Dogville

Why should I be surprised at this point going through Lars Von Trier's stellarly uncompromising filmography that this is of course one of his major divisive entries yet I really am. Below The Idiots' humanistic provocation and Dancer in the Dark's in tuned playful misery this is definitely my third favorite of Trier. Dogville is just a masterpiece at times exploiting and manipulating the simple aesthetic gimmick and the simple premise and ideas to such a brilliant extent that it entrances into something undoubtedly yet peculiarly cinema. What has been the most discovery so far trenching through the works of this madman is that (beside from the works I have yet landed my foot on) his films unlike what many have described him or more accurately with loving and hating terms accused Trier of is not very true or truthful to what Trier is truly is. I have sense so far not clownish jokester but a playful yet honest provocator who at times seems to be willing to expose himself to the truth however painful more then the rest of his lovers or critics, I have sense no inhuman disturbance but upsetting revelation on the human condition and finally Trier seems more bounded to himself more then a lot of filmmakers, beside from the likes of Godard this almost uncomfortable closeness to himself and what he knows he is lay so transparent in his art thus I think is why his works make many people feel so uncomfortable, he isn't afraid to be himself in fact its the opposite, he wants to be himself and all his flaws and goods and in a way Dogville with its narrative split between hope and despair, connection and isolation, film and book, escape in favor unknowingly of being locked once more Trier himself through his strip methods is maybe questioning himself more then ever here and finally his place as a human. Everything about this chalkboard town and how its used both artistically and narratively in tantrum is ultimately liberatingly uncomfortable which is probably the most Trier-esque thing I've heard and Dogville is that, something about seeing so many recognisable faces of old and new cinema, foreign and american completely baked away out of their glamour and mystique playing humans that are so rundown their emotions are nakedly realise is both assuring but quickly revealing itself to be reassuring just not in the way you would hope, you feel Grace's fears as these familiar faces turn against us as much as they did towards her which makes the turn of the final act even more heartbreaking as its almost like she has turn on us. Trier here of course uses his cinematic language and knowledge to put us where he wants and the town and its almost child like presence is the perfect unassuming mask to hide the inhuman actions these seemingly simple folks can bare, as the credits rolled for three hours the scenery even at its most unsafe there is something almost unscathed about them with the artificial almost soul reaching emptiness of the town (which by the way is used to such perfect effect as in scenes where horrific things are happening but in universe no one can see them but of course we can, just brilliant filmmaking just like) the shocking credits further punctuate those images into our minds and we are reminded of the fact that human nature can be so horrific and how we can live with this ultimately Trier left the obvious question for us to decide as the barks directly peek at us. Its hard to discuss Dogville because there is almost too much to praise from its dramatically adequate screenplay that so quickly get us used to the town and the people but its also Trier's cinematic power that help add emotion and association to these characters and scenes no matter how quick, the pacing is also unbelievable by longing and focusing more on the set up to the upsetting turn then that event itself Trier shows he's not the shock value many have accused himself but is a full fletched filmmaker and storyteller knowing that emotion is many times more stronger even if its less immediate there is something worst then that which is that it lasts, ultimately the performances here holds the rest of this picture together so alarmingly yet vigorously, Paul Bettany, Lauren Bacall, Jean Marc Barr, James Caan, Stellan Skarsgård, Ben Gazzara, Chloë Sevigny, Harriet Andersson, Patricia Clarkson, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Jeremy Davies just to name the many few give either give their best or most unlikable performance of their career but of course the one that bares the most mention is the wanderer herself Grace played by the terrific Nicole Kidman who gave the best performance of her career here or one of, there is so much on her shoulders yet she pulls it off without the sarcastic derision of normal Hollywood but with a certain kind of boldness that really demonstrates why she is one of the most recognizable faces in modern cinema cannon and here just a simple glance tells you all to know, as always a sure sign of a masterful actor or actress and am sorry but what phenomenal eyes she's got, the casting on this film... Dogville as a whole is masterful and riveting, when its warm its such a deceiving yet fallible little thing that when the coldness begans Trier pulls not stop at making the experience of this film as hurtful and daunting as possible, ironically by removing all artificial or superficial fluff like a overly complex story, technologically impressive but overused tools or tall yet faceless actors instead in favor of just being simple but effective, this film shows what filmmaking can be and is all about at its most powerful, Trier hones in on his themes and character and not abided by it by making his films all about it but instead uses it for the cinematic and performance arts this film has on its display and man did he did it with triumph. No more words on Dogville, its just wonderful and so far there hasn't been a project from Trier that I dislike, I hope I'll continue seeing more of this Trier to my very end with him and his unbending but emotionally bending works, if you haven't seen Dogville or any of Trier's films, you are missing out on a defining cinematic artist who even with his most offensive or unbounded charge of indulgence may go there enough just to make you mad while at the sametime strangely impressed you or at worst inspires you. Dogville is certainly one of them, a work of bruising art and does the wound do go deep on this one.