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134 of 153 found the following review helpful:
LONG BUT WORTH IT (AND IT'S NOT ANTI-AMERICAN!)Apr 04, 2004
By Shashank Tripathi
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.
26 of 27 found the following review helpful:
 Disturbing and Brilliant...Most Unique Film I Have Ever SeenDec 01, 2005
By Rebecca Papin
"Literary Connoisseur"
I've gone back and forth between thinking that this film is incredibly sick and incredibly brilliant. I still can't make up my mind, so all I can say is that is the most unique film I have ever seen: a very sick and amazing film, showing the darkness of the human heart when there are no rules to protect its victim. It starts out very slow, but gets good after 30 minutes (it is nearly 3 hours long). The violence of this film surpasses Pulp Fiction, but in a much more subtle way (if I was to say any more I would give the whole film away). The symbolism is worthy of analysis...a film student could write for days about what they see in this film...and afterwards, your mind will be racing and trying to make sense of it all. This is, in my opinion, the best work Nicole Kidman has ever done.
18 of 21 found the following review helpful:
Refreshingly UncinematicDec 04, 2004
By J. Fregosi
I really admire love it or hate it movies. These projects may be just God-awful to some people, but I admire the bravado these films have in taking real risks where Hollywood is content to follow the Xerox copy formula.
Dogville represents a very theatrical point-of-view. Its style seems more at home on Masterpiece Theatre then the silver screen. This is what makes it all the more engaging to me. The stripped-bare quality lets you really become involved with the characters and the situation. If a real town would have been there, it would only serve to distract you from what von Trier knew all too well: a town is only the people who make it up. By removing the town walls, the characters are open to us at all times. Likewise, the barries they put to their souls are removed as well.
I didn't find Dogville to be really anti-American. Instead I found a universal message which is unsettling as it is true. "It's very easy for ordinary people to justify being horrific to other human beings."
Dogville is not for anyone who feels they have to be pulled into a movie. It is very much for the people who engage themselves.
15 of 18 found the following review helpful:
Very different filmOct 20, 2004
By R. Koehn
"compulsive shopper"
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.
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Starts Slow, Stays Slow, but Packs a Powerful WallopJul 29, 2005
By Joe Banks
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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