Dear Wendy (2005)

Directed by Thomas Vinterberg

Starring Jamie Bell, Bill Pullman

It may be directed by Vinterberg but you cant escape the fact that this is a Lars von Trier film, it has his name stamped all over it. An ironic look at gun culture, specifically American gun culture where the protagonists, the misfits in a US mining town collect together in a group in a disused mine shaft. They name themselves the Dandies and even dress the part although the main reason for this collective effort is to share their pacifist ideals and their love of guns. A love that leads them to give each gun a name hence the Dear Wendy of the title and to virtually idolise them with rituals and rites before they can even touch them. 

The story is very simple, in some ways a little too simple with the basic lesson that guns are designed with one reason in mind and no matter what your principles are, guns will inevitably lead to violence and more often than not death.

Parts are reminiscent of Dogville, the way the town is laid out, especially when in map form (which is used several times) likewise the simple defining of each character. The token black guy is inevitably the bad egg, again a simplification but one that is certainly true to a lot of American films although hes not the one that causes trouble for the group. The end indeed the whole film could be discussed on a much deeper level but since many havent seen it yet itll have to wait for now. 

Also as with Dogville, I can't really say if I enjoyed the film, it has purpose but I can't say I liked the oversimplification of everything. 

Cheers Trev.