Dogville

"Dogville" is one of the most depressing films you will ever see. It is not dark because of a glut of acts of violence and cruelty--although it certainly has those--but because it questions our very abilities to forgive and be virtuous.

Nicole Kidman stars as Grace, a fittingly named young woman who mysteriously arrives in the town of Dogville in the wake of gunshots in the distance. Tom, the town's resident philosopher, senses she is in danger and suggests she hide in the village. Located deep in the Rocky Mountains and boasting a grand total of 15 adult residents, Dogville is an ideal place for Grace to seclude herself.

Tom convinces the townspeople to hide Grace from the gangsters and policemen who periodically come searching for her. In exchange, Grace performs menial labor for them. At first, the inhabitants are too proud to accept her help. Seeing how easily she is manipulated, however, they soon grow accustomed to exploiting her. Grace is raped and punished with ever increasing amounts of labor. She tolerates these indignities, reasoning that she would do the same things if placed in the shoes of these impoverished people.

How long can Grace endure this abuse? And why are mobsters and policemen on her trail? These questions sustain the energy of a film that stretches nearly three hours.

The film is all the more impressive for captivating us despite appearing to have been shot on a soundstage. The town has no buildings and a minimum of props. The streets are outlined with chalk; characters open and shut imaginary doors. At first this is a distraction, but after an hour I hardly noticed it.

Indeed, writer-director Lars von Trier has a gift for convincing us to accept melodramatic and unrealistic situations. We go along with his unreasonable premises because we wish to see the vision of a truly original auteur.

If you don't want to question mankind's capacity for compassion, don't watch "Dogville." But if you want true insight into the frequent horrors of the human condition, von Trier has made a compelling statement.