In 1933, after leaving Dogville, Grace Margaret Mulligan sees a slave being punished at a cotton farm called Manderlay. Officially slavery is illegal and Grace stands up against the owners of the farm. She stays with some gangsters in Manderlay and tries to influence the situation. But when harvest time comes Grace sees the social and economic reality of Manderlay.
Manderlay is both more coherent and more obvious than Dogville, which lacked the clean narrative drive of the new film.
– John Hartl,
Seattle Times,
24 Feb 2006
rotten:
If von Trier can't be bothered to get out more, he should at least consider picking up a book or just using some real imagination.
– Terry Lawson,
Detroit Free Press,
24 Mar 2006
rotten:
Dig that freaky symbolism!
– David Edelstein,
New York Magazine/Vulture,
12 May 2006
rotten:
Watching this film is an edifying but frustrating experience; dull in parts, amusing and illuminating in others. You'd still struggle to call it entertainment.
– Dave Calhoun,
Time Out,
24 Jun 2006
rotten:
Manderlay loses in power what it lacks in novelty, even though it's more relevant than anything the year is likely to bring.