Director Lars von Trier ("Dancer in the Dark," "Breaking the Waves") is famous for the psychological and emotional charge of his films. His latest triumph, "Dogville," does not fail to meet this standard.
The film is set in a small, quiet town (named Dogville, of course), which is shaken and stirred when an angelic refugee named Grace Mulligan (Nicole Kidman) stumbles upon it. Grace is on the run from a pack of gangsters, and reluctantly, the town agrees to give her asylum on the condition that she offers manual labor in exchange for their aid.
This reciprocation starts unsurely, as the townspeople are hesitant to accept the newcomer. Eventually, the town opens its arms, and Grace makes friends and even develops a romantic relationship with the town's young spokesman, Tom Edison ("A Beautiful Mind").
Despite this seemingly bright evolution, the town begins to take advantage of Grace and her desperate circumstance. She becomes a slave to the community - sexually, physically and mentally.
Unbeknownst to the people of the town, Grace has a secret that makes her more powerful than they realize, and the audience comes to find that Grace may have a chance after all.
While the plot may seem a bit predictable, other facets of the film more than make up for this convention. Kidman's brilliant performance is inspiring in her portrayal of demure, compassionate and amazingly strong Grace.
Collectively, the cast of the townspeople is convincing in the effort to portray sinful and spiteful "dogs." Only one performance is cause for complaint: that of Chloe Sevigny ("Boys Don't Cry"), who overacted her small role.
As for the visuals of the film, Von Trier's choices are unique. The entire film is shot on a bare soundstage, where props are kept to a minimum. Buildings and most objects are designated with chalk lines. The lack of visuals emphasizes the emotional and psychological aspects of the film. This vagueness also allows the town of Dogville to be easily related to any town, any city.
The film is 177 minutes long, due to its longwinded dialogue and plot development. This may make more impatient moviegoers irritable, but the painstaking pace is von Trier's attempt to convey Grace's own frustration and grueling suffering.
Some critics are referring to "Dogville" as a distorted rendition of the Thornton Wilder's classic play, "Our Town." Instead of hailing ordinary, small town life, however, Von Trier is making a statement about society's repulsion of change and its abuse of foreign entities. His film represents these exploitations brilliantly, which is why this film is sure to be a hit.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
