"Manderlay": Odd around the edges, film's core is solid acting
Driven by misguided idealism and disastrous notions of forced democracy, the plot of Lars von Trier's intriguing drama, "Manderlay," is nothing if not topical. It's the second installment in a trilogy of morality tales that started a couple of years ago with von Trier's much-debated "Dogville."
Both movies focus on a compromised 1930s American woman, Grace, played by Nicole Kidman in the first film and by Bryce Dallas Howard (Ron Howard's talented daughter) in "Manderlay." Escaping from the Colorado setting of "Dogville," Grace and her gangster father (Willem Dafoe) stop at an Alabama plantation named Manderlay, where everyone lives as if slavery had never been abolished.
Ignoring her father's isolationist advice, Grace decides to liberate the slaves and guide them through a cotton harvest. Their "owner" (Lauren Bacall) obligingly dies, and Grace is left to her own devices. In no time at all, she's made a patronizing mess of the situation, forcing the blacks to accept their new freedom.
In the process, she underestimates Wilhelm (Danny Glover), a house-slave who at first seems as innocuous as Uncle Remus, and Timothy (Isaach de Bankolé), a rebel who seems condemned to be whipped — no matter who's in charge. At her lowest point, Grace is forced to betray an older woman (Mona Hammond) who is blamed for the death of a child.
"Manderlay" is both more coherent and more obvious than "Dogville," which lacked the clean narrative drive of the new film. As a study of unconscious racism, complete with white actors appearing in blackface (as they sometimes did in 1930s films), it's often horrifyingly perceptive.
Still, if you were less than wild about "Dogville," you may have a similar reaction to "Manderlay." It ends with a ham-handed photo montage of lynchings and Ku Klux Klan meetings, and Von Trier again self-consciously emphasizes theatrical settings that couldn't be more artificial. Both movies have the minimalist, low-budget look of a PBS adaptation of a stage play.
On the plus side, this allows the director to concentrate on performances rather than scenery. Howard is more than a reasonable replacement for Kidman; her scenes with De Bankolé are especially effective. John Hurt's narration sets just the right tone of mild irony. Glover, so often wasted in action films, digs into the best screen role he's had in years.
John Hartl: johnhartl@yahoo.com
"Manderlay," with Bryce Dallas Howard, Danny Glover, Isaach de Bankol. Written and directed by Lars von Trier. 133 minutes. Not rated; suitable for mature audiences (includes nudity, sex scenes). Uptown.