Dogville

Dogville is a film of Lars von Trier carried out in 2003, with Nicole Kidman, Paul Bettany, Lauren Bacall, Stellan Skarsgård, James Caan and well of others. It is a parabola using a minimal decoration to tell the history of an young girl, Grace , fugitive taking refuge in the town of Dogville.

The film is the first of the trilogy entitled USA-Land off Opportunities followed Manderlay (February 2005), and Wasington (2007).

Dogville with fact part of the official selection of the Cannes festival 2003.

Data sheet

Title: Dogville
original Title: Dogville
Realization: Lars von Trier
Scenario: Lars von Trier
Production: Vibeke Windeløv
Music: Antonio Vivaldi
Photography: Anthony Dod Mantle
Film Danish
Coming out date in France: May 19th 2003 (First)
Kind: Dramatic

Lasted: 178 min. (2h58)
Budget: 10 ' 000 ' 000$

Distribution

Nicole Kidman: Grace Margaret Mulligan
Harriet Andersson: Gloria
Lauren Bacall : My Ginger
Jean-Marc Barr: The Mister with the large hat
Paul Bettany: Tom Edison
Blair Brown: Mrs. Henson
James Caan: The large Mister
Patricia Clarkson: Vera
Jeremy Davies: Bill Henson
Ben Gazzara: Jack McKay
Philip Baker Hall: Tom Edison father
Thom Hoffman: Gangster
Zeljko Invanek: Ben
John Hurt: The narrator

Setting in scene

The history of Dogville is told by John Hurt in nine chapters and proceeds in a minimal decoration: Some walls and pieces of furniture are placed on scene, the remainder being simulated by white lines traced by ground, as well as a legend for certain objects. For example, the Groseillier S are represented by circles, and the text " Groseilliers" is registered at side. If this type of setting in scene is largely used in black Théâtre , it is the first time that one can see the use in a film of it. This setting in scene was selected in order to pay the attention on the actors and the history.

The film was made to Trollhättan, in Sweden.

The history of Dogville is told in nine chapters with a short description of each chapter given before its diffusion.

Synopsis

Prolog

Dogville is an American small town located in the Rocky Mountains with like access road a single road. The film begin with a prolog in which we make knowledge with the score of inhabitants which constitutes the bourgarde. They are presented as cordial people whose small defects are easy to forget.

The city is seen from the point of view of Tom (Paul Bettany), a writer bleaches on grass some who tergiversates while trying to bring together his fellow-citizens with periodic meetings. It is obvious that Tom wants to succeed his father as a moral and spiritual guide of the city.

Chapter 1

In which Tom hears gunfire and meets Grace (In which Tom hears shots and makes the meeting of Grace.)

Tom makes the meeting of Grace (Nicole Kidman), which is continued by gangsters drawing to him above. Grace, beautiful but modest woman, wants to continue her escape, but Tom ensures to him that it will be able to carry on only with difficulty her way on the mountain which becomes dangerous. While they speak, the gangsters approach the city. Tom then hides quickly Grace in the mine of coal located at the entry of the village. One of the gangsters asks Tom if he would not have seen the young woman whom they seek, which declines, then the gangster promises a reward to him if he has suddenly seen it, and a chart with a phone number gives him to which he will be able to call.

Tom decides to use Grace like " it; for its next meeting, a manner of proving with its fellow-citizens whom they are engaged with the values of a community by helping the young woman. They remain skeptics, then Tom proposes to leave in Grace a second chance to prove that it is a good person. Grace is accepted for two weeks, during which Tom explains to him that it must convince the citizens of the city to like it.

Chapter 2

In which Grace follows Tom' S plan and embarks upon physical ploughing. (In which Grace follows the plan of Tom and undertakes physical labors.)

To the suggestion of Tom, Grace offers his services and carries out tasks like speaking in Jack McCay (Ben Gazzara), blind man, helping to manage the small store, to supervise the children of Chuck (Stellan Skarsgård) and Vera (Patricia Clarkson), etc After some reserves, the inhabitants accept to help it in exchange of these superfluous drudgeries but which make nevertheless the life better. It becomes a citizen of the city then. After the two weeks, everyone is of agreement on the fact that it can remain.

Chapter 3

In which Grace indulges in has shady part off provocation. (In which Grace is the subject of doubtful provocations.)

On a common tacit agreement, it continues its drudgeries which it makes with pleasure and is, in addition, paid modestly in return. Grace even starts to bind friendship with some of the inhabitants of Dogville, of which Jack McKay, an old blind man who claims not the being; Grace succeeds in making him admit that it is it.

Chapter 4

Happy times in Dogville. (Merry period with Dogville.)

But when the police force comes to Dogville, and places a poster Portée disappeared from Grace on the church, general mood is darkened. Will they cooperate with the police force?

Chapter 5

Fourth off July after all. (on July 4th.)

But the things occur normally until the July 4th, festival national. Tom acknowledges his love for Grace awkwardly, and the inhabitants make him understand that the life in the city improved thanks to it. Then the police force returns, and posts a poster Wanted : Grace is required for a banking business of flight. Everyone is appropriate that it must be innocent since on this date there it daily achieved the drudgeries for the inhabitants.

Nevertheless, Tom argues on the fact that being given the increased risk which the city with hiding takes, Grace must Quid pro quo make more tasks. From there, which was a voluntary tacit agreement tends to becoming a constraint since Grace is reticent with this idea. However, since it is indebted towards Tom, and that it does not want to displease to him, it accepts.

Chapter 6

In which Dogville bares its teeth. (In which Dogville reveals its teeth.)

At this stage, the situation worsens: During its additional drudgeries, Grace makes some errors inevitably, but people at whom her place works are indifferently irritated by this new way of life and reject all on Grace. the situation intensifies more or less, with the sexual advances several of the men of the city, and the abusive and asymptotic requirements of the women. Even the children put themselves at it: The Jason, certainly smallest of the children of the city (10 years), the child of Chuck and Vera, request with Grace to give him smackings. This, until it accepts several of these provocations. Thereafter, Chuck, while returning at makes his place, him blackmail: either it lets it violate it or it gives its scarf (proof that it is there) to the police officers which is outside. It accepts the blackmail on the blow, and is thus made violate. These situations oblige it to be denied the exploitation of the others…

Chapter 7

In which Grace finally gets enough off Dogville, leaves the town, and again sees the light off day. (In which Grace finally decides to leave Dogville in order to see light of day again.)

After discussions with Tom on the possibilities that it has to escape, Grace is blamed by Vera because of the smackings given to Jason, and to make, be-saying, of the eye to her Chuck husband. Vera threatens Grace to destroy its porcelain headstocks which it bought downtown (manufactured artisanalement) thanks to its thin wages (saved). Grace requires grace of him, recalling to Vera how much the latter was content when, formerly, the fugitive one made include/understand the stoical doctrines with his/her children. In answer, Vera defies Grace to apply this one while not crying to the destruction of two of its figurines (seven in all), in which case it will destroy them all. But Grace melts in tear, then Vera destroys them all. The symbol of its membership of destroyed the east city, it knows now that it must leave. With the assistance of Tom and Ben, the owner of the truck of transport, it tries to escape in his truck from apples, opportunity from which Ben will profit to make him pay a supplement in kind ( “It is not personal. I… must just apply the tariffs” ), for finally making it return to Dogville without it knowing it, by pretexting that it hid without its knowledge in its truck.

The city is appropriate that it should not flee any more. Money that Thanks to used to pay Ben was stolen by Tom with his father (without it knowing it, it believed that he had borrowed it), Grace is marked. Tom refuses to acknowledge under pretext that it is in this only manner that it will be able to protect Grace without its fellow-citizens not suspectent it. From there, the statute of Grace is definitively regarded as slave, because it is colletée by a chain with the neck with a heavy metal wheel which will prevent it from passing by nonflat ways (thus out of the borders the city). More still humiliating: around its collar , a cloche.
It is the sexual and domestic slave of all the city. Tom is the only man of the city not to violate it.

Chapter 8

In which there has meeting where the truth is told and Tom leaves (only to return later). (In which a meeting is organized where all the truth will be said, and where Tom leaves (to return later).)

A meeting is organized by Tom in whom Grace tells all the truth, all that it will have endured on behalf of everyone in the city, then it leaves in its room. Obstructed and completely not of agreement, the population of Dogville decides that it is necessary to get rid of her. When Tom goes in the room of Grace, it tries to make love with her, being the only adult man not to have had a sexual relationship with her. But Grace refuses. Tom leaves, calls personally the gangsters, and later proposes by a unanimous vote that Grace must be locked up with key in its cant-room.

Chapter 9

In which Dogville receives the length-awaited visit and the film ends. (In which Dogville receives the visit so much awaited and where the film finishes.)

When the gangsters arrive finally, they are accommodated cordially by Tom, and a committee composed impromptu of other people of the city. Grace is freed and one learns finally who it is really: the girl of the owner of the gangsters. She was flees because she does not like the dirty job of her father. His/her father confronts it in his cadillac and says to him that it is arrogant not to consider the others as it is considered, from the point of view of the good deeds/ill deeds. Initially, she refuses to listen, but she looks at people of the city, she is obliged to approve: she would like to condemn all these people at worst the punishments if she regarded them as them considered it, and it would be inhuman that it is not thus.

Then it agrees to become again the girl of its father, and its first request with the capacity will be to eliminate the city. In particular, it gives the order to make burn the children of Vera, and to say to him that if it does not cry, they will stop.

The film finishes in crescendo violence, the city is burned and each citizen of the city - women and children included is brutally assassinated by the gangsters on the direct order of Grace. All, except Tom who is killed by Grace itself. Whereas ashes of Dogville smoke behind it, it discovers the last survivor of Dogville: Braces, the dog of Dogville…

Analyzes

Dogville is a history where the gasoline of the human condition is represented magistralement in each actor of film. Humble farmer, the professor érudite or the marginalized blind man, all share this tendency, part intrinsic of the history and metaphysics human, to vilely use its capacity on the others. Veiled capacity, uncovered by the thick coat of a company endogame and transformed into repression.

One could trace the stories of sequential form like a Normal curve : with the arrival of Grace, the curve turns, like the feelings and the positive values of first half of film, the friendship, kindness, the hope; this curve twists just in the medium and the beginning of depression, where grow these hidden aspects which control the behaviors of the inhabitants of Dogville, repression, humiliation and the abuse… Finally, Grace says all the truth, nature of the human being and the assimilation when she orders to assassinate all the inhabitants.

The role of Tom is undoubtedly remarkable. Given for to illustrate at the community the search of a higher morality, it is presented in the form of a spectator more than the facts, incompetent to face them and subjected in a hypocritical situation that despite everything it does not seek to rationalize. It is the single one which will die directly with the hands of the protagonist.

Dogville is one of these films which does not leave indifferent person. This art is from time to time exploited, then appears a small jewel which shows that all was not invented. Dogville launches like a dart the gasoline even of the human spirit. It is an allegory on the company and, more largely, on the states and governments. The margin of interpretations is wide and causes at the spectator these crucial questions carried out since the beginning of times and which make us human.

One speaks of course about a setting in detailed scene, in the form and the content, with theatrical tendencies. In reference to the decoration, all the stories extend since the same place, Dogville, built by an interior decoration of a very particular form: the directors omitted all the walls and surface objects of the people, and in their places, they represented lines traced on the black ground. Each delimited zone is announced by its name, such as for example “House of Tom Edison” , the “Street of the Young elm” , etc It is a risked bet, as well from the esthetic point of view as set of themes, but the splendid declining atmosphere and claustrophobic whom the scene acquires make forget with the spectator the lack of the meublage and center the attention on the characters and the dialogs. There is not only one capricious detail, of the light in the plans, including the poster at the entry of the mine of the people Dictum ac factum , reflection of ironic mood and black which is found in all film.

A cinematographic experiment of singular form, written and directed by Lars von Trier, cofounder of the movement Dogme95. It does not block this work, it does not obey all the rules of its own proclamation or simply, it has them arranged with its manner. Inter alia reasons, he was criticized very negatively in some sectors; but its form avant-gardist, innovating and always polemic to make cinema collected splendid opinions among criticisms, first among the most prestigious contests and most important, success near the general public. Undoubtedly this author, as all the artists who were able to break the moulds and invented new forms, will convert himself (or perhaps it is already) into a world reference in his discipline.

External bonds

the official site
Study of film on Critical Cinéchronique
of the film
Analysis on the site of a film enthusiast

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