This is a gem, this is a piece of art. Yes, I loved Dogville from the very beginning of the movie. I knew I wouldn't be let down by Lars Von Trier. The story is very difficult to watch though, I felt so much pain for Grace's character. Anyway, this film shows that you don't need great locations to make a great film. The only thing you need is a solid scenario and some great actors!
Its not for the kindhearted, and not for all you blockbuster fans, but its really heartgripping, and its a great transformation, and as much as i hate to admit it, the ending is so ficking great and totally justified..
the movie searches the answer that paulho coelho was searching in one of his novel(The Devil and Miss Prym),that is are people good or bad in real.It starts with showing that people may seem good and slowly introduces you the bad side of the people beginning with the people that you may guess that they are bad , and continues until reaching your best friend .Here you ask yourself a question,is it so bad?isn't there any good people left?the movie says no with a dagger to grace from the person she most trusted.When you start asking questions to urself about what to do with such a cruelthy,the movie gives you an advice.."if they are bad,you gotta be worse".
if the ending wouldnt be so,i wouldnt love that movie..no i would not..i took a deep breath when grace told that the world would be better without dogville.The movie hurt me really bad..it was annoyingly sad.everyone got what he/she deserved in the end.duhh,if i would feel like watching this movie again, i will probably watch only the last 5 minutes.
On the count of everything that goes on in this film. The actors, the direction and the fact that everything is in a big studio with not much of a set at all and that it so fantastic forces me into giving this one the highest grade. It's my first Von Trier film but it will sure as hell not be my last.
As we are all subjects of our environments, who amongst us has the moral right to pass judgement unto others? This might be the controversial question von Trier poses in this incredibly original marriage of theatre and cinema in regards to capital punishment. Subtly filled with subtext about the hypocrisies of small-town U.S.A., a striking opening scene makes an audience sit up and take notice, while the hand-held style of filming thrusts them right in the middle of the community, making them part of it. The message at the end of the film is a pessimistic one; if truly judged then nobody is innocent, not even children, and if that is the case, then is the answer the annihilation of an entire community? Reflective of small town life, at almost 3-hours this film takes its time in telling its story, and what a story it is. At the very end, David Bowie's 'Young Americans' jolts a presumably numb and in shock audience back to their senses by blasting onto the screen over brutally honest images of the poverty-stricken. Lars von Trier proves he is nothing if not an auteur that is unafraid of taking risks and breaking boundaries in cinema.
Im a massive Lars fan and obvioulsy i had to clap my hands in the end..To see a Lars heroin winning was to exciting for me. I absolutely love this movie..Its like reading a book on screen and the open stage gives a beautiful sometimes disturbing image of whats happening around
A Lars Von Trier masterpiece. A brilliant and ground-breaking hybrid of cinema and theatre. Yes, it's extremely heavy but the rewarding and cathartic ending helps elevate this film into a genuinely complex moral dilemma. Throw in Bowie's song and it's pure genius. Also, interesting to note, Trier is also the camera operator. His eclectic and astonishing group of actors give him so much to work with. It's also amazing just how quickly we accept the world of Dogville. Trier just keeps pushing the envelope. He clearly is a brilliant writer/director.
Radical. Thirteen thumbs up! The concept could have been predictable. Thie events and the unfolding of the characters could have been unrealistic. The key word in those two sentances is [could]. The artistic interpretation of such a simple concept in this film is outstanding. Even more remarkable is the detached position each character plays, thus placing emphasis on illustrating the roles rather than actually acting them out. I am a cruel critic, scrutinizing every flaw as though it were magnified seven times, but after watching this film my were senses overwhelmed with the sensation of a rare mental exctasy. I immediately watched it a second time then loaned it to a friend. My friends response was "It was weird...but good." I like his description in all of its honest simplicity; not unlike the movie itself....honest simplicity.
interesting how it is style wise. the simple sets that make you really use yr imagination. but i just couldn't get thru it all the way. so maybe i shouldn't rate it.
It's brilliant in its conception, the twist/schocker is awesome, and Kidman is absolutely top-notch here, but unless you're a true movie connoisseur, you're probably gonna be turned off by the existential stage feel.
Unique and sparse stage design, illustrative narration and twisted conclusion. We sense that there's something afoot in this small dust bowl town and the mystery will serve as a thrilling surprise.
Don't let the lack of sets throw you, this is not a play. This is a greulling and brutal film, superbly written, performed, and directed.
Lars Von Treir is the master of making you question why the hell you are wasting your time watching one of his movies, until the closing minutes, when things don't so much as "twist" as come to a head, the films real message, real emotional peak is finally reached, giving the rest of the film, a new light to stand in.
The satire of American culture , and human nature in general, is as contentious and engenious as any commited to celluloid or print. This movie is the beginning of the "Land Of Oppurtunties Trilogy" started here and continued with more adventure of Grace in "Manderlay" a story about a Plantation where slavery never ceased to exist, after the civil war.
In any event, Dogville is easily, without a doubt or any sense of hesitation, one of the great films of the decade. See it.
One of my favorite movies. I interpret it to be sort of a story about Mercy and Justice. Humans need understanding and compassion, but they will never learn and become corrupt unless there is justice also. This is told through a sort of allegory like Jesus and God, and how Jesus has compassion but her father insists on justice. I read that it's supposed to have something to do with anti-americanism, which I can also see.
Dogville is one of those films where you can respect what a filmmaker is trying to do but doesn't really change the fact that it is an extremely flawed film. I highly respect Lars von Trier attempts to make something revolutionary (It's good to know after watching the awful beyond words Fool's Gold there is ambition in film.) However Dogville is almost as painful to watch as Fool's Gold only being redeemed by the cast. So I will not call this a pretentious film just a film that loses it's focus on story telling for it's visual elements.
This film was too experimental for me. I am usually not that critical but I am not into theather that much and thus it did not really pull me in. But Nicole really made the best out of the role and was impressive to watch. I also did like the ending.
Dogville is a highly original, disturbing but extremely slow-paced film from Lars Von Trier. I found it extremely difficult to get into at first, I felt like turning it off a couple of times, due to the movies lack of scenery and set, I kept thinking, where could this possibly go? It soon grabbed my attention after about 30 minutes.
Nicole Kidman was perfect for the role of Grace, she gave a mesmerizing performance. The rest of the cast do brilliant also and create some very intriguing characters. This film is fantastic drama which is very well written.
I must emphasize that this film is not for people with short attention spans but turns out to be a very rewarding watch nevertheless.
I knew I was going to hate DOGVILLE from the minute I read that it was in production. I did not relish the thought of spending three hours being lectured about what's wrong with my country by a man who has never been here. The concept of creating the town of Dogville in chalk lines on a stage sounded like pointless pretense itself. And the director was responsible for one of the most hideous cinematic hate crimes ever committed--BREAKING THE WAVES.
Then I saw the movie. And wouldn't you know it? It's a shattering picture of the condition of humanity and the nature of God, and one of the greatest films ever made. Shows what I know.
DOGVILLE is also one of the best cases in point for the idea that artistic works exist apart from their creators. Evidently, Lars von Trier didn't exactly intend for his film to have such universal power. A timeless, nationless story about the collision of wrath and grace (er, Grace) is all well and good, but von Trier wasn't trying to say something about people. He wanted to say something about America. And so we get the most chafingly out-of-place closing credits I've ever seen, as von Trier tries to force his film, with all its spiritual sweep, into a tiny political box.
Fortunately, the film is what it is, and it's out of von Trier's hands now. Just turn it off before the credits roll, and savor the miracle.
A great experiment Film. The story and the irony of it are perfect. Nicole Kidman shines in this Lars von Trier masterpiece. And it has one of the very best endings in Cinema history. No doubt.
Just like going to the theater to see a play. A short and deep journey into the cruelness of the human heart, told in a very original and unique way that only Von Trier could have carried so amazingly.
This was...boring and slow moving, and don't get me wrong I attempted to watch this film numerous times and I just couldn't ...the minimal set...and the play like feel bothered me I found it distracting...
The whole movie is a masterpiece, the way the story slowly developes, the way human egoism is framed in the characters, and the best of all, the way the end of the movie unmasks arrogance.
MCT:September 2, 2008
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