Review of Manderlay (2005) by Rolando B — 30 Oct 2009

I really wanted to like this movie more and I think that as an allegory about the invasion of Iraq it works. And yet, von Trier's take on race relations feels a bit alien (he's never been to the U.

S.), and the conclusions that the film comes to in that context (that forcing someone to be free might backfire, so don't bother) seems too abstract, too out of touch with the historical situatedness of the action.