Review of Dogville (2003) by Alex V — 20 Nov 2009
Love him or hate him-- Lars Von Trier doesn't care. He is a great cinema artist and knows it. With 'Dogville' he delivers his third English-language masterpiece in a row, after 'Breaking the Waves' and 'Dancer in the Dark'.
This is the most audacious, maddening, arrogant, and thought provoking of the three. Working with a fantastic, bold Nicole Kidman and a strong international cast, Von Trier ferociously brings his tale of American oppression, distrust, and brutality to the screen.
His approach is genius, using a stage with chalk outlines (to outline the various areas of the titular town), God's-view overhead angles, and a calm, often ironic voice over by John Hurt to grab us by the throat and force a reaction.
Its like nothing i've ever seen before-an indisputably original piece of work. Like with his other films, Von Trier puts his female protagonist in a vice and squeezes to the point of misogyny. Kidman is up for the challenge-all three challenging, mesmerizing hours of it.
To heck with those who don't love art cinema, Von Trier seems to be saying-they won't know what they're missing. Indeed.
This review of Dogville (2003) was written by Alex V on 20 Nov 2009.
Dogville has generally received very positive reviews.
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