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Movie Description
The second film in Lars von Trier's American trilogy, picking up where DOGVILLE left off, is another technically audacious, gleefully brash condemnation of American society, this time focusing on the horrific legacy of slavery. in MANDERLAY, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard, replacing Nicole Kidman) and her father (Willem Dafoe, replacing James Caan) have arrived at the gates of a plantation in Alabama. When an elderly black woman knocks on the car door asking for help, Grace sees an opportunity to become a heroic woman of action. Sending her father away, Grace settles in Manderlay, where she tries to get the African-American workers to embrace their freedom once and for all. But for some reason, it appears that everyone--from the wise Wilhelm (Danny Glover) to the stubborn Thomas (Michael Abiteboul) to the strong Timothy (Isaach de Bankole)--is content to live a life of subservience. Her futile attempt to instill pride in the group takes its toll, rendering Grace exhausted, defeated, and hopeless. Like DOGVILLE, von Trier's film is shot on a soundstage in a theatrically stylized manner that will confound many viewers, but the committed performances humanize the film and give it its cold, bitter heart.
This film screened as part of Lincoln Center's 2005 New York Film Festival.
Industry Reviews
"[N]o film addict will want to miss his cinematic brilliance."
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (02/09/2006)
"[A] bracing satire of the legacy of slavery in the United States."
New York Times - Stephen Holden (02/03/2006)
3 stars out of 4 -- "[Von Trier's] methods remain compelling. And he does have nerve."
Premiere - Glenn Kenny (03/01/2006)
"There is something horribly eloquent...in the way von Trier accommodates an action and its consequence in a single frame."
Sight and Sound - Ryan Gilbey (03/01/2006)
"Von Trier scores some good points -- the parallels with Iraq are obvious..."
Uncut - Leslie Felperin (04/01/2006)
3 stars out of 5 -- "Von Trier scratches away…with his typically fierce polemicism..."
Total Film - Matt Mueller (08/01/2006)
4 stars out of 5 -- "A fearless critique of America's brutal past...quite unlike anything else in mainstream cinema."
Ultimate DVD - Natalie Braine (08/01/2006)
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