Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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115 of 130 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
LONG BUT WORTH IT (AND IT'S NOT ANTI-AMERICAN!), April 3, 2004
Von Trier has never been to America and has been known to have said that he is afraid to visit the U.S. With this in mind, it seems a little audacious if not viciously self-indulgent to make a film about the ugliness of human nature set in an American village. Critics have pounced on this feature of the movie, accusing von Trier of anti-Americanism. I feel such paranoid jibes completely miss the point: although Dogville is set in a fictional village in the Rockies during the Depression-era, it really could be any place, any time. It is anti-human-ugliness. The tagline reads "A quiet little town not far from here", and the sparse stage set reinforces that point. The viewer's imagination is meant to fill in the gaps, making Dogville their home town for nearly three hours. The theme veers around Grace (Nicole Kidman) arrives, seeking shelter from pursuing gangsters, the natives are reluctant to help. With the assistance of a local 'philosopher' (played by Paul Bettany), she eventually persuades the inhabitants to relent, and they grant her a two week trial period. During the fortnight, she manages to win the villagers over by performing good deeds, but gradually they begin to take advantage of her kindness and the rot sets in. This is an extremely long film, but it is definitely worth the effort. It is an allegory of staggering proportions, it deals with virtually every aspect of humanity and some of the most fundamental questions people can face, whilst maintaining a lightness of touch that makes the mental workout more than bearable. Did it have to be 3 hours? No. But nor did the Matrix or LOTR or the Titanic. So empty the tank, order a pizza and coke, and settle down for 180 minutes of cinematic genius.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very different film, October 20, 2004
I knew that this film was not traditional before seeing it, but I didn't know how non-traditional it actually was. At first, the minimalist set was jarring, but eventually my imagination filled in everything else and I was used to it. In fact, it really made me focus on the characters and not space out by watching the scenery or focusing on some small detail on the set.
As far as the story goes, I don't claim to have understood all the subtext or the commentary it was making on American life, but I still enjoyed it. Probably like others who have seen it, I was rooting for Grace to take her revenge, but when she did I felt a little guilty for having wished it.
I guess that was part of the point of the film - we all have a little Dogville in us.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Starts Slow, Stays Slow, but Packs a Powerful Wallop, July 29, 2005
Dogville is a movie that will disappoint most conventional viewers--I myself came close to turning it off a few times. There are a number of reasons for this: its more like a play than a movie (the "set" is really a stage), its extremely long (nearly 3 hours), its heavy on dialog but lite on action, the plot unfolds at the same rate that grass grows, and it doesn't fit into any traditional movie genre. However, if you can wade through all that, you'll discover Dogville delivers a powerful thesis on human nature that has plenty of "bite". The story itself is about a beautiful, fragile woman on the run (Grace) and the town that "befriends" her. Of course, neither Grace or the town are quite what they appear to be. Like a mean dog, the town eventually turns on the pure-hearted Grace--while she struggles to maintain her dignity and ideals. Perhaps the most pathetic character is Tom, the town's erstwhile philosopher and full-time layabout, who has professed his love for Grace (and she for he). Despite his role as the town's moral compass, Tom stands idly by as Grace is increasingly humiliated, abused, and ultimately enslaved by his fellow townsfolk--so much for true love. As the movie reaches its climax, Grace suffers a final betrayal at Tom's hands and the town is exposed for what it is (the transparency of the set itself helps reinforce this point). With her faith in the goodness of humanity gone, Grace ends up embracing what she once shunned. Will Dogville survive? And should it? The ending is appalling, yet satisfying from both a cinematic and emotional standpoint, and a James Caan cameo provides the icing on the cake. If you want to see a movie that showcases the best & worst of human nature, I highly recommend Dogville.
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