USA - Land of Opportunities

USA - Land of Opportunities is a trilogy of films by the Danish director Lars von Trier detailing a woman's encounters with American life in the 1930s. It begins with the movie Dogville which deals with a small rural town beset by the lofty ideologies of one of its inhabitants. The second film is Manderlay in which Grace (the lead character of the trilogy) endeavours to implement the supposed illegality of slavery. The trilogy is to conclude with Washington, a film due for release in 2007, details of which are not currently available.

Related Topics:
Trilogy - Film - Danish - Director - Lars von Trier - American - 1930s - Dogville - Manderlay - Grace - Washington

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Each movie is shot with a minimalist approach, occurring entirely on a sound stage dressed with only the bare rudiments of conventional set design. They are filmed using the distinct handheld style championed by Von Trier since his 1995 film The Idiots. These techniques are considered to reflect the deconstruction of sentimental American values (as the director deems them to be), presenting these themes in an arguably more literal manner.

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Although the character of Grace was initially intended to be played by Nicole Kidman in all three films, she abandoned the project following Dogville citing scheduling issues preventing her from reprising the role. Bryce Dallas Howard was cast in her place for the Manderlay shoot.

Related Topics:
Nicole Kidman - Bryce Dallas Howard

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