A seductive cocktail of crushing cynicism, Dogville plays like Au Hasard Balthazar and the Stanford prison experiment mixed with the tunes of John Wesley Harding.

| Aug 21, 2023

Dogville's tongue-clucking point-and von Trier makes it broadly-is the hypocrisy of the Good Samaritan, but a less clinical film could have done so more powerfully.

| Mar 16, 2020

A bold, beautiful work of art.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Jun 5, 2019

Kidman has never lacked the courage to perform in innovative productions on stage and screen, such as The Blue Room and Eyes Wide Shut. In this film, which is a bit of both, she acquits herself gamely.

| Jan 10, 2018

For its exuberance and its difference, its fine performances and its devastating finale, Dogville is essential viewing.

| Jan 9, 2018

[Director] Trier attempts to pass this off as art, when really it's just ridiculous.

| Apr 29, 2009

Thought provoking with its dense and intense themes, Dogville highlights the best and the worst in us all; the emotions it agitates are hard to shake.

| Oct 18, 2008

| Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 7, 2008

These elements come together to form a movie that is clinically ironic but also unique, inspired, and quite sublime.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 3, 2008

This minimalist, digital-video-shot film has its own cinematic flash and thunder, and does things only movies can do.

| Original Score: A | Jul 30, 2007

An exceptionally literary film that at the same time employs extremely theatrical set design. Leave it to the mad genius of Denmark to kick cinema's ass once again.

| Original Score: A+ | Jun 21, 2007

After about an hour, the novelty wears off, and you're aching to see an actual animal and real shrubs. After two hours, you feel disappointed when you realize that this wouldn't even make a good play. After three hours, it's downright infuriating.

| Original Score: 1/4 | May 2, 2007

Bold stylistic decisions reinforce the themes of the narrative, while a strong story and convincing performances prove equal to the task of carrying such an extended running time.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Apr 1, 2006

Ambitious, intriguing but fatally self-important ...

| Jan 26, 2006

For all of "Dogville's" strengths -- its powerful performances, the ingenious staging, how quickly and completely the audience accepts its stylized reality -- its take-home message is, ultimately, measly.

| Sep 26, 2005

| Original Score: 92/100 | May 13, 2005

Manages to strike a poignant chord as a more general denunciation of humanity's latent tendencies for malicious selfishness.

| Original Score: B+ | May 3, 2005

'Rich with meaning or a sublime prank, Dogville gets to you.'

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 22, 2005

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Mar 5, 2005

[Von Trier] portrays intense evil to make us wonder at the resilience and generosity of Grace, that 'alabaster' saint who exemplifies her name ... to a point.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Dec 6, 2004