A woman on the run from the mob is reluctantly accepted in a small Colorado town. In exchange, she agrees to work for them. As a search visits the town, she finds out that their support has a price. Yet her dangerous secret is never far away.
A grieving couple retreat to their cabin in the woods, hoping to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage, but nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse.
Director:
Lars von Trier
Stars:
Willem Dafoe,
Charlotte Gainsbourg,
Storm Acheche Sahlstrøm
The continuation of Joe's sexually dictated life delves into the darker aspects of her adulthood, obsessions and what led to her being in Seligman's care.
Director:
Lars von Trier
Stars:
Charlotte Gainsbourg,
Stellan Skarsgård,
Willem Dafoe
The story follows Jack, a highly intelligent serial killer, over the course of twelve years, and depicts the murders that really develop his inner madman.
Events over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order as the beautiful Alex is brutally raped and beaten by a stranger in the underpass.
Director:
Gaspar Noé
Stars:
Monica Bellucci,
Vincent Cassel,
Albert Dupontel
Late one night, a beautiful and well-dressed young woman, Grace (Nicole Kidman), arrives in the mountainous old mining town of Dogville as a fugitive; following the sound of gunshots in the distance which have been heard by Tom (Paul Bettany), the self-appointed moral spokesman for the town. Persuaded by Tom, the town agree to hide Grace, and in return she freely helps the locals. However, when the Sheriff from a neighbouring town posts a Missing notice, advertising a reward for revealing her whereabouts, the townsfolk require a better deal from Grace, in return for their silence; and when the Sheriff returns some weeks later with a Wanted poster, even though the citizens know her to be innocent of the false charges against her, the town's sense of goodness takes a sinister turn and the price of Grace's freedom becomes a workload and treatment akin to that of a slave. But Grace has a deadly secret that the townsfolk will eventually encounter.Written by
Neil Hillman.
When Nicole Kidman went to Sweden to shoot this movie, it was the first time in fifteen years that she had flown on a public plane. See more »
Goofs
When Chuck takes the scarf from Grace's neck it shows up two shots later, then is gone again in next shot. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Narrator:
This is the sad tale of the township of Dogville. Dogville was in the Rocky Mountains in the US of A, up here where the road came to its definitive end, near the entrance to the old abandoned silver mine. The residents of Dogville were good honest folks, and they liked their township. And while a sentimental soul from the East Coast had once dubbed their main street Elm Street, though no elm had ever cast its shadow in Dogville, they saw no reason to change anything. Most of the ...
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Crazy Credits
Closing credits play over photographs depicting crime and poverty in the United States. See more »
Alternate Versions
To fit the needs of some local distributors, in Italy among others, assistant director Anders Refn cut a version of Dogville which is about 45 minutes shorter than the original. The version was accepted and approved by director Lars von Trier. See more »
Initially I found the 'play' set-up gimmicky and disconcerting, however I soon forgot all about the framing and became fixated on the picture itself. There are no special effects nor camera tricks and make-up is kept to a bare minimum, which allows us to focus purely on the story and the quality of the acting; both of which are exemplary. Nicole Kidman is amazing as usual bringing a wonderful vulnerability and frailty to her character which conceals an underlying ruthlessness and brutality. Ample support comes from co-stars Betthany and Chloe Sevigny and in truth the whole cast is frighteningly convincing.
The story is simple, a young woman who it appears is on the run from the mob seeks refuge in a small town known as Dogville. The residents who are initially wary of her soon warm to her and welcome her into their midst. This however, comes with a price she must do small favours in return for refuge. Inevitably greed, desire and mistrust take over the residents which corrupts them and has devastating consequences for all involved.
The dramatic shift in the mentality of the townspeople is so well handled and expertly crafted by Von Trier, that it makes the emotional payoff which one receives at the end of this film even greater. It is utterly compelling and has universal themes. Ultimately, this is a film which may serve as a cautionary tale for all self-proclaimed 'civilised' societies and as a treatise upon karmic retribution.
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Initially I found the 'play' set-up gimmicky and disconcerting, however I soon forgot all about the framing and became fixated on the picture itself. There are no special effects nor camera tricks and make-up is kept to a bare minimum, which allows us to focus purely on the story and the quality of the acting; both of which are exemplary. Nicole Kidman is amazing as usual bringing a wonderful vulnerability and frailty to her character which conceals an underlying ruthlessness and brutality. Ample support comes from co-stars Betthany and Chloe Sevigny and in truth the whole cast is frighteningly convincing.
The story is simple, a young woman who it appears is on the run from the mob seeks refuge in a small town known as Dogville. The residents who are initially wary of her soon warm to her and welcome her into their midst. This however, comes with a price she must do small favours in return for refuge. Inevitably greed, desire and mistrust take over the residents which corrupts them and has devastating consequences for all involved.
The dramatic shift in the mentality of the townspeople is so well handled and expertly crafted by Von Trier, that it makes the emotional payoff which one receives at the end of this film even greater. It is utterly compelling and has universal themes. Ultimately, this is a film which may serve as a cautionary tale for all self-proclaimed 'civilised' societies and as a treatise upon karmic retribution.