The Lingering Legacy of Dogme 95

Just over a decade ago, around the 100th anniversary of cinema, a handful of Danish filmmakers got together and wrote a manifesto called "The Vow of Chastity", which formed the rules and guidelines that became known as Dogme 95 (or Dogma in the English spelling). Now, normally one would expect that artists and filmmakers would be the very types to reject any sort of strict rules, and certainly would not accept something labeled a dogma. But in fact, in the ensuing years, several hundred films have been made using these very guidelines around the world.

I had always been curious about the group and what the real output consisted of, but was always skeptical of the ideology itself. So I recently viewed Festen, or The Celebration as it is know in U.S. release. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, one of the four original drafters of "The Vow of Chastity", it was the first film certified as meeting the Dogme 95 critera. I must say that I found it to be a very inventive, well written and acted film, despite some aesthetic drawbacks. 

For instance, one of the rules states that no tripods can be used, but the film must be shot entirely handheld. Now, this creates a different dynamic in a film, often more free-wheeling, perhaps improvisational, even frenzied in some cases than something shot with rock solid static shots or smooth, choreographed tracking and crane shots. Both have their merits in different situations, and I am an admirer of both John Cassavetes, a proponent of handheld, as well as Stanley Kubrick, whose grand, sweeping style normally necessitates the latter approach. But as a rule to abide by no matter the circumstances, I found a bit hard to swallow. In the context of seeing The Celebration I now understand it. The purpose is for the camera work to revolve around the actors and their performances, rather than the other way around. Cassavetes, would agree with this approach, which we'll talk more about that later this semester.

For similar reasons, the rules state that no additional light should be added to a scene. Also, no props should be brought in, and no costumes or makeup should be used on actors. Reading some of the interviews with Vinterberg after making The Celebration, he said the rules made the process of making the film more enjoyable and liberating, rather than stifling as one might expect. He went on to say that not having to worry about actors hitting marks, stopping to change light setups or refresh makeup made everyone focus more on the performance and the story. It shows. The film is quite stunning in the realism and raw emotion that is attained. It isn't the most beautifully shot or edited film to watch, but the unfolding of the narrative is so compelling, I didn't care as much, and found myself enveloped in the characters' struggles once into the film so that I hardly noticed the stylistic choices as much.

It should be noted that the film was shot entirely with a consumer grade DV camcorder and then blown up to a 35mm film print for screening. A little more than 10 years later, the quality still holds up enough that it's quite remarkable what they achieved with the technology of the time. I think that now, we have such better tools at our disposal, there is no excuse not to get out there and make some great films, even on a shoestring budget.

For more on Dogme 95, check out their website where you can view "The Vow of Chastity", as well as a list of certified films and other links: www.dogme95.dk

Next post, I'll contrast this approach with that of another more recent film, Dogville, directed by Lars von Trier, another of the original signees of "The Vow of Chastity", though with a very different set of guidelines.