Manderlay (2005)

A story of slavery, set in the southern U.S. in the 1930s.

Director:

Lars von Trier (as Lars Von Trier)

Writer:

Lars von Trier (as Lars Von Trier)

Stars:

Bryce Dallas Howard, Isaach De Bankolé, Danny Glover

1 win & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bryce Dallas Howard	...	Grace Margaret Mulligan
Isaach De Bankolé	...	Timothy
Danny Glover	...	Wilhelm
Willem Dafoe	...	Grace's Father
Michaël Abiteboul	...	Thomas
Lauren Bacall	...	Mam
Jean-Marc Barr	...	Mr. Robinsson
Geoffrey Bateman	...	Bertie
Virgile Bramly	...	Edward
Ruben Brinkman	...	Bingo
Doña Croll	...	Venus (as Dona Croll)
Jeremy Davies	...	Niels
Llewella Gideon	...	Victoria
Mona Hammond	...	Old Wilma
Ginny Holder	...	Elisabeth

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

male frontal nudity | female frontal nudity | gangster | slavery | cotton | 

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Taglines:

Liberation. Whether They Want It Or Not.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Denmark Sweden Netherlands France Germany UK Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 June 2005 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

The Film 'Manderlay' as Told in Eight Straight Chapters

Filming Locations:

Denmark

Box Office

Budget:

$14,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

€11,766 (Netherlands), 4 September 2005, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,117, 29 January 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$78,378, 30 March 2006

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$469,101, 21 April 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zentropa Entertainments,Isabella Films B.V.,Manderlay

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the international release of the film, during the closing montage set to David Bowie's "Young Americans", Richard Nixon's image is not shown to coincide with Bowie's lyrics, but George W. Bush's.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

Closing dedication: In Memory Of Humbert Balsan 21.08.1954 - 10.02.2005

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Connections

Referenced in The Cannes Experience: Manderlay 2005 (2005)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Second part of a great trilogy

I won't disclose anything about the film. I liked it very it much, albeit slightly less than the first film, probably because, well, the first was very fresh and innovative in the way it presented this "theatrical" world and partly because of the shocking and raw power of the story of "Dogville". In "Manderlay" we also meet with hypocrisy and cruelty, but the movie moves on a different level than "Dogville". It is clearly more philosophical-political, it carries a more visible political agenda. It also relies upon dialogue more than "Dogville" did and of course the symbolism and allegory of the first film are present here, as well. Still, the movie is a masterpiece, in the same way "Dogville" was. Of course, someone can think otherwise (not to mention those people that will accuse Trier of being "Anti-American"), but having a different opinion about it is okay and acceptable. Personally, I can't wait to see how the trilogy is going to conclude.