Manderlay (2006)

"...no film addict will want to miss his cinematic brilliance.  Rolling Stone
"A fearless critique of America's brutal past...  Ultimate DVD
"Von Trier scores some good points...  Uncut Magazine

Editor's Note 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.

	Bryce Dallas Howard
	Danny Glover
	Isaach De Bankole
	Willem Dafoe
	Anthony Dod Mantle - Cinematographer
	Bodil Kjaerhauge, et. al. - Editor
	Joachim Holbek - Original Music By
	Lars von Trier - Director
	Lars von Trier - Writer
	Vibeke Windelov - Producer

Rolling Stone
"[N]o film addict will want to miss his cinematic brilliance." 02/09/2006 p.73

New York Times
"[A] bracing satire of the legacy of slavery in the United States." 02/03/2006 p.E25

Premiere
3 stars out of 4 -- "[Von Trier's] methods remain compelling. And he does have nerve." 03/01/2006 p.44

Sight and Sound
"There is something horribly eloquent...in the way von Trier accommodates an action and its consequence in a single frame." 03/01/2006 p.66

Uncut
"Von Trier scores some good points -- the parallels with Iraq are obvious..." 04/01/2006 p.132

Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "Von Trier scratches away?with his typically fierce polemicism..." 08/01/2006 p.98

Ultimate DVD
4 stars out of 5 -- "A fearless critique of America's brutal past...quite unlike anything else in mainstream cinema." 08/01/2006 p.109

Rolling Stone 8 of 10
Manderlay was one of the best movies I have ever seen! If you liked Dogville you will love Manderlay because it far exceeds the first part. I know most Americans hate Lars since he has never been to America but how many times have we made movies being critical of other countries...since we dish it out we also have to learn how to take it.

Total Film 7 of 10
...a youthful vivacity and brisk sense of purpose that steers the movie through its occasional dull patches. As loyal retainer Wilhelm, meanwhile, Danny Glover deserves praise for transcending what, in the hands of a lesser performer, could easily have become an ugly and insulting stereotype. -