Dogville: thoughts about a movie

Dogville (2003) is one of the finest and most thought provoking studies in human nature. This masterpiece by writer/director Lars Von Trier, manages to bring in forefront the wide swathe of the good and the evil in human nature. We see people who are merciful and kind, protect the weak even at the face of facing punishment. They provide shelter to a girl on the run from the law and the mob. They provide her clothes and a home, give her work and include her in their community. And then, as the time passes, degrade into their primal instincts. They exploit the kindness of the grateful girl, they extract their pound of flesh, they turn a blind eye to each others disgusting behaviour towards her and continue going down the filth of the human evil.

I feel the evolution shown in the movie is the natural evolution of the human animal (say the host) and how it deals with changes (say the arriver) in its surrounding. At the outset, the host is suspicous of the arriver. When the arriver is not a threat, the suspicion is somewhat mitigated but the familiarity hasn't set its deep root, things are still polite and civil. The distance by non-familiarity hides the ugliness within. Then familiarity sets in and that gives rise to growing comfort and opening of true self. If the arriver is weak or kind or non-aggressive, the base instincts of the host starts to ooze out. Dominating, taking advantage, exploiting for self satisfaction, torture as an expression of relief from own's demons or for simple voyeuristic pleasure. It shows the real creature inside the human - it is really animal.

Good and Evil is within us - irrespective of our education, social status, economic background or the civility we wear. Both can raise their respective beatiful and ugly heads - any place, any time.