guided by the theories put forth in the book, Fischer retraces the steps of a suspect, Harry Grey, as recorded in a three-year-old police surveillance report. The film is seen as in someone who is going thru hypnosis to recall the memories. really a fantastic film. tonite 09/28/09 I have watched this film again. it is an enigma. it is so stylized and obscure. I am sure most film goers will not understand or enjoy this film however for me I think it is one of the most unusual films I have ever seen. I would very much like to see it on the big screen. Lets have a Von Trier Film Festival. I cant wait to see Breaking the Waves and I have already seen the Antichrist. I have queued all the films by Von Trier. Brillian Film making. five stars. 2nd review may 5 2014 Forbrydelsens element 1984 the Element of Crime von trier give us another like this one. Excellent 1984 Film noir I love this film and have seen it several times because it is so intrinsically different from any movie I had ever seen. I wish I had seen it on the big screen. It did show at the Inwood Theater in Dallas 1984 while I was living there,. I agree with some reviewers that the film does have some problems and faults but they do not bother me (the film is all style and tone but the plot is almost incomprehensible. the film is stylistically dazzeling and mind boggening). I watched the film the 1st time and immediately watched it again because I could not believe what I saw the first screening. I don't recall every seeing such a dreamy dreamy dark surreal setting for a movie. really its just a hard boiled detective film in an extremely different package. Also called Forbrydelsens element 1984 it won a the Technical Grand Prize at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. be sure and read the film walrus review of this film " film walrus---let me mention the most frequently cited complaints about The Element of Crime: its cold, emotionless surface, devoid of humanity and wickedly inaccessible.: I love this film it is one of my favorites. Anybody who has watched it with me has been speechless. I am surprised that is has not been on a film revival and reprinted new 35 mm print (or digital) and shown at festivals or mid night movies. for a debut film this film is astonishing. I loved the element of crime though the plot is almost incomprehension. Dancer in the dark is all a killer movie. you know whats coming and you cant stop and you get all the let downs and depression to song and dance. what a movie wow. I have seen it several times and it makes me sick every time I watch it. ps breaking the waves is technically one of his best movies but I was unmoved. I dont guess a movie has ever been made like element of crime or dancer in the dark.
User Review - 10/10 by Joss DIn this Lynchian neo-noir a psychologically-disturbed retired-detective narrates his final case while under induced hypnosis. The sepia-toned film is completely subjective and dream-like, events and locations seep in and out of each other and ultimately the narrative begins to collapse as the author loses control over his hallucination. It is a hypnotic experience, as if all the dream scenes from Eternal Sunshine were stitched together by Terry Gilliam; by the end you might struggle to put it together in any meaningful sense but the journey is unforgettable.
User Review - 10/10 by Lori BBrilliant neo-Noir shot in shocking sepia. This film is even more amazing when you realize that it was made in 1984. Lars Von Trier is one strange duck. I love half his films and despise the other half, but I have never seen one that did not profoundly effect me. This film is more clinical, less emotional, than his usual, an effect created not just by the unique and alien color filtering, but also by the persistent monotone of the lead character (who is in a hypnotic state). The imagery, the shot composition, the conclusion that smacks you in the face with its obviousness in retrospect (but I didn't see it coming until that very moment), just everything about the film is brilliantly executed.

Browse Movie Genres

Other Links

The Element of Crime

Watch Online For Free | Free Movies | Movie Genres | Most Viewed | Top Rated | Latest Releases

About Us • Affiliates • Terms of Use • Disclaimer • Cookies • Privacy Policy • Copyright • DMCA Compliance • Contact Us • Language Settings

Copyright © 2004 - 2016 Watch Online For Free or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.

Imagery, artwork, logos, service marks, and trademarks used on this page are the intellectual property of their respective companies.

Related Websites: Prime Free Trial - DVD Rental Free Trial - Free Prime Video Trial - Movie Trailers