Dogville

Wow, this dude likes making fucked up movies. Please watch this movie. It’s so important. I’ve just watched for my second time, 2 nights in a row. A common theme for Lars Von Trier movies and I. This director does a character study like NO OTHER. Had to bump this one up to a 10. It’s just perfect filmmaking. Simple as that. (Spoilers) DOGVILLE presents an extremely pessimistic and unsettling view of human morality. While the film seems determined to make you hate humanity, I believe its portrayal of ordinary human behavior is deeply distorted. Rather than accurately depicting humanity as a whole, it focuses on the most extreme examples of cruelty and presents them as one small group of people, a place even. “If there’s any town this world would be better without, it’s this one.” With that being said, almost everyone got exactly what they deserved. (Kinda) I feel a moral obligation to side with the town because mass slaughter should never serve as punishment, even for horrific wrongdoing. Some people in the town were also relatively blameless. Still, I cannot truly side with them in the slightest. Every argument I make to justify their actions falls apart when I consider Grace’s repeated attempts to prove herself, her constant willingness to forgive them, and the fact that she initially refused to stay unless the entire town welcomed her. Yes, Grace was troubled. Yes, her presence brought danger to the town. She also concealed parts of her situation. Still, the townspeople knew full well that she was wanted and in danger, and she gave them an out by saying she did not have to stay. They chose to let her remain. She then proved herself repeatedly, yet their demands for her labor, obedience, and innocence only grew. Nothing she gave them was ever enough. As a man, I think this was an important film for me to watch. It offered a jarring and painfully recognizable depiction of the exploitation and abuse women face. A type of exploitation that I’ve understood, however, never having experienced it myself, being able to have a look at how the opposite sex has to think and approach situations so differently is eye-opening and truly jarring. No notes. P.S.- I don’t think you should feel wrong about the moral tug-of-war this movie will inevitably cause you to have. There is no winner in Dogville. P.P.S- The stripped set was essential. It eliminated all distractions and allows you to truly only focus on one thing, the morals of the characters. Chefs kiss 🤌