Dogville (2004) - REVIEW

If I thought that "Eternal Sunshine" was a strange way to kick off my weekend, it's now obvious that I had no idea how strange Dogville would be. Taking the advice of the old saying "less is more" director Lars Von Trier strips this film down to the barest minimum. There are no complete sets, only a single, sparsely decorated sound stage, with markings that say things like "Tom's House" and "Gooseberry Bushes". For the most part, there are no doors; the actors mime knocking and turning door handles. At first it seems ludicrous. Why would someone want to debase a film so that it became almost no more than a filmed stage play? And then it becomes clear: you get to witness film level acting in an environment that is much more demanding for the actors themselves. One normal day in the remote town of Dogville, Tom (Paul Bettany) the town philosopher of sorts hears gunshots from the nearby valley. A few hours later a woman clad in an expensive fur coat stumbles into the town, looking lost. The woman is Grace (Nicole Kidman), and she's an enigma from the start. At first on Tom's advice, the town welcomes Grace, as part of an experiment: Grace will help the townspeople for two weeks with little odd jobs, forcing the citizens of Dogville to be open minded and welcoming to an outsider. However, after enough time passes Dogville decides to bear its teeth, and things get a little "Scarlet Letter"-ish. Grace may be the one the law is looking for, but it's in Dogville itself where the true evil lies. But if you think this is going to turn out anything like the above mentioned novel you'd would be wrong, for this is something wholly original, deep, symbolic, mysterious, and brilliant. Though at times they can seem somewhat lethargic, the performances are actually excellent, and they become stronger as the story goes on and on and on (the film is 3 HOURS LONG) . As little tidbits get revealed either via dialogue or by narration (done superbly by John Hurt with sickly sweet inflection), we begin to understand more and more, the reasons why this little town is the way it is. While in some cases it can be less than pleasing to see Ms. Kidman playing these reserved, whispery types (her performance in "Fur" wasn't all it could have been), here she really makes it work, especially near the end where we see her character's other side. Bettany is also strong as Tom, the (seemingly) only other person who Grace can truly count on. Dogville's other citizens also come wonderfully and viciously to life with great work from Lauren Bacall, Phillip Baker Hall, Patricia Clarkson, Chloe Sevigny, and Stellan Skarsgaard. Even with it's scaled down look, there's something oddly lush about the staging. The decorations may be few and far between, but they are effective and beautifully thought out. The simple music that plays from time to time is another nice touch, but in the end, it's all about the acting. There's no room for actors to disappear into the sets, and so they must always be fully in character, even when they are silent, and in the back corner of a scene. Despite it's lengthy running time, the film (after the languid first 45 minutes) maintains a quiet level of suspense that keeps you hooked. This is a good thing, considering that the finale of the film is so bizarre, so strange, and so exhilarating, that it's worth everything leading up to it.

Grade: A+

Nominations for 2004: Best Picture (#1 WINNER), Best Director - Lars Von Trier (#2), Best Actor - Paul Bettany (#3), Best Actress - Nicole Kidman (#1 WINNER), Best Supporting Actor - John Hurt (#2),Best Supporting Actor - Stellan Skarsgaard(#4), Best Supporting Actress - Patricia Clarkson (#3), Best Original Screenplay (#1 WINNER), Best Editing (#3), Best Cinematography (#2), Best Art Direction (#5)