Dogville (2003)
Country: DK/SV/FR/GB/GER/FIN/IT/NL/NOR
Technical: col/scope 178m
Director: Lars von Trier
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Harriet Andersson, Lauren Bacall, Jean-Marc Barr, Paul Bettany, Blair Brown, James Caan, Patricia Clarkson, Jeremy Davies, Ben Gazzara, Philip Baker Hall, Udo Kier, Chloë Sevigny, Stellan Skarsgård
Synopsis:
In a remote mountain community the doctor's son attempts to instil some moral self-awareness into his fellow citizens, but finds them to be staunchly defensive in the face of his implied criticism. His opportunity to 'illustrate' their misplaced complacency comes when a beautiful girl on the run throws herself on his and the town's mercy.
Review:
'Implied criticism' is very much what American critics saw when the town exploits, rapes and attempts to martyr its hapless asylum seeker. There are two immediate obstacles for the ordinary viewer here: the callousness of the township's inhumanity when their essential humanity has already been demonstrated; and the sudden onset of saintly Grace's vengeance. If you can cope with these, and the film's production values, shot as it is in a bare chalked set complete with Dogme-style jump cuts and whoozy focus pulls, then it offers an intense three hours' entertainment and some excellent acting (especially from Kidman). Von Trier, who seems to specialize in degrading his heroines, only to show off their transcendent, Madonna-like, state of beatification, here achieves a degree of formal cohesion that makes all the difference.
Country: DK/SV/FR/GB/GER/FIN/IT/NL/NOR
Technical: col/scope 178m
Director: Lars von Trier
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Harriet Andersson, Lauren Bacall, Jean-Marc Barr, Paul Bettany, Blair Brown, James Caan, Patricia Clarkson, Jeremy Davies, Ben Gazzara, Philip Baker Hall, Udo Kier, Chloë Sevigny, Stellan Skarsgård
Synopsis:
In a remote mountain community the doctor's son attempts to instil some moral self-awareness into his fellow citizens, but finds them to be staunchly defensive in the face of his implied criticism. His opportunity to 'illustrate' their misplaced complacency comes when a beautiful girl on the run throws herself on his and the town's mercy.
Review:
'Implied criticism' is very much what American critics saw when the town exploits, rapes and attempts to martyr its hapless asylum seeker. There are two immediate obstacles for the ordinary viewer here: the callousness of the township's inhumanity when their essential humanity has already been demonstrated; and the sudden onset of saintly Grace's vengeance. If you can cope with these, and the film's production values, shot as it is in a bare chalked set complete with Dogme-style jump cuts and whoozy focus pulls, then it offers an intense three hours' entertainment and some excellent acting (especially from Kidman). Von Trier, who seems to specialize in degrading his heroines, only to show off their transcendent, Madonna-like, state of beatification, here achieves a degree of formal cohesion that makes all the difference.
Country: DK/SV/FR/GB/GER/FIN/IT/NL/NOR
Technical: col/scope 178m
Director: Lars von Trier
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Harriet Andersson, Lauren Bacall, Jean-Marc Barr, Paul Bettany, Blair Brown, James Caan, Patricia Clarkson, Jeremy Davies, Ben Gazzara, Philip Baker Hall, Udo Kier, Chloë Sevigny, Stellan Skarsgård
Synopsis:
In a remote mountain community the doctor's son attempts to instil some moral self-awareness into his fellow citizens, but finds them to be staunchly defensive in the face of his implied criticism. His opportunity to 'illustrate' their misplaced complacency comes when a beautiful girl on the run throws herself on his and the town's mercy.
Review:
'Implied criticism' is very much what American critics saw when the town exploits, rapes and attempts to martyr its hapless asylum seeker. There are two immediate obstacles for the ordinary viewer here: the callousness of the township's inhumanity when their essential humanity has already been demonstrated; and the sudden onset of saintly Grace's vengeance. If you can cope with these, and the film's production values, shot as it is in a bare chalked set complete with Dogme-style jump cuts and whoozy focus pulls, then it offers an intense three hours' entertainment and some excellent acting (especially from Kidman). Von Trier, who seems to specialize in degrading his heroines, only to show off their transcendent, Madonna-like, state of beatification, here achieves a degree of formal cohesion that makes all the difference.