Dogville
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Movie Reviews of Dogville
Movie Review: Persevere and You'll Agree...A Truly Unique and Great Film
Summary: 5 Stars
I didn't see this film for quite some time largely because it received some bad reviews from a few mainstream critics (but some deservedly great reviews from others, that, I suspect, were more honest and less worried about possible reprisals from their employers. So much for a free press). I decided that taking a chance on the talented and beautiful Ms. Kidman wasn't taking much of a chance at all.
Nicole Kidman was perfect for this part. Her character is an innocent and truly good soul pathetically and obscenely exploited and denigrated by virtually all of the residents of Dogville, largely because they thought they could. As to it being anti-American, I would say that those who watch this movie and find the town of Dogville as representative of Americans are anti-American, and any Americans that see themselves as represented by "Dogville" deserve the same fate as their representatives in Dogville, or at least deserve to be forced to watch the movie again and again. The subject matter pertains to rotten people and just deserts everywhere, wherever the Grace's of this world may find them.
At first I thought I had rented one of those feared and dreaded "artsy-fartsy" movies that only a deluded few could appreciate, but as I persevered through the unusual set and protracted prologue and allowed the storyteller to tell his tale, I was very pleasantly surprised and rewarded. And you will be, too.
Movie Review: Profoundly Pro Human
Summary: 5 Stars
Its not too often that this happens while wallowing through the quamire that is the product of the movie industry, that a little gem is discovered. This movie is longer than most but in the process of excavating the mountains of garbage that one normally has to burrow through to find something that says something important, it shines out glissening from the mud.
The anti-American accusations are simply interesting and that is all. This is quite a normal response indeed to a fictious account of humans excoriating their souls for the purpose of self preservation as Americans do. But isn't the US village simply analogous of the rest of our brutal world? Americans do not have a monopoly on the bad human behavior depicted in Dogville. Humanity, just as individuals, are equally as pathetic as America, no more, no less and this incredibly articulate movie, brilliantly describes our sad condition so perfectly. And because it does this, it is warning us of our future imperatives and even informing our evolution. For this reason, it is profoundly pro human.
Many have talked about the technical and artistic attributes of this movie and so I have nothing to say about this except everyone involved in this piece of art has contributed to a cinematographic experience that I and others have not had for some time and will remember forever.
Thank You, Mark Cross, NIUE Is
Movie Review: Incredible, moving, creative, unique!
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this film blindly...I had no knowledge of it whatsoever. I had no idea about the anti-American accusations hurled against von Trier...until I looked at the official movie site and saw some idiotic comments by idiotic Americans.
I encourage people to read what von Trier has to say about this accusation. It was not the first time he'd be criticized for making a film about Americans without ever having been in the U.S. As he said, the people who made "Casablanca" had never been to Casablanca and THAT was really the only reason he made the setting a small American town. As others have mentioned, it could be any town, anywhere.
Frankly, I think the movie is pure genius. The sparse set is part of that. While distracting, at first, it becomes "normal." Eventually, you see the town that isn't there.
Human kindness IS fragile and the film is a wonderful examination of that. The only truly good person is Grace...and even she can't hang on to her virtues, given the choices life has given her and the treatment she has received.
If it was long, I didn't notice. Seemed like only a few minutes went by!
If you're looking for a film that follows all the standards of "blockbuster" formulas, this is not it. If you don't mind something unique, albeit disturbing, you should appreciate it.
Movie Review: Yes, it IS a love story, and it is a "feel-good" film
Summary: 5 Stars
You are probably wondering how Dogville, a film that has become famous for its sparse theater-like set and supposed anti-Americanisms could ever be considered a love story or uplifting. Well, it is uplifting because it holds up a mirror. Those who don't like what they see may be seeing themselves represented on screen.
Grace (Nicole Kidman) is the ideal character of the film, and yet she is persecuted and taken advantage of by good-intentioned (and emotionally-blind) citizens of Dogville. Tom is the man Grace slowly falls in love with, yet he is the same person leading the town's citizens into a moral crusade against her. The climax of the love story comes when Grace finally realizes Tom is not the good-hearted man she once loved, and acts accordingly. With the powerful words from her father (James Caan), Grace learns that she has been arrogant by not making people accountable for their cruelty, because she has not held others to the same moral standards she holds herself. She considers others incapable of those standards (and, considering she is an ideal character, she is probably right).
The core of the film is the love story--the disillusionment of Grace when she realizes the true nature of Tom. When Grace finally has her revenge, it is sweet for those of us who know what it is like to be persecuted.
Movie Review: One of the Best Movies I've Ever seen.
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie was spectacularly super amazing! It was almost like Our Town, in that it was set as a play... which caught me off guard and was weird... but I eventually learned to love this about the film and it complemented it well.
The story is very good and I got so into it and this is at like 5 in the morning when I can't sleep but almost am... I was just wide awake! You kind of get so emotionally raped by this movie because it plays with you like it knows it can and the ending is just so gratifying... I jumped up and said, "Yes!"
Nicole Kidman gives an amazing performance... perhaps her best beisdes a Virgina Wolfe character, which she won an Academy Award for. Another stand out in this movie was Paul Bettany who plays Tom Edison Jr. He is definitely a great up and coming actor. Lauren Bacall gives a great performance, as well. Finally, Patricia Clarkson, a fabulous actress, was just sensational. And there's anothe rlittle nice actor in there that I can't mention so as not ruin a surprise.
The beauty fo this movie was that it wasn't your typical feature film. Some may find in ignorance that it was cheap and boring, but I say find some culture. This picture is truly magnificent.
Dogville gets 5 stars and is rated as one of my favorite movies of all time now!