'This film is Anti-American!' So what? - Dogville (2004) Discussion

[–] RebekahHerzberg 13 years ago

No *beep* and America sucks any way so who cares.

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[–] Jimbo_BSD 13 years ago

Calling WWII movies anti-german is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. As if there is any sort of moral relativism about that conflict. ilssaridor, you're an idiot.

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[–] johnleepimp 11 years ago

Not feeling bad about killing people (Nazi soldiers included) is still discriminatory... also quiet down, you're gonna upset Lars Von Trier

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[–] Guamley 13 years ago

As someone who's ultra-sensitive about such things, I really didn't see it as such. I saw it more as a statement on the depths of humanity in general.
The comparison to Pearl harbor movies being anti-Japanese doesn't fly as they're based on a true story, this to the best of my knowledge was not.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] HornyDonkey 13 years ago

I'm from a country in which America's crimes against humanity are the common topics in a fairly serious conversation with friends.
But during and after watching this movie, America was the last thing that comes to mind. I saw this this movie as the big question about humans' nature in general.
So, it's really sad when people dismiss the greatness of this movie simply over the assumption that it depicts American wrongly.

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[–] TheMisanthrope 13 years ago

I didnt see this movie as anti-american, even if that was the directors intent - more a study in human nature... and how ugly people can be.

This film could very well have been about a jewish girl hiding from the nazis.

"God Hates Us All"

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[–] Indifferent_Observer 13 years ago

I didn't see the movie as Anti-American at all its about human nature, but I do hate when people try to lump all Americans together as a bunch of dumb yanks when its only a few idiots, not the country as a whole thats bad.

I would be willing to bet there are just as many idiots(if not more) everywhere else as there are in the USA. Our idiots just have more access to Computers and electronics:)

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[–] matheusmagalhaes10 12 years ago

The film takes place in United States ("America" is the continent) but there's a good number of actors that aren't americans at all (Nicole Kidman, Harriet Andersson, Jean-Marc Barr, Paul Bettany, John Hurt, Zeljko Ivanek, Stellan Skarsgård, all the children of Chuck/Vera's family...).
It may be just a curiosity but who knows...

Anyway, i can't see this film being made in China, Cuba, Brazil, Italy, Norway (...) and not creating the same kind of harsh criticism that made being placed in USA. I think that Von Trier's point was achieved, people don't like the truth about our nature (human beings, not countries or nations), they like to hide behind flags and patriotism and this film is about it, being in USA, Australia, Mexico or anywhere in the world.

Buñuel did it many years ago in Viridiana, Von Trier only made it a little more serious in Dogville.

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[–] rmiikku 12 years ago

In Europe we have been through so much *beep* through millenias and we are making it work much better than Americans or anyone else is. Its about human nature but in some places humans are *beep* than in other places.

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[–] mblm20042003 12 years ago

Yeah because thats the better thing to do lump millions of people together and say you're better than them. Thanks for posting the most arrogant post ive ever had a chance to read. Truthfully i didnt really think the movie was anti american but i wonder about some of these posters.

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[–] hyst44-888-806904 11 years ago

yeah, and it only took thousands of extra years to do it...I guess we will give you guys a learning curve since your population is so much bi-...NM.

Quick! Tell me about the F'in golf shoes!

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[–] The_Man_From_NoWhere 12 years ago

if Americans make movies and bash other countries like they have done and you named a few, it's freedom of speech and nothing's wrong with it. but if a movie makes the slightest criticism or judgment on american's actions, way of life, politics or whatever, it'd be accused of being anti-semitism, racism, and so on.
it's a bubble they live in that makes them think of themselves above all.

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[–] katspajamas22 12 years ago

First off, the movies listed in the op were not bashing other countries at all. In fact, I found Hostel anti-American more than anything else. But the others were war time period pieces. They were telling the story from the Americans point of view.

Second, I find people from other countries to be way more sensitive than Americans. Say one little thing or make an innocent joke and it's all hell. I'm American and I loved Dogville. Do you honestly think if there had been anti-England or anti-French sentiment that there wouldn't be an uproar in those countries.

And third, people get to call Americans arrogant, lazy, uneducated, etc. But if we take a bit of offense to those ignorant comments, we're sensitive and above it all?

When are non-Americans gonna take a look in the mirror?

The journey was terrible...the trip was alright

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[–] magnuspetersson72 12 years ago

I am Swedish (European!) and i dont hate the United States at all, i just dislike their conservative and capitalist politics (i think that both the republicans and democrats are conservatives and capitalists).

WWII films are for the most not anti any country, Saving Private Ryan is an American WWII film, told from the perspective of American soldiers fighting the German Nazis, does that make it anti-German? No. Das Boot is a German WWII film, told from the perspective of German soldiers, fighting the British navy, does that make if anti-British? No.

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[–] Nooneimportant 12 years ago

"I am Swedish (European!) and i dont hate the United States at all, i just dislike their conservative and capitalist politics (i think that both the republicans and democrats are conservatives and capitalists). "

I don't hate the sweedes either, I just dislke their crappy furniture, their smug secular attitudes, their progressive nature and their feminist self loading culture that can't celebrate "alle flaggans dag" cuz its to vulgar. No sir, I do not hate Sweden even if I do not like the "old money" and those countless Swedish waiters I meet in my own country. I dislike Malmø to, with its chaotic cultural landscape with crime, violence and rape. I dislike that the swedes do not allow that to be said, as that would be racist or non-PC. If I do not laugh, I frown on the many diffrent feminsit castration projects in your contry that slowly are moving towards my contry to (like having to sit when menn pee) like an infection of the mind. In short I disapprove 90% of the Swedish culture and everything it represents, but I do not hate the swedes.

To say that you dont hate a people, but dislike something in their culture (because it differs from yours) is a BS.

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[–] Guamley 12 years ago

Good post Noon. I'm amazed at how easily Sweden is allowing their culture to become destroyed with nary a whimper in the name of political correctness.
What a bunch of spineless sheep.

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[–] Nooneimportant 12 years ago

I know. Its all over Europe too. Riots in Danmark (shooting up in a hospital), letters sent to the government that want to declare Grønnland (part of Oslo, the capitol of Norway) a separate nation ruled by muslims (as they, in the letter, find Norwegians dirty). But Sweden and France is the most progressiv. In Norway we still fight against it, but media decides what can be said, who can say it (a very important tool is to make a unsophisticated, unlearned say the non-pc opinion. Very effective.) and what the focus should be.

Europe loses its conservativeness, or more correctly loses its foundation. This leads to chaos, which seems to lead to statism. I never heard of cultural-marxism before very resently, but it seems to be the fact of Europe. Its all chaos, self-loading and worshiping of the exotic non-european cuz the european is so "white" and "dull".

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[–] imeiunovo 12 years ago

Nice try.But even with that silly text you weren't able to make Sweden look worse than the USA or any other country.Poor swedes, they live such terrible lives in their underdeveloped country,haha.

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[–] Nooneimportant 12 years ago

Would you be free or would you be rich?

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[–] Albino_Hyena 10 years ago

Then take comfort in the fact that the U.S is far from a capitalist country: regulation and bureaucracy get worse every year, along with government subsidies, and the nation as a whole is becoming more and more economically authoritarian. The U.S could best be described as a corporatist (crony-capitalist), representative democracy.

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[–] PsychoDingo 11 years ago

no word describes all Americans (except "American" and even then we get into sub-labels of ancestry)

so it would be inaccurate to say that each individual American is arrogant, lazy, uneducated, etc. however, a significant portion of the American population lives up to those descriptions, so it's easy to see why people associate Americans with those traits in a general sense

it is just as inaccurate, or ignorant, to say Americans are smart, motivated, and reasonable. but would we complain about ignorance if someone described Americans that way? of course not, because the outrage isn't really about ignorance. it's about being upset over a negative characterization.

THAT is why Americans are seen as being sensitive. it would be different if we typically rallied against all ignorance (like every time some American claims we are #1 at something we're not really #1 at), but we don't

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[–] 10 years ago

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[–] Sergeant343 12 years ago

This is an art film, it is meant to interpreted the way you feel it means, so long as you can back it up of course. I for example just saw as a study of human nature
and the dog eat dog culture of America. Even as an Objectivist I don't hate the film, nor do I find it entirely anti-capitalistic and besides there is much beauty in its technical aspects.

HI F-ING YA
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