This nearly 3 hour film which is set entirely on a sound stage and filmed like an intimate theatrical production would test just about anyone’s patience. I’m not going to lie. I bought the DVD brand new for about the equivalent of $2US in my local Panamericana store. I had been meaning to watch it since I had read some interesting things about it. The performances are led by Nicole Kidman and Paul Bettany with an imposing supporting cast including Lauren Bacall, James Caan and Philip Baker Hall. It’s also wonderfully narrated by John Hurt. Dogville is an art-house film and Kidman delivers an “A” class performance. She has definitely never lacked the courage to perform in experiential cinema.
I was wondering if I even should have included it on Friday’s-finest since it’s not exactly a movie I would recommend to anyone unless that any one wanted to rack their brains watching a slow parable being told set in a poverty stricken small town of America during the depression called Dogville. I mean the premise sounds interesting: Kidman plays a woman on the run from the mob and police and she is reluctantly accepted in this small town. In exchange, she agrees to work for them. As a search visits the town, she finds out that their support has a higher price to pay than she had foreseen. But who is this woman and why is she on the run?
Only you can’t see Dogville. The “town” and its streets, houses and vegetation are all represented by chalked lines on a flat studio floor the size of a football pitch, with bits and pieces of exterior and interior buildings.
It’s best to approach Dogville from the perspective of not expecting to be entertained by the story but instead challenged to interpret the symbolism of this tragic tale. If it’s taken too literally; its surface narrative could be interpreted as intriguing of sorts, but fatally cynical. However if it is viewed metaphorically like a parable of the gospels or even with a particular philosophical concept in mind like Stoicism or Nietzscheism then you should find plenty of meat on Lars Von Trier’s bone to chew on. What it doesn’t shy away from is exposing Humanism as a fatal flaw.
The following is a Spoiler in an allegorical sense, but don’t say I didn’t warn you if you intend on seeing Dogville:
If one considers ‘Grace’ (Kidman character) to be a Christ-like figure as I did, then one can also consider her father to be like the Old Testament’s Yahweh. There is in fact a limit to God’s love, when one considers the Christian perspective on the divine judgement of souls. The final act, where Dogville gets its just desserts, can be viewed as a metaphor for this Final Judgement and God’s wrath acted upon the wicked and evil, with the mobsters acting as the heavenly host of vengeful angels. Or you could also view the whole movie and the soundstage as the temptation of Christ where Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert and Satan appeared to him and tried to tempt him. Grace’s father appears to Grace in the final act in her Mount of Olives Gethsemane moment where she anguishes over the fate of the people who had sinned against her.
If you have read this far into my post you will have ascertained that Dogville certainly hit all my right buttons as far as being philosophically exigent. As Will Self put it in the London even Standard: ‘The viewer is regaled with more philosophising on the meaning of social responsibility, communal values and existential angst than he might reasonably hope to witness in a lifetime’s cinema- going.’
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Nicely written
Thank you.
It’s really not a typical movie watching experience. Good for you for braving it!
I couldn’t commit to a three hour art-house, but your synopsis is really well written. Actually, now that I think about it, I’ve spent three hours perusing Netflix looking for a decent film, with no success, so… there’s that.
I can quite easily commit to a 3 hour Tarkovsky movie like ‘Stalker’, but this one was quite a slog, but worth it in the end because it got me ‘thinking’ and not many movies do that these days. So what you’re saying is you can be quite picky about what you want to invest your time watching to the point you spend more time searching than actually viewing something. I can understand that. I on the other hand don’t have enough time to see the all the movies I have on the back-burner. I would like to commit to watching one new movie everyday, but often I don’t find the time. Having said that I just got back from the cinema after watching my third movie at the flicks this week. I can’t remember the last time I did that.
Movies are a great escape! I was being facetious when I said I take longer to find something to watch than the actual watching, but for anyone who has Netflix, they may relate!
The duration of the film is very limited to watch, but the cast is interesting. Seeing it at home is more recommended. Anyway, you make an excellent synopsis and therein lies the desire to see it.
Good to see you back Tourist! How is Chile? I would love to visit Chile one day. I almost always prefer to see a movie at the cinema, but Dogville might be one of the few more conducive to the smaller screen. Thanks for your kind comments.
This time I don’t come from tourism. I will reside in Santiago. A very advanced city with European dye. There are great places to know and so far I am having a great time. A hug.
That’s fantastic. I’ve heard Chile is now quite the developed country. Bravo. Te cuidas mucho alla!
Claro que si. Gracias
I’ve seen the title of this movie but never have watched. I’ve always liked Nicole Kidman…this is a kind of movie you plan for…not just pull it out to watch something. Great write up.
Yes, it’s one of those few movies where I consider it advantageous to be well informed of – going into. Thanks Bad!
Andre Tarkovsky came to mind while reading your review. I see you are a fan.
I’m not across that much of his work, just Andrei Rublev, Stalker and Solaris. I was captivated by Stalker. I would like to see ‘Mirror’. How about you?
I have a copy of Mirror also Rublev and Solaris. Need to revisit. Mirror is the most personal of the three. Love the sequence of the bell maker that end Rublev.
Yes, I’ve read that about ‘Mirror’. I need to revisit Rublev, since it left me cold. But that was so long ago when I saw it.