Dogville (2003)

Synopsis: A woman in trouble takes refuge in a small town.
Appraisal: Written in the style of a parable but at times more reminiscent of a fairy tale, this film has few intrinsic cinematic characteristics. The camerawork is so rudimentary as to be annoying, and there are no sets, which gives a distinct feel of amateur theater to the whole proceedings, although in form it resembles more a prose narrative (with voiceover included) than a play. The contrivances of the text are too visible not to be bothersome. The analogies to the story of Christ are an interesting aspect of the film, but it should have been developed in a less infantile manner. The pretension of making commentary about the USA, suggested by its settings, are made unequivocally clear by the still images displayed during the final credits. This pretension is, however, totally at odds with the utterly nonrealistic, abstract approach chosen. What we see is mostly an agenda-driven movie, filled with hatred, that has neither the artistic means to make it enjoyable, nor the factual basis to make it politically resonant.
Rating: 38