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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Lions Gate
Salesrank: 4901
Released: August 24, 2004 |
| Our Price: $1.99 |
| Used Price: $1.39 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
GRACE ARRIVES IN THE ISOLATED TOWN OF DOGVILLE, ON THE RUN FROM GANGSTERS. THE TOWN AGREES TO HIDE HER. HOWEVER, WHEN OUTSIDERS START LOOKING FOR THE FUGITIVE, THE LOCALS MAKE DEMANDS OF HERIN EXCHANGE FOR HARBORINGHER. BUT SHE HAS A SECRET & ITSDANGEROUS. DOGVILLE MAY REGRET IT EVER DECIDED TO BARE ITS TEETH
Description of Dogville:
The latest galvanizing and controversial film from Lars von Trier (Dancer in the Dark, Breaking the Waves, The Kingdom), Dogville uses ingenious theatricality to tell the Depression-era story of Grace (Nicole Kidman, The Others), a beautiful fugitive who stumbles onto a tiny town in the Rocky Mountains. Spurred on by Tom (Paul Bettany, Master and Commander), who fancies himself the town's moral guide, the citizens of Dogville first resist Grace, then embrace her, then resent and torment her--little realizing they will pay a price for their selfish brutality. The town is indicated by fragments of building and chalk outlines on a soundstage floor, stylishly pointing to the movie's roots in classic plays (particularly Thornton Wilder's Our Town and Friedrich Durrenmatt's The Visit). Several critics have stridently attacked Dogville as anti-American, but the movie's dark, compelling view applies as easily to Rwanda, Bosnia, the Middle East, or pretty much anywhere in the world. Also featuring Lauren Bacall, Patricia Clarkson, Jeremy Davies, Stellan Skarsgârd, Chloe Sevigny, and many more. --Bret Fetzer
Dogville Reviews:
Sometimes the hardest words to hear are the ones we need to hear the most... 
2009-12-29 - `Dogville' is one of those films that you really have to see multiple times to really appreciate. Maybe that is the case with all good films, for no film can really be considered a masterpiece after one solitary viewing (or can they?). I've seen `Dogville' a number of times, and even though I was quick to laud it after one viewing alone, it has really settled with me as one of the most important and most controversially monumental films of the past decade, maybe even forever, the more I see it.
With each frame, director Lars von Trier has captured something so organic and so human it is the epitome of brilliance.
Now, I totally understand why people may hate this film, or find it pretentious and `artsy' (I really hate that label). For me, this is BY FAR von Trier's finest film. It is visual impacting, morally aggressive and seemingly conflicted in its direction. The films final moment (where everything comes to a brutal and shocking conclusion) is one of the most visually and mentally exhausting sequences in film this past decade (maybe even forever) and it is for that reason that I feel this film could be labeled confusing or even pointless. It is far from pointless, but I can see why some may draw that conclusion. The films pacing and the way in which the film is painted (the stale, almost vacant visual surroundings) can be off-putting to some, especially those belonging to the A.D.D. generation spawned by overindulgence in Michael Bay cinema. That addressed, it is the pacing and seemingly plain surroundings that add so much depth to the production. The chalk outlined template used as the basis for the films unraveling has so much meaning and carries with it so much weight. Sure, it is definitely `artsy', but it is art with a direct and poignant message.
Let me just say, labeling a film `artsy' in an attempt to discredit it as `trying to hard' or not really being `entertainment' is a joke when you consider the fact that cinema is an art form used as a way to express the opinions and concerns of the writer/director/actors.
`Dogville' tells the story of Grace, a beautiful stranger fleeing gangsters who winds up in the small town of Dogville seeking some sort of solace. Tom, the towns moral guide, persuades the townsfolk to give Grace a chance, and while they are at once skeptical, they let their guard down and welcome Grace into their lives. She performs various odd-jobs for the townsfolk and garners their respect and friendship, until they label her costly and decide to take full advantage of her in order to make up for what she `could' cost them in the end. They eventually turn to tormenting her (in brutal and rather grotesque ways) which leads to one of the most heartbreaking and gut-wrenching conclusions in cinematic history.
The coldness is haunting.
The film is a brilliantly conceived piece of filmmaking that really develops and portrays a consistent and powerful line of thinking. Von Trier understands how to create a deeply compelling story with very little at his disposal. The fact that the film is not tied down or overstuffed with any visual grandeur also helps keep our focus on the unraveling plot, which dissects the morality of human frailty magnificently.
To say that understanding `Dogville' means that we understand the darkest parts of our very being would not be an overstatement.
With sublime acting on all fronts (Patricia Clarkson is at her brutal best and deserves to be singled out here) and a steady and capable man sitting in the director's chair, `Dogivlle' is a masterpiece. Few films address such poignant and controversial subjects with the blunt honesty needed to make the audience truly listen to what is being spoken. Sure, it can be aggressive and distasteful to some, but maybe that is because this film says something we don't want to hear.
But maybe we need to hear it.
What Hollywod has lost.
2009-06-01 - No props only tape lines where houses and stores would be on an empty stage. Dialogue carries this film and even though there are no props, the director has you seeing the town clearer than the real thing. once again another film made that does not need SFX to be great. Great movie to own for true film and story lovers...HAVE FUN!
'X'
Extraordinary
2009-04-22 - When I first uncovered the book, in it's packaging, I expected to find a rather used book. I was, however, surprised to find that, not only was the book well protected in the mailing, but it appeared brand new. I am extremely pleased with this transaction, and thank everyone concerned in making this purchase worth waiting for.
Disturbingly Brilliant Expose of the Dance of Polarity
2009-04-08 - This is about as far away as one can get from a 'feel good' flick, yet it is undeniably powerful and delivers a most difficult subject to ponder that really is one of the central themes to the human experience: the delicate balance between good and evil and how one navigates in the waters of extreme polarity. Director Lars von Trier has created a uniquely affecting tale that is played out on a single soundstage with only the most basic of non-human elements so that the focus can be exclusively on the relationships of the people in 'Dogville'. And it is this intense development of the dynamics of the character's interactions that makes this film the powerful statement it is.
What we see in the gradually developing story of Dogville is how noble traits such as good intentions, giving, forgiveness and long suffering - when taken to the extreme - can actually empower evil and destroy oneself. It seems to me the message in this film is that self love is equally important as love for others. And so, we are taught an important lesson of Balance here. This issue comes to a dramatic pinnacle with Grace's conversation with her gangster-boss father (James Caan) near the end of the film in the back of his limo. They both represent arrogance in polarized opposite ways: hers of the lightside; his of the dark.
In the end, Grace chooses to 'balance the scales' in order to find her own peace and resolution for the horrors inflicted upon her. We witness karmic debt being cancelled as Dogville goes up in flames. In my sense of fairness, it couldn't have ended any other way, and be truthful. I say this not to condone the actions she ultimately chooses here: the movie is what it is. It's a lesson in just how out of balance one can become in trying to 'love' others that we actually become that which we hate: In Grace's case, her altruism taken to the extreme ultimately transforms her into violent retribution. We are left to speculate that she could have created a much different and more humane outcome simply by not allowing herself to become the doormat for all those who did indeed exploit her. That would have not been possible unless she played the role she played. Had she embraced more self respect and defined her boundaries, the nasty outcome would most probably have been aborted entirely. What we see played out here is the natural result of embracing extremes of polarity. The truth (and sanity) lies in a healthy balance between the two.
This is a most unique and thought-provocative film about what it means to be human and live in the cosmic soup of good and evil that we find ourselves in. I believe that most people desire to be good and kind to their neighbor. However, there are healthy limits to how much abuse one can take and if we do not also be kind to ourselves, we are out of balance and we end up with a mini (or major)-Dogville on our hands. This is an issue that is central to everyone's life to some degree and one we must all come to resolution with eventually. In contemplating this further, was it not her own fear that inspired her playing the role of doormat? She wanted to 'be saved'. THAT was her foundational error.
Nicole Kidman's acting in this film is probably the best of her career. She is convincing as the archetypical altruistic martyr as she continually chooses to overlook the bad behaviour of those around her, making allowances for their 'weaknesses' and deliberately forgives those who exploit her. Excellent also is Paul Bettany as Tom, who is also an archetype of an all too common character: seemingly kind and good-hearted at first, but when push comes to shove is revealed to be a weak, spineless, self-serving wimp with no real integrity. With Tom, goodness is really all just 'appearance'. There are many archetypes of dysfunctional humans in this film... it is indeed a cross section of humanity. (May God have mercy on us all). Director Trier developes all characters with equal skill as he weaves the tale in layer upon layer of psychological intrigue.
This film is not easy to watch, for it's really a study of the dark side of humanity. But I think it is a necessary one. It is also a rather long film, and it did take me a little while for it to grab and sustain my attention, due to the unorthodox 'theatrical' setting which took some getting used to just because it so 'different'. But due to the many excellent reviews here I persevered and I'm glad I did for once I allowed myself to become part of the Dogville world, I was quite affected. Dogville reveals itself to be a powerful metaphor for the entire world and all of humanity. Yes, we indeed live in a realm of the predator and the prey, and it seems the thing that matters most is not the ultimate outcome but how we choose to navigate our way through the treacherous waters: how fairly we treat ourselves, as equally as how fairly we treat others.
Substance worth pondering indeed.
Fascinating and infuriating, in other words, a typical Lars von Trier film... 
2009-03-21 - Denmark's Lars von Trier, one of their finest directors, is also one of the most polarising filmmakers today. He's been rather quiet as of late, not making a film since 2005, but he's still out there. This film, Dogville, alternates between being brilliant, astonishing, and frustrating, but it's undeniably a work of art that has many cheering at the end and some demanding their money back.
The film is shot in von Trier's hand held, digital video style that he's used since his TV series, The Kingdom (this was the series that Kingdom Hospital was based on). While I generally dislike hand held camerawork (it's way overdone in my opinion), von Trier's hand held style is not straightforward. It's a hand held/jump cut style, where von Trier gets to the heart of the scene with no desire for strict continuity. In the hands of a lesser director, this would be a disaster, but in the hands of Lars, it works amazingly well. Von Trier operates the camera himself, with his director of photography Anthony Dod Mantle (the cinematographer who recently won an Academy Award for his work on Slumdog Millionare).
This film concerns itself with many things. America, idealism (and foolish idealism), hypocrisy, anger, foolishness, and the darker side of human nature. The film is shot entirely on a soundstage with very few props, like Thorton Wilder's Our Town, where you imagine most of what's going on. This technique lends itself to deeply fascinating shots, where von Trier holds a long shot where you can see inside two houses, and see what's going on in one house, while something related is going on in another house. It creates a startling distancing effect, and it's quite effective.
John Hurt's narration is quite caustic and acerbic, and he reads it very well. The performances are very good, with Nicole Kidman and Paul Bettany particularly good. The only thing I don't really like about this work is the rather stilted English dialogue. Von Trier has filmed in English many times, but his dialogue always has a tendency to be "learned" American English rather than "natural" American English. He opens himself up to criticism rather easily because he's never actually been to America (he's afraid of flying). Still, Dogville is worth watching. It's von Trier's longest work (at 177 minutes), but it's fascinating and quite often difficult to watch, but it's worth it.
