In Lars von Trier’s *Antichrist* (2009), the title is a philosophical and symbolic label rather than a literal character name. While the word "Antichrist" is **never spoken by any character** in the film, its significance is deeply embedded in the plot, the setting, and the psychological descent of the two protagonists.
### 1. Significance in Relation to the Plot
The title reflects a "reversal" of the Christian creation myth and a rejection of the idea that nature is a benevolent, divine creation.
* **Nature as "Satan’s Church":** The most direct link to the title is the female protagonist’s (identified only as "She") belief that "Nature is Satan’s church." This line is a central thesis of the film. She argues that because nature is a place of constant suffering, death, and chaos, it cannot be the work of a kind God. In this view, nature itself—and by extension, the human "nature" that leads to violence—is the Antichrist.
* **The Anti-Eden:** The couple retreats to a cabin in the woods named **Eden**. Instead of finding the biblical paradise, they encounter a "distorted Eden" filled with symbolic death: a stillborn fawn, a fox that disembowels itself, and a raven that cannot die. This setting represents the "fall" not as an expulsion from paradise, but as a realization that paradise was always a place of horror.
* **Gynocide and "The Evil of Women":** During her academic research on "gynocide" (the historical persecution of women/witches), "She" begins to internalize the misogynistic beliefs she was studying. She comes to believe that women are inherently evil because they are more closely tied to the chaotic, "satanic" world of nature (menstrual cycles, birth, and death). The film's logo stylizes the "t" in *Antichrist* as the female symbol (**♀**), directly linking the concept of the Antichrist to the female character and her reproductive power.
### 2. Direct References and Dialogue
As noted, no character says the word "Antichrist." However, they reference the theology and the entities behind it:
* **"She" (Charlotte Gainsbourg):** She delivers the most significant thematic line: *"Nature is Satan’s church."* She also speaks about the **Three Beggars** (the deer, fox, and crow), claiming that when they arrive, "someone must die." In her view, these creatures represent the arrival of the "Satanic" order.
* **"He" (Willem Dafoe):** Her husband, a rationalist therapist, dismisses her claims as "nonsense about Satan." His struggle represents the failure of human reason (the Apollonian) to control the "Dionysian" chaos of nature.
### 3. Philosophical Origins: Nietzsche
Lars von Trier has stated in interviews that the title was directly inspired by **Friedrich Nietzsche’s** book *The Anti-Christ*.
* **Rejection of Morality:** Much like Nietzsche, the film seeks to "transvalue" values, looking at a world "beyond good and evil."
* **The Death of Reason:** The title signifies the end of the "Christian" order of morality and the "rational" order of science, leaving the characters in a void where, as the fox famously says, **"Chaos reigns."**
### Specific Details for Context
* **The Prologue:** The child’s death at the beginning (while the parents are in a state of primal, sexual ecstasy) is the catalyst for "She" to view her own nature as evil, setting the stage for her "Antichrist" transformation.
* **The Three Beggars:** They represent **Pain, Grief, and Despair**. Their appearance in the woods confirms "She's" dark theology, leading to the final act of extreme violence and self-mutilation.