Alfonsina Seeriz

PHI 345 05

Due Date: November 9, 2015

Dogville
In Dogville by Lars Von Trier, at first it is quite peculiar
because the movie feels more like a theatrical play being
recorded than an actual film. We see that the space of the movie
is a staged ambient; meaning that the movie was filmed on a set
that was built indoors, maybe for the purpose of recording the
film. There are not a lot of props being used. There are also chalk
markings or outlines on the floor to indicate the non-existent
houses, streets and even a non-existent dog.
In this strange yet appealing three-hour film narrated in nine
chapters and a prologue, Lars Von Trier wanted the spectator to
be a pensive spectator by the way he filmed this theatrical film.
He used enough props so that the spectator was not going to be
distracted by it after a while of being immersed in the narration
and storyline of the theatrical film. He wanted the spectator to
focus on the characters themselves. How they transform from the
good people through Toms eyes and how, when Grace arrives,
they slowly start to show their real colors.
Through this movie Grace learns the cold harsh truth in a
place where she expected to find the goodness which her faith
told her it existed. She then does not find that goodness but
discovers that even within her lay a black emotion that echoed
the darkness that she herself wished did not feature so dominant
in our race.
This is evident in the scene when she says the line, I owe
her that near the films end where she gives specific orders to kill
Chucks and Veras kids first and to tell Vera that if she hold back
her tears, her children will be spared. Sadly, Vera cannot hold
back her tears and because of that, Grace takes advantage of it.
In the near end of the theatrical film it seems impossible to
ignore our own primitive satisfaction in the way she orders the
towns purging. This shows how dark we truly are as a race. We
feed of someone elses misfortune and we use them to our
advantage once we have superiority over who are inferior to us.
In conclusion, Lars Von Trier was brave to criticize humanity
by making a theatrical film about it. He made us see and,

Alfonsina Seeriz

PHI 345 05

Due Date: November 9, 2015

hopefully to most people, admit just how sinister our race can
truly be. It does not matter how much each of us says to being
good, we all know that most of us are anything but good.