DOGVILLE - Analysis Part 1: Hope
1.1 - Prologue (presentation of the city)
We are shown the village and all who dwell therein. Village this filmed in a warehouse located in Sweden, with minimal décors. The walls do not exist, are represented by white lines drawn on the floor. It is situated in the midst of rocky mountains, where the road is a dead end. Street names are written down and décors are just essential to the narrative. The story is narrated by us an omniscient narrator, John Hurt, and the characters, not resorting to enact many scenarios. So Lars Von Trier's Dogville turns into a stage theater. As shown in the image 1.
Composed by fifteen people, is a village apparently normal, like all others, but this, this time without scenario shows us that how people are without "curtains." In addition to the fifteen characters, there is an omniscient narrator throughout the movie, not only for the fact that both scenarios do not confuse the viewer, but also to create greater tension in the beginning is not all that noticeable. For the spectator realizes the game actually involved in the middle of the film, even with the narrator describing the actions as they are. For example, when Tom Grace says: "Your life is not worth a little game?", The viewer does not realize the kind of little game, but this is explained by the narrator. As this example there are many, Lars Von Trier makes a point of addition of non-use "blinds" in the images, do the same with words. And yet with this essential factor for better verification personality of the characters from the viewer, it can not determine a priori, only later when the actions are illegal is that the viewer realizes the level of involvement of the action. I think Lars Von Trier does this in order to realize that not everything is as it seems, it takes time to realize what is actually in plain sight. It is these mechanisms that the director uses to further beautify your movies.
Dogville starts with a flat top overlooking the entire city, as shown in image 1, and is directed to Tom's house, a sort of second main character. Tom is a young writer in need of a new experience that will enlighten with an idea for your writing. For a writer, this young man has an attitude somewhat little strange in this city: Tom is a kind of priest, that the city respects and obeys almost. Tom is at home, listening to the radio with his father and how every day, Tom goes to all the villagers, recalling that the next day was a meeting in the Church, as was usual. Here the presentation is made of all people, told in third person, which also tells us all the customs of this small town Dogville. Many say that here comes a review to the U.S., this supposed U.S. representation by Lars Von Trier, but I think in your mind, will much more than a criticism in a country or a city, it is not restricted to a space, but an entire planet turned around assumptions, generosity, kindness, forgiveness and imbalance. So Dogville shows that after this presentation of the city follows the arrival of the character that contains all these features in my opinion is include in a word, faith. Saying Grace is a symbol of faith, not in my view is wrong, for all its representation, as a rule follows an action of faith. Thus begins the first act.
1.2 - First Act: "Where Tom hears gunfire and meets Grace"
The first act begins with Tom heard shots. Here is told once again the idea that Tom expects something, and that this was happening suck. When Grace appears stealing a bone to Moses, the narrator says that Tom would have only one answer, illustration. This illustration shows that Tom throughout the film, though this is only seen near the end, it does so subtly. Grace goes well in the city Dogville, to flee from a gangster, who pursued him. This in turn commits a sin to steal a poor dog a bone represented by a drawing on the floor, named Moses. This name in my opinion is not a name in vain, since it survives only in order and that in turn becomes a dog flesh. The fact that steal the bone, is not in vain, because here's a comparison they leave the village. Grace leaves the village, after committing an act of imbalance before their faith in the unfolding of the plot, such as starts. For as Grace is ultimately unbalanced, the derivative that had happened so far, also comes to town in disequilibrium, because it precedes this act was not at all "rosy". So I think there is here a kind of cycle in the lives of people who would refer to Lars Von Trier, a cycle of faith, beginning with generosity, kindness, forgiveness, and ending with the desperation to have achieved nothing, resulting in an act of balance.
After committing this sin, Grace is aided by Tom, to whom the gangsters offer a card with a phone number so that it would link over there to see if a stranger in exchange for a good reward. This accepts the card, but says he has not seen anyone get in Dogville, because the village has only one exit and one entrance. This act of Tom was not altogether innocent, Tom needed something to make your illustration, and now realizes that Grace would be your best guinea pig, when it returns you to the bone that had stolen the dog. Tom sees this character a great adjective for your guinea pig, generosity, as the narrator says: "Generous, very generous. Tom thinks. " Given these thoughts, Tom proposes that Grace hide in Dogville. The next morning Tom goes to the church, where all the inhabitants except one, Mr.Mckay, an old blind man who pretends not to be. As I mentioned at the beginning, there are no walls on the scene, so you can see the whole city even while inside the church. When all residents are in church, not only now but throughout the movie, you can see Mr.Mckay sitting at home, looking for a window with the curtains drawn, as I show in Figure 2.
Figure 2
It is curious how Lars Von Trier can play with the fact that the walls are only scratches on the floor. Not only in relation to Mr.Mckay, but also in relation to Grace. When this is mine and the camera is in the church, the viewer can see Grace anguished waiting in the foreground than in the Church are deciding, as illustrated in figure 3.
Figure 3
So Tom convinces Grace to take the village, but this will have two weeks to show whether or not deserve to remain in Dogville. It is here that Tom has a very explicit conversation with Grace: "Have you an eye, you have to like them but they need to be convinced. You have two weeks to make them accept you "- says Tom, to which Grace responds:" We seem to be a game "and Tom says in turn:" We are. Save your life is not worth a game? ". After this dialogue, Tom tells Grace that she could help people with crafts. This is how we start the second act, leaving the viewer very clear what will happen, is a psychological game by Tom Grace This test not only, as all the inhabitants of Dogville. It seems that Tom aims to teach these people's generosity, kindness and forgiveness. But the fact is that it reaches an extreme shaking that is lost in an imbalance.
1.3 - Second Act - In which Grace follows Tom's plan and embark for manual labor.
Start a new day in Dogville and Grace off to find work, but without success. Everyone refuses his help until Tom appears and confronts the people with lack of sense of community to Grace. Thus they propose that Grace is not supposed to do what needed to be done in that village. I say supposedly, because from the moment it starts to do it, it becomes essential. I think this takes us a little to the relationship of humans with their natural ambition and the idea of conformity, the few days that was not necessary and was not missing, now becomes indispensable. The same goes for all the inhabitants of this village, Grace offers help and accept these as if practicing an act of kindness to her, and then later it would become a slave. While this makes one of your daily tasks, Grace is confronted by Chuck, who tells him: "Dogville has everything you dream with the city", "... people are all the same, as greedy animals, land small are only less successful. Give them food and eat until his stomach burst. ". Lars Von Trier, as I mentioned is very straightforward and cruel when it comes to words and images, as well as shows in this dialogue. Chuck in a few words say exactly what I just mentioned about the natural ambition. Thus ends the second act, with a more human approach by Lars Von Trier.
1.4 - Act Three - In which Grace indulges in a bit gloomy provocation
Following the previous approach, this time embarked on a kind of comparison, with no curtains and blinds. Here Grace, as usual, visiting Mr. McKay, as I said, a man blind. This gentleman does not leave home not to show their major weakness, his vision. Thus spends his days sitting, looking at your window with the curtains closed. After several days to visit him, Grace had only heard this gentleman speak of light, thus entering a provocative act, this opens the curtains and asks why is not about the view from your window. This is uncomfortable with this attitude coming from someone so kind and Grace, and confesses to be blind. Now I ask: is this curtain call Lars Von Trier want, and you can compare this man blindness blindness of man toward himself? With so many arguments about this film is difficult, as a spectator not to embark on a questionable act, for this man to open the curtains was an offense by Grace and the fact is that the opening of "curtains" that Lars Von Trier makes us as to human being is also an offense to human beings. For the question is why? Why does the viewer feel somewhat offended by the level that affects humans in this movie? For we humans too are blind, do not we see what we see. So we have some curtains always ahead of us, which Lars von Trier as I said you take. But the fact that he was taking them, not to say that we spend to do. For as he indicates here, this is nothing to see, that as we continue to be imperfect. I think the idea does not go through this director wants to change the manner of the human being, but to show who we really are, even if they do not want to admit.
After this happened to Mr. McKay, is the decisive phase, it's been two weeks and are all gathered to decide whether or not Grace is, given the risk they run, because it is a fugitive. Again in the Church, as always, but this time also there is Mr.Mckay. It seems that Grace opened the mind of this man. Now they will vote for her? Grace feared his vote and Chuck, who had previously faced with the natural ambition of mankind. He had only one person did not vote, so it had to leave Dogville. Once the mine is expected by the bell, which is here representing the number of votes. If the bell rang fifteen times, Grace would otherwise have to leave. So once again here is Lars Von Trier your game with the depth of field and no walls. And while the village again decides what to do with Grace, this is concealed in the bottom plane of the mine.
The bell rings 15 times and Grace is in Dogville. Thus ends the third and final act of this first part, hope. Grace contained before this first part, a sense of hope to find those people, something that, as Chuck, not found in a large city. The fact is that this desire is conceived, but it would be good? The first act of faith of Grace towards the city would then hope, we proceed now to the second act of faith of Grace, kindness.
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