Review of Manderlay (2005) by Stefano C — 11 Sep 2010

Disturbing, intriguing and philosophical...Manderlay asks and answers a basic question: who is running the insane asylum? The staff or the inmates? The audience having to contribute to its visualization was interesting and different, almost like a play and it was a complete surprise to me when the movie began. Its political commentary is dead on, agreed with its criticism of white liberalism, its commentary on the weight of psychological means of oppression is done pretty well and its deconstruction of the "myth" of democracy and the danger of the white missionary in the land of color. I thought the whole cast did a fantastic job. The ending had a M. Night Shaymalan-style plot twist. I liked how in the plot, every detail is connected to a larger portrait of human truth.

Some may argue: How can someone who has never set foot in America comment on race in this country? The film makes freeing slave sound like a bad thing, and all the black people are the blame for all evil. Director Von Trier seems to challenge those that have seen it all and visit somewhere previously untrodden in films. We don't watch his stuff hoping to see the millionth retread of Hollywood guaranteed-to-make-money cliche shallowness.

Watch it with a strong critical eye.