So many have described the events of this film, especially the character of Grace (Nicole Kidman). The screenwriter and director offer us the very armpit of existence. What is more ugly than offering to help someone whose life may be in danger, and then using her vulnerability to get their way. Like a Peckinpaugh film, the more transgressions, the greater the reprisals. I could never watch this film again because it sets the head spinning with the intense violence. Kidman is excellent but what message are we to take from it?

It probably won't dawn on you what the film maker is trying to say in "Dogville" until well into the picture, and even then I think there's a wide range of interpretation possible. For me, it began to click when the town citizens began doubling their demands of Grace (Nicole Kidman) to do more work for less pay. But the 'taking advantage' didn't stop there, as most of Dogville's men folk began extracting their pound of flesh from her, in a manner of speaking. Perhaps the one person who violated Grace the most however, at least in my estimation, was Vera (Patricia Clarkson),who destroyed the only physical possessions Grace held dear while making her watch and challenging her not to cry. The symbolism of the chain is glaring, as Grace becomes a prisoner to the whims of Dogville's citizens with no hope of escape unless an outside force should intrude to coerce them into facing their inhumanity. The idea that the scenario presented was all a test designed by Grace and her father (James Caan - the unnamed Big Man) was something I thought about as the Big Man's thugs were given the go ahead to destroy the town. At last willing to face the truth about society's inhumanity, Grace participates in it's demise by personally shooting Tom (Paul Bettany),while asserting that "Some things you have to do yourself".

I wasn't quite sure how to take this film when it started out. For a while my disappointment with the excessive voice over narration and minimalist sets began to get real irritating. But after some time, the story took on the quality of a slow motion car wreck that one just has to take a good long look at to be sure nothing's missed. It's not the kind of movie I'd think of recommending to anyone though; much of the dialog is dense and even though there's a lot going on, it feels at times like things are standing still. And except for Nicole Kidman's character, almost all the rest seem static in their devotion to themselves. This is definitely not a picture for everyone, and something I just thought about that's kind of funny, for many viewers a good alternate title for the movie might have been 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'.

It's Depression era Dogville which lies at the end of the road to an abandoned silver mine in the Rocky Mountains. Tom Edison (Paul Bettany) hears a gun shot and then finds Grace (Nicole Kidman) on the run from some gangsters. Tom hides her in the mines and then tries to convince the town to protect her. Most are skeptical and Grace does chores for the people. They eventually accept her into their town but the ugliness eventually grows.

This is a highly experimental theatrical experience. The set is more like a play. The buildings have no walls and things are often represented by written labels on the ground. It sets the movie feeling fake. I also don't like the constant narration. This is something deliberate which detracts from the enjoyment. It accentuates the fakeness of this morality play. It's also way too long. The good aspect is Kidman and the other great actors. In addition, the movie has a point and it makes it with surety. This is an unique film and not an enjoyable one.