We’ve crawled out of Halloween Humpfest but the creeping dread continues for just a little bit longer because it’s time for another discussion in our overarching director topic for 2024. Yes, it is still a “dreary Year of von Trier” and what shit-hole year it’s been. Heading down the final stretch, it’s safe to say that the overall feeling of dread may bleed into the following year but we will be done with Lars von Trier, at least, until he gets around to making the third of his USA-Land of Opportunity trilogy. Today, we discuss the first of that trilogy and our introduction to Grace Mulligan in von Trier’s twisted take on American Folklore with his 2003 film “DOGVILLE” and it has a hell of cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Paul Bettany, Lauren Bacall, Stellan Skarsgård, Cloe Sevigny, Philip Baker Hall, James Caan and that’s only half of them. John Hurt narrates a tale of Grace who is on the run from mobsters and cops. She stumbles upon a strange tiny town. The town is skeptical but they give her a chance to be part of the village if she proves herself helpful by doing labor for each member of the town. When the heat turns up and questions continue they may need a little bit more from Grace to justify her presence. Then a little more. Just a little more. If this all becomes too much can Grace escape? We see the clues along the way (dude is reading “Tom Sawyer”) but when it’s all said and done, can glowing optimism make space for a sense of justice? All this within a minimal set design in which walls only exist within the minds of the characters. You know who made this movie so you should have specific expectations. That’s right. Call the in-laws. It’s movie night.

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