After gangster Mulligan's cars colony, fleeing northern justice, finds a hiding place in Alabama, spoiled, naive daughter Grace refuses to travel on after seeing the Manderlay cotton plantation being run under slavery rules, called Mam's law, inclusive flogging. She keeps half of dad's goons as guard to force the dying matriarch-owner's heirs, which she shamelessly dispossesses and reduces to 'staff', to taste destitution under absurd, gun-imposed contracts. The 'slaves' are made free partners, supposed to vote for progress after lessons from Grace. But almost all her democracy-pupils prove fickle, dumb and selfish, except old Willem. Her and their ignorance in Southern planting and crafty Dixie ways means more problems are created then solved. By the time dad returns to pick her up or abandon her for good, she's the one who has learned and changed the most.
Written by KGF Vissers
John C. Reilly was originally signed to play Dr. Hector but was replaced by Slovenian actor Zeljko Ivanek during production. A donkey was put to death while filming, and it was reported in US magazine Entertainment Weekly that this was what prompted Reilly to walk off the set, though he has never commented publicly on the incident or his exact reasons for leaving the film. The executive producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen told Swedish media that "people should not be upset - instead they should think about the situation of the Third World". Since the movie was filmed in Sweden, they followed Swedish law, which says that animals can be put to death in movie productions if a veterinarian is the one carrying out the killing. Director Lars von Trier later cut the scene from the film, which was attributed to protests from animal rights groups. Von Trier said that he didn't want to draw attention away from the content of the film.
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Quotes
[first lines]
Narrator:
It was in the year of 1933, when Grace and her father were heading southward with their army of gangsters. See more »
Crazy Credits
An official Danish, Swedish, French, British, German and Dutch co-production in accordance with the 1992 European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production.
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"Young Americans"
Written and Performed by David Bowie Courtesy of RZO Music, Inc. Published by Chrysalis Music Limited EMI Music Publishing Limited / RZO Music Limited
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