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Manderlay

  • 20052005
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 2h 19m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
24K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Manderlay (2005)
Theatrical Trailer from IFC
Play trailer2:05
1 Video
91 Photos
  • Drama

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

IMDb RATING
7.2/10
24K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Lars von Trier
  • Writer
    • Lars von Trier
  • Stars
    • Bryce Dallas Howard
    • Isaach De Bankolé
    • Danny Glover
Top credits
  • Director
    • Lars von Trier
  • Writer
    • Lars von Trier
  • Stars
    • Bryce Dallas Howard
    • Isaach De Bankolé
    • Danny Glover
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 77User reviews
    • 135Critic reviews
    • 46Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 16 nominations

    Videos1

    Manderlay
    Trailer 2:05
    Manderlay

    Photos91

    Bryce Dallas Howard in Manderlay (2005)
    Bryce Dallas Howard in Manderlay (2005)
    Danny Glover in Manderlay (2005)
    Chloë Sevigny in Manderlay (2005)
    Isaach De Bankolé and Bryce Dallas Howard in Manderlay (2005)
    Lars von Trier in Manderlay (2005)
    Lauren Bacall and Lars von Trier in Manderlay (2005)
    Bryce Dallas Howard at an event for Manderlay (2005)
    Bryce Dallas Howard at an event for Manderlay (2005)
    Bryce Dallas Howard at an event for Manderlay (2005)
    Bryce Dallas Howard at an event for Manderlay (2005)
    Bryce Dallas Howard at an event for Manderlay (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bryce Dallas Howard
    Bryce Dallas Howard
    • Grace Margaret Mulliganas Grace Margaret Mulligan
    Isaach De Bankolé
    Isaach De Bankolé
    • Timothyas Timothy
    Danny Glover
    Danny Glover
    • Wilhelmas Wilhelm
    Willem Dafoe
    Willem Dafoe
    • Grace's Fatheras Grace's Father
    Michaël Abiteboul
    • Thomasas Thomas
    Lauren Bacall
    Lauren Bacall
    • Mamas Mam
    Jean-Marc Barr
    Jean-Marc Barr
    • Mr. Robinssonas Mr. Robinsson
    Geoffrey Bateman
    Geoffrey Bateman
    • Bertieas Bertie
    Virgile Bramly
    Virgile Bramly
    • Edwardas Edward
    Ruben Brinkman
    Ruben Brinkman
    • Bingoas Bingo
    Doña Croll
    • Venusas Venus
    • (as Dona Croll)
    Jeremy Davies
    Jeremy Davies
    • Nielsas Niels
    Llewella Gideon
    Llewella Gideon
    • Victoriaas Victoria
    Mona Hammond
    Mona Hammond
    • Old Wilmaas Old Wilma
    Ginny Holder
    Ginny Holder
    • Elisabethas Elisabeth
    John Hurt
    John Hurt
    • Narratoras Narrator
    • (voice)
    Emmanuel Idowu
    • Jimas Jim
    Zeljko Ivanek
    Zeljko Ivanek
    • Dr. Hectoras Dr. Hector
    • Director
      • Lars von Trier
    • Writer
      • Lars von Trier
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    After gangster Mulligan's (Willem Dafoe's) cars colony, fleeing northern justice, finds a hiding place in Alabama, spoiled, naive daughter Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) refuses to travel on after seeing the Manderlay cotton plantation being run under slavery rules, called Mam's (Lauren Bacall's) law, including 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 of her democracy-pupils prove to be fickle, dumb, and selfish, except old Wilhelm (Danny Glover). 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. —KGF Vissers
    • male frontal nudity
    • female frontal nudity
    • male full frontal nudity
    • female full frontal nudity
    • pubic hair
    • 84 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • A case of mistaken identity
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When co-producer Vibeke Windeløv went to the U.S. for casting, she got a tip that Danny Glover might be interested. She immediately flew to a hotel in Salt Lake City to meet up with him. After a long talk about the project, Glover asked her for a copy of Dogville (2003). She gave him a portable DVD player with it, and left him for the night. At 6:00 a.m., Glover called her hotel room and said she had to come immediately because the DVD player's battery had run out twenty minutes before the end of the movie. She rushed to his room with a charger, and after he'd watch it through, he said yes on the spot.
    • Quotes

      Grace Margaret Mulligan: There's nothing to be afraid of. We've taken all of the family's weapons.

      Wilhelm: No. I'm afraid of what will happen now. I feel we ain't ready - for a completely new way of life. At Manderlay we slaves took supper at seven. When do people take supper when they're free? We don't know these things.

    • Crazy credits
      An official Danish, Swedish, French, British, German and Dutch co-production in accordance with the 1992 European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Road to Manderlay (2005)
    • 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 reviews77

    Review
    Top review
    Manderlay and the Election
    I watched Manderlay in the run up to the Presidential Election. I was moved by it. The film is certainly topical with two weeks to go before we have the opportunity to possibly elect the first African-American President. I believe to do so would make statement to the people of the world that this experiment we're conducting with Freedom can work. What it has taken to get us to this point has been harrowing. This nation fought a Civil War, which helped to put an end to the institution of slavery. But there has been constant slippage (a polite word for the continued institutional racism) that led to the need for legislation to correct injustice. The Civil Rights era is now past and still racism continues. Blacks have had to continue to put their lives on the line to expand the Rights due them. We might now though witness the election of a black man as President. Racism will not end as a result of course but what a leap forward. It has taken the disaster of the past 8 years to get the country to the place where this is even possible. No W, no Obama.

    Von Triers makes demanding films. I understand some people's aversion to his use of a sound-stage in both Manderlay and Dogville. It took me a bit of time in Dogville to adjust to the artifice. For me though, making the adjustment brought the issues and ideas he's dealing with to central focus in the film. No need for a real plantation in Manderlay. But the continuing enslavement does go on and it goes on in the film in the plantations of our mind. It goes on despite Grace's attempts to correct people's behaviors and beliefs and end the racism. We don't seem able to end it in this nation either.

    Overall IMDb users have been much kinder to Manderlay than the critics have been. Many, perhaps a majority of the negative comments, take exception to the fact that Lars von Trier is a foreigner and worse yet a foreigner who has never set foot on American soil. That is not a problem for me. I have never been in Germany but I know that what happened in Germany and Europe in the 30's and 40's was wrong, was evil. My opinion as a non-German about the Holocaust and the war itself should not, cannot be discounted. It is probably more valuable for the German people to have a sense of what their actions created but am I not allowed to speak to those issues? Am I oversimplifying here? Perhaps.

    I think, in some ways, von Trier's not being an American gives him some needed objectivity. I found the racial issues raised in Manderlay, to go to the heart of how racism works in this country. And right now in the United States of America we are witnessing a nation having to face it own demons concerning race once again. Many may not be able to vote for Barack Obama for no other reason that he is a Black Man. Many of those people will find another rationale for their vote.

    I am glad I watched Manderlay at this time. It really does deal with some very crucial issues we as a nation have not always successfully faced. We have a chance to do something new but we need some clarity of vision about what we stand for as Free People. I feel Manderlay did a good job in helping clarify for me how we're all in this together. This was not an easy film for me to write about and I apologize for the political nature of what I have written.
    helpful•6
    2
    • binaryg
    • Oct 21, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 3, 2005 (Denmark)
    • Countries of origin
      • Denmark
      • Sweden
      • Netherlands
      • France
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
      • Italy
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Film 'Manderlay' as Told in Eight Straight Chapters
    • Filming locations
      • Denmark
    • Production companies
      • Zentropa Entertainments
      • Isabella Films B.V.
      • Manderlay
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $14,200,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $78,378
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $15,117
      • Jan 29, 2006
    • Gross worldwide
      • $674,918
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 19 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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