Manderlay (C or 2/4 stars)
'Manderlay' is a drama written & directed by Lars Von Trier; and it is a sequel to 2003's Dogville. When we left off, Grace Margaret Mulligan (Nicole Kidman) and her father (James Caan) had left Dogville for good. But this is a new movie with a different cast. It is 1933, Grace (now played by Bryce Dallas Howard) & her dad (Willem Dafoe) witness a slave, Timothy (Isaach De Bankole), and see that he is about to be whipped on an Alabaman plantation named Manderlay. Slavery had been outlawed for 70 yrs., but not on 'this' plantation. Grace stays at these cotton fields with hope of freeing the slaves and instilling a sense of democracy in them. The film is unique, & Howard is daring in her role; but the last quarter of the movie couldn't save an immensely boring middle.
Grace is dismayed by the injustices being served to the slaves by their owners (including Lauren Bacall as Mam and Chloe Sevigny). She's disgusted that these folks have lived their lives under the guide of 'Mam's Law'. This law categorizes the slaves based on their look and/or personality; as if they were animals. Grace wants them to be free of socio-economic restraints, but in truth, these slaves don't know any other way of life. They fear the unknown, and still wish to be governed; this concept completely puzzles Grace. Just because she's white and wants to help blacks, doesn't mean her presence is like the second-coming of Jesus.
The way in which this film & Dogville are shot is highly unconventional, but it works. It's performed on a huge stage (as a play would be). It is sparingly decorated with minimal props/furniture, and a basic use of lighting is used to create a mood. There is a lot of slow-paced dialogue throughout this movie & there's almost no action. And so, most of this 'Manderlay' is boring. Grace finds a friend in Wilhelm (Danny Glover), but has a hard time dealing with Timothy, that is, until some pent-up sexual tension literally explodes on the screen for all of us to see. Also, the last few scenes pick up the pace & it ends with quite a surprise.
As in Dogville, bad luck befalls Grace. And when she leaves Manderlay, she & we have no idea what will happen next. We'll find out in 2007's Washington. The point here is that racism existed in the 17, 18, 19, 20th, & still does today. Just because Grace doesn't believe in slavery, doesn't mean she isn't racist. The ensemble cast is fine, but the subject matter of the film is the only thing that matters. 'Some' whites don't understand blacks and vice-versa; it may always be that way. Is that the whites' fault or the blacks? Who's to say? The movie comes off as a bit too preachy for my taste, & it only 'get's going' in the last Act. But it's worth a viewing if only to experience a snippet of a cultural movement from a harsh time in America's history.
Grace is dismayed by the injustices being served to the slaves by their owners (including Lauren Bacall as Mam and Chloe Sevigny). She's disgusted that these folks have lived their lives under the guide of 'Mam's Law'. This law categorizes the slaves based on their look and/or personality; as if they were animals. Grace wants them to be free of socio-economic restraints, but in truth, these slaves don't know any other way of life. They fear the unknown, and still wish to be governed; this concept completely puzzles Grace. Just because she's white and wants to help blacks, doesn't mean her presence is like the second-coming of Jesus.
The way in which this film & Dogville are shot is highly unconventional, but it works. It's performed on a huge stage (as a play would be). It is sparingly decorated with minimal props/furniture, and a basic use of lighting is used to create a mood. There is a lot of slow-paced dialogue throughout this movie & there's almost no action. And so, most of this 'Manderlay' is boring. Grace finds a friend in Wilhelm (Danny Glover), but has a hard time dealing with Timothy, that is, until some pent-up sexual tension literally explodes on the screen for all of us to see. Also, the last few scenes pick up the pace & it ends with quite a surprise.
As in Dogville, bad luck befalls Grace. And when she leaves Manderlay, she & we have no idea what will happen next. We'll find out in 2007's Washington. The point here is that racism existed in the 17, 18, 19, 20th, & still does today. Just because Grace doesn't believe in slavery, doesn't mean she isn't racist. The ensemble cast is fine, but the subject matter of the film is the only thing that matters. 'Some' whites don't understand blacks and vice-versa; it may always be that way. Is that the whites' fault or the blacks? Who's to say? The movie comes off as a bit too preachy for my taste, & it only 'get's going' in the last Act. But it's worth a viewing if only to experience a snippet of a cultural movement from a harsh time in America's history.