Breaking the Waves Budget
DramaRomance2h 39mUpdated
Synopsis
Drama set in a repressed, deeply religious community in the north of Scotland, where a naive young woman named Bess McNeil meets and falls in love with Danish oil-rig worker Jan. Bess and Jan are deeply in love but, when Jan returns to his rig, Bess prays to God that he returns for good. Jan does return, his neck broken in an accident aboard the rig. Because of his condition, Jan and Bess are now unable to enjoy a sexual relationship and Jan urges Bess to take another lover and tell him the details. As Bess becomes more and more deviant in her sexual behavior, the more she comes to believe that her actions are guided by God and are helping Jan recover.
What is the budget of Breaking the Waves?
"Breaking the Waves," a drama released in 1996, was directed by Lars von Trier and stars Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård. The production budget was $7,500,000, placing it in the low-budget range for drama productions of the 1990s.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama production like this include:
- Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
- Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
- Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
- Filming & Locations: Von Trier initially wanted to film the exterior scenes on the west coast of Jutland, then in Norway, then in Ostende, Belgium, then in Ireland, before finally settling on Scotland.
What were the major cost factors in Breaking the Waves?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Breaking the Waves."
- Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
- Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
- Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
How Does Breaking the Waves's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $7,500,000, Breaking the Waves sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966): Budget $7,500,000, Worldwide Gross $33,736,689
- Your Name. (2016): Budget $7,500,000, Worldwide Gross $405,320,132
- (500) Days of Summer (2009): Budget $7,500,000, Worldwide Gross $60,781,545
- Juno (2007): Budget $7,500,000, Worldwide Gross $232,372,681
- The Bye Bye Man (2017): Budget $7,400,000, Worldwide Gross $26,700,000
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Breaking the Waves Box Office Performance
"Breaking the Waves" earned $3,803,298 domestically and $23,000,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $7,500,000, the film performed strongly at the box office.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Breaking the Waves," that break-even threshold was roughly $15,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $23,000,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.
- Production Budget: $7,500,000
- Worldwide Gross: $23,000,000
- Net Return: $15,500,000
- ROI: approximately 206.7%
At 206.7%, "Breaking the Waves" earned roughly $3.07 for every $1 invested in production.
Breaking the Waves Production History
Von Trier initially wanted to film the exterior scenes on the west coast of Jutland, then in Norway, then in Ostende, Belgium, then in Ireland, before finally settling on Scotland. The graveyard was built for the film on the Isle of Skye; the church is in Lochailort, the harbour in Mallaig, and the beach in Morar. Von Trier chose the Isle of Skye because it was popular with 19th century English romantic painters and writers.
End of film credits: # "All the Way from Memphis" , Mott the Hoople # "Blowin' in the Wind" , Tom Harboe, Jan Harboe & Ulrik Corlin # "Pipe Major Donald MacLean" , Peter Roderick MacLeod # "In a Broken Dream" , Python Lee Jackson, featuring Rod Stewart # "Cross-Eyed Mary" , Jethro Tull # "I Did What I Did for Maria" , Tony Christie # "Virginia Plain" , Roxy Music # "A Whiter Shade of Pale" , Procol Harum # "Hot Love" , T. Rex # "Suzanne" , Leonard Cohen # "Love Lies Bleeding" , Elton John # "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" , Elton John # "Whiskey in the Jar" , Thin Lizzy # "Child in Time" , Deep Purple # "Life on Mars" , David Bowie # "Siciliana" (Sonata BWV 1031 / 2nd movement) , Johann Sebastian Bach # "Gay Gordons" , Tom Harboe, Jan Harboe & Ulrik Corlin # "Scotland the Brave" , Tom Harboe, Jan Harboe & Ulrik Corlin # "Barren Rock of Aden" , Tom Harboe, Jan Harboe & Ulrik Corlin # "Happy Landing" , P. Harmann The original soundtrack album also includes "He's Gonna Step on You Again" , John Kongos..
Awards and Recognition
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 45 wins & 28 nominations total
- César Award for Best Foreign Film
- European Film Award for Best Film: Lars von Trier (9th European Film Awards)
- European Film Award for Best Film: Zentropa (9th European Film Awards)
- Amanda Award for Best Nordic Feature Film
- European Film Award for Best Actress: Emily Watson (9th European Film Awards)
- Silver nugget for the best foreign film
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Breaking the Waves (1996)?
The production budget was $7,500,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $3,750,000 - $6,000,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $11,250,000 - $13,500,000.
How much did Breaking the Waves (1996) earn at the box office?
Breaking the Waves grossed $3,803,298 domestic, $19,196,702 international, totaling $23,000,000 worldwide.
Was Breaking the Waves (1996) profitable?
Yes. Against a production budget of $7,500,000 and estimated total costs of ~$18,750,000, the film earned $23,000,000 theatrically - a 207% ROI on production costs alone.
What were the biggest costs in producing Breaking the Waves?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, Katrin Cartlidge); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production; international production across Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden.
How does Breaking the Waves's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $7,500,000, Breaking the Waves is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966, $7,500,000); Your Name. (2016, $7,500,000); (500) Days of Summer (2009, $7,500,000).
Did Breaking the Waves (1996) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What was the return on investment (ROI) for Breaking the Waves?
The theatrical ROI was 206.7%, calculated as ($23,000,000 − $7,500,000) ÷ $7,500,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Breaking the Waves (1996) win?
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 45 wins & 28 nominations total.
Who directed Breaking the Waves and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Lars von Trier, written by Lars von Trier, shot by Robby Müller, edited by Anders Refn.
Where was Breaking the Waves filmed?
Breaking the Waves was filmed in Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden. Von Trier initially wanted to film the exterior scenes on the west coast of Jutland, then in Norway, then in Ostende, Belgium, then in Ireland, before finally settling on Scotland. The graveyard was built for the film on the Isle of Skye; the church is in Lochailort, the harbour in Mallaig, and the beach in Morar. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Breaking the Waves
Official Trailer
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