"Dogville" Lions Gate - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Nordisk Film - Region 2 - PAL vs. Dawoori (Special Edition) - Region 0

directed by Lars von Trier
Denmark 2003

For twenty years Lars von Trier has attacked the conventions of cinema and film, continued where Godard and Cassavates left off and created, time and time again, some of the most original and beautiful films. With Dogville he has created his perhaps best film to date. Inspired by the song “Piraten Jenny” by Bertold Brecht and Kurt Weill, and the desire to bring back freedom and fun in both acting and directing, Lars von Trier has created a mutation of “Brechtian Theater”, demonstrating not only how potent a simple story can be, but also forcing us, the viewers, to participate. With typical disrespect for rules, yet always faithful to his codex that a film should annoy like a stone in the shoe, Lars von Trier appears to mock the very institution and art he is considered a master of. But that is what we expect of him, that is what makes him so unique, that is why we hate and love him.

Dogville shows a maturing of Lars von Trier and his approach to his motifs, developing the “golden heart” into a “human heart”, both giving and taking. As the previous heroines of Lars von Trier, Grace too is naïve; or so it seems. But where the heroines remain naïve despite their actions in the “golden heart” trilogy (Breaking the Waves, The Idiots and Dancer in the Dark), Grace marks a change, as we mistake kindness of the heart with naivety. Dogville is not about loss of innocence, it is about loss of love and kindness. How greedy men are to exploit those willing to help.

With Dogville, the first film in his “U S A” trilogy, Lars von Trier has created a perverse allegory about the fragility and strength alike of the human spirit and how corruptible it is when exposed to power. A masterpiece.

Henrik Sylow

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 19th, 2003 - Cannes Film Festival

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DVD Comparison:

Lions Gate - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Nordisk Film - Region 2 - PAL vs. Dawoori (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Enrique B Chamorro and Henrik Sylow for the Screen Caps!

(Lions Gate - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Nordisk Film - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Dawoori (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
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Distribution	Lions Gate Region 1 - NTSC	Nordisk Film Region 2 - PAL	Dawoori Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	2:57:24	2:50:15 (4% PAL speedup)	2:57:18
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.70 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.81 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.82 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Lions Gate
Bitrate: Nordisk Film
Bitrate: Dawoori (Special Edition)
Audio	5.1 Dolby Digital English	2.0 Dolby Digital English, 5.1 Dolby Digital English, 2.0 Dolby Digital French (dub)	2.0 Dolby Digital English, 5.1 Dolby Digital English
Subtitles	English, Spanish, None	Danish, Volupak, French, None	English, Korean, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Lions Gate Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Audio Commentary with dir. Lars Von Trier & DP Anthony Dod Mantle • US Trailer 1:58 (split screen style) DVD Release Date: August 24, 2004 Plastic Keepcase Chapters 20	Release Information: Studio: Nordisk Film Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Audio Commentary with dir. Lars Von Trier & DP Anthony Dod Mantle • Dogville Confessions (53 minutes) • Trier, Kidman og Cannes (23 minutes) • The Dogville Test (6 minutes) • 7 Interview clips • Deleted Scenes from Dogville Confessions (18 minutes) • Visual effects (8 minutes) (with audio commentary by Peter Hjort) • Dogville Visuals (Poster, Artworks, Storyboards) • Pressconference Trollhättan (10 minutes) • Pressconference Cannes (10 minutes) • Lars von Trier meets the Danish Press (3 minutes) • Trailer DVD Release Date: November 26, 2003 Plastic Keepcase Chapters 20	Release Information: Studio: Dawoori Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Audio Commentary with dir. Lars Von Trier & DP Anthony Dod Mantle • International Trailer 2:04 (confessional style) • Bonus material on disc 2: • Dogville Screen Tests 6:04 • Cannes Press Conference 20:42 • Trollhatten Press Confrence 10:12 • Skaninavian Press Confrence 3:25 • 8 Interview clips • Visual Effects 8:28 • Confession Box (cast self video confessions) 17:45 • Trier & Kidman in Cannes 23:28 • Appendix (text screens about the movie in Korean) DVD Release Date: December 30, 2003 Plastic Slim Double Keepcase Chapters 16

Comments

The Korean DVD appears to be a port of the Danish DVD, but is missing the following items from the Danish extras: Dogville Confessions (53 min.) by Sami Saif, deleted scenes from Confessions (18 minutes) and Dogville visuals. Beyond that, the Korean 2 disc set beats the US edition. (Enrique B Chamorro)

Where the Nordisk DVD is slightly better in picture than the Dawoori, the Lions Gate DVD is slightly better, having a more balanced picture. But as the differences are minute, Nordisk is the DVD to go after.

What makes Nordisk the DVD you want is "Dogville Confessions". An excellent documentary about the staging of "Dogville", but also about von Trier and his working methods.

The Audio Commentary does not run in its entirety. Lars von Trier and Anthony Dod Mantle only discuss key scenes:

Selected Commentary (Duration: 123:10)
- Tom meets Grace (27:05)
- Grace follows Tom's plan (14:52)
- Fourth of July after all (8:36)
- Dogville bares its teeth (8:23)
- The last illustration (64:11)

The French "Edition Collector" is 100% identical with the Nordisk DVD, just with French 5.1 Dolby Digital instead of the 2.0 DD.

-Henrik Sylow

DVD Menus

(Lions Gate - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Nordisk Film - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Dawoori (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

Screen Captures

(Lions Gate - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Nordisk Film - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Dawoori (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
Subtitle sample (English subtitles only)