Manderlay
2005
***
Director: Lars Von Trier
Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Isaach De Bankolé, Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe, Lauren Bacall, Jeremy Davies, Chloe Sevigny, Jean-Marc Barr, John Hurt, Mona Hammond
In the second part of Lars Von Trier's unfinished trilogy on America, Grace (now played by Bryce Dallas Howard) stumbles on a plantation where slavery is still practiced 70 years after its abolition. Grace is determined to free the slaves and impose her own system of democracy and justice, but learns that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. This is another provocative and thought-provoking drama, even if it cannot reproduce the impact of Dogville. Both films use minimalist theatre-style sets.
