Dogville DVD

Advantages: Deeply though provoking.
Disadvantages: Won't appeal to those who just want entertainment.

...beauty and mystery, decides that Dogville is the perfect place for her. Over the course of what are presented as nine chapters, each introduced by the narrator, and amount to three hours of film we see how the relationship between Grace and the people of the town changes. Initially unfriendly and suspicious, they are won over by Tom's scheme that she spend her day helping out each of them in turn and soon they begin to find it impossible to manage ...
...most immediately striking thing about Dogville is the manner in which it has been filmed. The set consists of a huge expanse of black upon which the chalk outlines of roads, houses, walls and bushes have been drawn. There are a few props, such as chairs and beds, the bell of the church and a series of receding tunnel supports to suggest the entrance of a mine, but for the most part the actors use mime to give the impression of their surroundings, ... Read review

Advantages: not American view
Disadvantages: far too long film

...joy to everyone's life, while Dogville is happier than ever — but not for long, forever. We’re increasingly charmed by the people of Dogville, they’re simple and we like them. Yet, too simple for that to becomes suspicious. Town people soon enough realize that Grace has nowhere to go. She's left alone, at their mercy. Perhaps than, Grace can be persuaded to work a few more hours for a bit less pay. Maybe she’ll let one, then ...
...opposite direction. The sins of Dogville echoes slavery and capitalist society over the centuries, which could apply easily to all countries today that profits from exploited labor around the world, turning a blind eye to its own poverty. If those are only American sins, so be it. But there’re not, really. As the result, indifference isn't an option here. The movie is very symbolic; the symbolism is not sorted out until a key conversation in ... Read review

Advantages: Innovative film-making, top-quality acting, plot
Disadvantages: Not for the passive viewer

Dogville - you know, you couldn't come up with a better name for this town if you tried. The name conjures up a place that is downtrodden, remote, battered and precisely the kind of place one would find at the end of a road to nowhere. The kind of place where the challenges of daily living are likely to result in a population fixed in its ideas and views, with little regard for the rest of the developing world outside. The story is a simple one: ...
...in a town that happens to be the first place she stumbles across as she flees. Notwithstanding the danger the dwellers face in hiding this runaway, they agree to give Grace (Nicole Kidman) a chance. Grace spends the next 3 hours of our time paying a long, hard price, and ultimately questioning her own beliefs as to what humanity really is. Throughout what can be best described as her battle, Tom (Paul Bettany) seeks to guide her understanding of ... Read review

Advantages: Powerful Story and Top Notch Acting
Disadvantages: Graphic Scenes of Abuse

...dissappointed with his latest outing. Dogville sees Grace - a fugitive from the mob - hiding out in a close-knit village in the mountains and having to earn the assistance and trust of the community by working hard and living by their rules. As we progress through the almost three hours of film, we see how power and greed turn the community in to animals as they take advantage of poor wretched Grace. The running time does seem daunting at the ... Read review

Advantages: Powerful thought-provoking story
Disadvantages: Unusual cinematography makes film difficult to watch

A combination of setting the film on a stage and the narration, by John Hurt, does not make for an especially compelling start to the film. However this would be doing a grave disservice to this searing indictment on the mentality of small-town America [although it could just as easily be set in any country]. Nicole Kidman is excellant as the put-upon Grace, who eventually shows that she is'nt quite the victim that she seems, and the rest of the ... Read review