Thursday, February 12, 2004
Dogville
Directed by Lars von Trier
Dogville Denotation
The indoor inspired by Bertolt Brecht pared down theatrical set is an outstanding stylistic experiment of the movie; and when combined with other extra- diegetic tools; creates a counter movie (even though Von Trier in his production notes interview denied) as it develops within the confines of narrative classicism.
The film; divided into a prologue and 9 chapters; as if we are watching a play or reading a book achieves the effect of the “passing of time” which an indoor set does not allow; but more importantly; acts as a spectatorial motivation and precursorial tool with its summary intertitles.
Narration is another “counter cinema” tool that has been used by Godard to create audience awareness of the movie watching activity. For Von Trier; he uses it to achieve an opposite effect - to explain and relate the story; sometimes going as far as explaining the internal psychological mechanism of the characters.
The houses, without doors, walls & roofs are “realistically too small” and each and every one’s activities are all filmed and seen by all. The sound made by “knocking” and “opening” of doors; the absence of the dog, gooseberry bushes, the wooden structures made to represent mines and rocks for hills. The set destroys cinematic conventions because it does not create “reality”. The effect is such that it can be daunting for cinema-goers. In a grisly scene where Chuck raped Grace; we see them from afar as the camera focus on the commotions along elm street.
Dogville; from the point of denotation, deconstructs the Hollywood myth as it is un - contemporary (outdoor sets; non intra character intrusive; non audience awareness) using “Brecht theatre” and countercinematic tools to tell a very strict narrative plot; henceforth; pulling the spectating experience in two different directions.
Dogville as a theology parable
Dogville can be read as a biblical parable as it shares similar traits with the story of Jesus who came down to earth, delivered sermons and salvation.
Nicole Kidman as Grace is symbolized as “perfect”; a pretty young lady who is sweet, harmless. She “serves” the town including a cripple, a blind man and being kind to Chuck (Stellan Skarsgard) when she violated her. She believes in their good side even after they betrayed her trust. Later, she was chained to a wheel which she had to drag, akin to Jesus carrying the heavy cross. When we first see her, Tom Edison (Paul Bettany) called her a “gift”. which certainly contributes to the irony of townspeople and their fickle mindedness.
Even though the story did not end with resurrection, salvation or in line with the new testament teachings with regards to mercifulness, Grace’s final actions could be seen as part of the perversion of mercifulness. The narration points out that she couldn’t let the town survive as they could do the same thing to others who might be in the same situation.. She also realizes that the acts of the people were unforgivable; and that if she were to forgive them, it would prove her father right – that she was arrogant by thinking that she had the right to pardon them.
By not conflating Grace to the position of a “God”, the film subversively implies the otherness and arrogance of the idea of Godas he, and only he has the power to pardon us.
Conclusion
Von Trier compares his movies making effort to a laboratory experiment where he changed a variable within a movie at a time so that he could see for himself the results. It is noteworthy dogville probably breaks every rule within the dogme manifesto which he was involved in his early part of his career. The dogme manifesto champions the use of real people to tell their stories, digital camera, natural lightnings, prohibition of props to deconstruct the Hollywood myth. Ironically, he achieves similar effect using tools in the other end of the extreme.
Directed by Lars von Trier
Dogville Denotation
The indoor inspired by Bertolt Brecht pared down theatrical set is an outstanding stylistic experiment of the movie; and when combined with other extra- diegetic tools; creates a counter movie (even though Von Trier in his production notes interview denied) as it develops within the confines of narrative classicism.
The film; divided into a prologue and 9 chapters; as if we are watching a play or reading a book achieves the effect of the “passing of time” which an indoor set does not allow; but more importantly; acts as a spectatorial motivation and precursorial tool with its summary intertitles.
Narration is another “counter cinema” tool that has been used by Godard to create audience awareness of the movie watching activity. For Von Trier; he uses it to achieve an opposite effect - to explain and relate the story; sometimes going as far as explaining the internal psychological mechanism of the characters.
The houses, without doors, walls & roofs are “realistically too small” and each and every one’s activities are all filmed and seen by all. The sound made by “knocking” and “opening” of doors; the absence of the dog, gooseberry bushes, the wooden structures made to represent mines and rocks for hills. The set destroys cinematic conventions because it does not create “reality”. The effect is such that it can be daunting for cinema-goers. In a grisly scene where Chuck raped Grace; we see them from afar as the camera focus on the commotions along elm street.
Dogville; from the point of denotation, deconstructs the Hollywood myth as it is un - contemporary (outdoor sets; non intra character intrusive; non audience awareness) using “Brecht theatre” and countercinematic tools to tell a very strict narrative plot; henceforth; pulling the spectating experience in two different directions.
Dogville as a theology parable
Dogville can be read as a biblical parable as it shares similar traits with the story of Jesus who came down to earth, delivered sermons and salvation.
Nicole Kidman as Grace is symbolized as “perfect”; a pretty young lady who is sweet, harmless. She “serves” the town including a cripple, a blind man and being kind to Chuck (Stellan Skarsgard) when she violated her. She believes in their good side even after they betrayed her trust. Later, she was chained to a wheel which she had to drag, akin to Jesus carrying the heavy cross. When we first see her, Tom Edison (Paul Bettany) called her a “gift”. which certainly contributes to the irony of townspeople and their fickle mindedness.
Even though the story did not end with resurrection, salvation or in line with the new testament teachings with regards to mercifulness, Grace’s final actions could be seen as part of the perversion of mercifulness. The narration points out that she couldn’t let the town survive as they could do the same thing to others who might be in the same situation.. She also realizes that the acts of the people were unforgivable; and that if she were to forgive them, it would prove her father right – that she was arrogant by thinking that she had the right to pardon them.
By not conflating Grace to the position of a “God”, the film subversively implies the otherness and arrogance of the idea of Godas he, and only he has the power to pardon us.
Conclusion
Von Trier compares his movies making effort to a laboratory experiment where he changed a variable within a movie at a time so that he could see for himself the results. It is noteworthy dogville probably breaks every rule within the dogme manifesto which he was involved in his early part of his career. The dogme manifesto champions the use of real people to tell their stories, digital camera, natural lightnings, prohibition of props to deconstruct the Hollywood myth. Ironically, he achieves similar effect using tools in the other end of the extreme.
