2. Bess McNeill - Breaking The Waves (1996)
Bess McNeill is a troubled soul with a history of mental health problems and an almost fanatical devotion to God thanks to her strict Calvinist upbringing. She marries a Norwegian oil rig worker called Jan who is away from home for long periods of time. Bess does not deal with this very well. She prays for Jan's immediate return and when he is promptly paralysed in an accident, she blames herself and her prayers. The couple can no longer indulge in sex, so Jan gets the idea that if Bess goes around having sex with random men, she can tell him all about the sexual encounters, thus somehow bringing them closer together. Bess is happy to comply with these demands, seeing them as God's will. But this soon results in a tragic end for poor Bess. Bess is portrayed with panache by Emily Watson in her breakout performance. It is a very long film - clocking in at two and a half hours - but the performances and intensity of the characters compel you to watch it. The last half hour, detailing Bess's destruction, is emotionally devastating to watch. If there is any thought in your head that Bess is sane - the thoughts will flutter away at the tragic outcome.