A Masterpiece!

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

How poorly written!Talk about a heavy hand.This movie is nearly unwatchable.The main character simply proselytizes on and on and on and on until she practically starts foaming at the mouth and falls over backwards!I'm really unsure how anyone can sit through this borefest. It's simply dreadful. And how many times does this dumb chick have to say "we made them what they are?"HUh? We didn't hear you the 204th time?OMG burn the film Please burn the negative! Please!! Bury every copy.

I am writing this review only for one reason: to explain the dumb people who view this film as racist, that it is nothing they think.I will make it short- this is what the movie was trying to say (and it is not the directors fault you did not get it): White people caused slavery. After a while (a long, long while) it started to be perceived as something bad and was abolished. Of course people who were living in slavery (meaning- outside the society) didn't know how to find their way and survive outside the concept of slavery, of course they couldn't be as successful as a white person- they didn't have the same chances. So, the white people try to "help" for a short while, and of course the problems which took generations to build up cant be solved in a short time. Then the whites get angry, they are sick of helping, they feel burdened by the blacks and their inability to make it in the society. And they punish the blacks because the blacks couldn't make it, but they are forgetting: the blacks didn't cause the problem, the whites did.Its not only about black and white, it is about human nature and racism is just one example.So, please, this movie is no way racist, it is the complete opposite.

Manderlay (2005)** 1/2 (out of 4) Lars von Trier's follow-up to DOGVILLE has Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard replacing Nicole Kidman) and her gangster father (Willem Dafoe replacing James Caan) traveling in the South when they come across the town Manderlay. Grace is horrified to see a plantation owner (Lauren Bacall) still has slaves so after the old woman's death she decides to stay on board to try and teach the slaves why they should be free. I thought DOGVILLE was a masterpiece and one of the most creative movies I have ever seen. This sequel is still a good movie but I think it's several notches below the previous film for a number of reasons. The biggest problem I had with the film is that its story never really grabbed me and drew me into the events. I thought the screenplay, at times, had scenes just going on and on and for no reason other than the artistic style. I think another problem is that none of the supporting characters are all that interesting. Clocking in at 139-minutes, this is an extremely long film but it's actually nearly 40-minutes shorter than DOGVILLE. I think the lack of strong supporting characters really made the film drag in spots. DOGVILLE, on the other hand, had such a strong and wonderful supporting characters that you could easily get caught up in everything going on. As with DOGVILLE, this movie here goes for that theatrical look with everything being shot on a stage with "objects" being lined out in chalk. While the effect isn't nearly as dramatic as the previous film I thought the director still used it to good effect and his style was certainly brought to life. I really love the way von Trier shot the film and it almost comes off like a documentary because of how raw the footage is. Bryce Dallas Howard certainly isn't in the same league as Kidman but I thought she did an okay job. I thought she did a good job with the line delivery and building up the character but I didn't think she was nearly as intense as the part should have been and I can't help but wonder what would have happened at Kidman returned. Danny Glover is pretty good in his brief role as is Bacall who it's always great to see. Dafoe only appears in a couple scenes but he too turns in a good performance but, as is the case with so much of this film, he falls short of Caan. MANDERLAY is certainly adventurous in its subject matter and there's no question that the style is something all to its own. The movie is certainly a good one but it's still easy to call it a disappointment considering how far off it was from the previous movie in the series.

it basically follows what happens in dogville but different actors playing grace and her gangster father, the gangster father played by Willem dafoe has only a small part to play but is very effective. originally played by James caan. i really do think grace should have been played by Nicole kidman like in dogville, but grace is acted out by Bryce Dallas Howard who i don't like all that much because of lady in the water, terrible film. Bryce is OK in this film, wouldn't say amazing though. i think the best performance in this is played by Danny glover but the best thing about this film that kept me glued was the narration by john hurt, the guy is a legend. he isn't the greatest in front of the camera but I'm so hoping he narrates more titles. now i wouldn't advise everyone to watch this film as it is filmed on a stage (just like dogville) and there's very little props around. you have to basically imagine that there in a house and not on a stage which i think is very original and brilliant and it works. good job to Lars Von trier for making another brilliant, dogville is the better on of the two though. looking forward to the third in the series "wasington"........... 8/10....... j.d seaton