With the possible exception of THE IDIOTS, every film I have seen by Trier has been pushing a really disturbing female stereotype.
The women are universally portrayed as Martyrs whose self sacrifice is the only option available to them. But their martyrdom is never for themselves but always for a male who directly or indirectly benefits from their stupidity and self sacrifice.
In Breaking the Waves and Dancer In The Dark both main female characters allow themselves to be tortured and killed in order to benefit the men in their lives (BTW her husband and DITD Selma's son.)The fact that both sacrifices are completely illogical is ignored. In fact in Breaking The Waves the rape and murder of the main female (Bess) is actually shown to have had the beneficial effect of letting her husband walk again after a terrible accident.
in Dogville it seems like Trier has realized this and is willing to look at it. In Dogville he seriously questions these portrayals of self sacrifice, of forgiveness and looks to see where they come from.
The final conversation between Grace and her father illustrates this idea beautifully and finally the female archetype, which is essentially what Trier is writing about rather than the female character, acknowledges that these tendencies which society has tried to push upon her and which has given her a false sense of place, security and most importantly superiority, is self deception and leads to her enslavement.
But don't be fooled. Von Trier has not turned over a new leaf...
Grace is ill used by the townspeople, made to be a sex as well as labour slave and yes Von Trier finally allows her to toss away her martyrdom and enact revenge on the townsfolk who have used her so badly... but.. why... is it for her own empowerment? No. In order to do this Grace becomes the one thing she was running from in the first place - the pawn of her father. She sacrifices herself to him as surely as Bess and Selma sacrificed themselves to their male family members.
So the message has been refined not changes - women should find the power to fight against the slavery brought by society but not that by the men in their immediate lives.
In BTW and DITD both Selma and Bess also stood up to the cruel bigoted and corrupt men in their society - Bess the church, Selma her landlord whom she killed. But like Grace, once placed in a position where they were asked to surrender to their family they did so willingly.
Lars Von Trier is a good technical filmmaker, the form is always interesting, whether using "dogma" or Brechtian styles. But h e uses the form to gain comment and the appalling content and theme is often completely ignored. He's a master manipulator but probably not a very nice human being. she doesn't just offer herself up as a sacrifice.
The women are universally portrayed as Martyrs whose self sacrifice is the only option available to them. But their martyrdom is never for themselves but always for a male who directly or indirectly benefits from their stupidity and self sacrifice.
In Breaking the Waves and Dancer In The Dark both main female characters allow themselves to be tortured and killed in order to benefit the men in their lives (BTW her husband and DITD Selma's son.)The fact that both sacrifices are completely illogical is ignored. In fact in Breaking The Waves the rape and murder of the main female (Bess) is actually shown to have had the beneficial effect of letting her husband walk again after a terrible accident.
in Dogville it seems like Trier has realized this and is willing to look at it. In Dogville he seriously questions these portrayals of self sacrifice, of forgiveness and looks to see where they come from.
The final conversation between Grace and her father illustrates this idea beautifully and finally the female archetype, which is essentially what Trier is writing about rather than the female character, acknowledges that these tendencies which society has tried to push upon her and which has given her a false sense of place, security and most importantly superiority, is self deception and leads to her enslavement.
But don't be fooled. Von Trier has not turned over a new leaf...
Grace is ill used by the townspeople, made to be a sex as well as labour slave and yes Von Trier finally allows her to toss away her martyrdom and enact revenge on the townsfolk who have used her so badly... but.. why... is it for her own empowerment? No. In order to do this Grace becomes the one thing she was running from in the first place - the pawn of her father. She sacrifices herself to him as surely as Bess and Selma sacrificed themselves to their male family members.
So the message has been refined not changes - women should find the power to fight against the slavery brought by society but not that by the men in their immediate lives.
In BTW and DITD both Selma and Bess also stood up to the cruel bigoted and corrupt men in their society - Bess the church, Selma her landlord whom she killed. But like Grace, once placed in a position where they were asked to surrender to their family they did so willingly.
Lars Von Trier is a good technical filmmaker, the form is always interesting, whether using "dogma" or Brechtian styles. But h e uses the form to gain comment and the appalling content and theme is often completely ignored. He's a master manipulator but probably not a very nice human being. she doesn't just offer herself up as a sacrifice.
