* POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
A new masterpiece by Lars von Trier. A most impressive film that reminded me a lot of "Breaking the Waves" (except for the ending). In the beginning, I had a bit of trouble with the shaky hand-held camera and the theater-like staging, but then I got sucked into the story and lived through it with all its ups and downs.
"Dogville" tells a heart- (and also gut-) wrenching story about a little town that is "tried" by the sudden appearance of a young female stranger. And the town fails.
While someone wrote here that the ending made them very happy, I was not happy at all. In my opinion, the ending expresses that even revenge cannot do anything about what has happened before. If someone takes revenge, they only do evil themselves. Once evil is done, it could only be eradicated by the clear acknowledgement of one's bad actions and by repentance, the film suggests I think. But neither character is capable of doing this, that is why Grace's tragedy engenders another, even more devastating one.
I think those who talk about anti-Americanism in the respect of "Dogville" are wrong. This story is about the nature of human evil (and the evil in human nature) and thus universal.
A most impressive, moving film that makes you think a lot afterwards. I recommend it to all open-minded people who are not put off by the experimental staging and the length of the film (which I didn't even realize as I was so absorbed by the story).
A new masterpiece by Lars von Trier. A most impressive film that reminded me a lot of "Breaking the Waves" (except for the ending). In the beginning, I had a bit of trouble with the shaky hand-held camera and the theater-like staging, but then I got sucked into the story and lived through it with all its ups and downs.
"Dogville" tells a heart- (and also gut-) wrenching story about a little town that is "tried" by the sudden appearance of a young female stranger. And the town fails.
While someone wrote here that the ending made them very happy, I was not happy at all. In my opinion, the ending expresses that even revenge cannot do anything about what has happened before. If someone takes revenge, they only do evil themselves. Once evil is done, it could only be eradicated by the clear acknowledgement of one's bad actions and by repentance, the film suggests I think. But neither character is capable of doing this, that is why Grace's tragedy engenders another, even more devastating one.
I think those who talk about anti-Americanism in the respect of "Dogville" are wrong. This story is about the nature of human evil (and the evil in human nature) and thus universal.
A most impressive, moving film that makes you think a lot afterwards. I recommend it to all open-minded people who are not put off by the experimental staging and the length of the film (which I didn't even realize as I was so absorbed by the story).