Save the Cat! Goes to the Indies

by Salva Rubio

  Dogville tells the story of a runaway woman, Grace, who seeks the acceptance of the inhabitants of the small town of the title. For that, she will have to conform to their rules and customs, and ultimately abandon her own free will to belong — the “choice” she must make in our story. And as we know, a final “sacrifice” will have to be made.

  This is a wonderful film by controversial Danish director Lars von Trier, who takes a bravely different approach, abandoning naturalistic filmmaking for a theater-like set with invisible walls, probably inspired by German playwright Bertolt Brecht and even quoting him (check the lyrics of one of my favorite songs, “Pirate Jenny” for that).

  Considering this uniqueness, plus the film’s long duration (almost 3 hours), and we might think that there is no way it would fit our Beat Sheet. Well, we’d be wrong! Because no matter its formal peculiarities and apparent avant-garde-ness, Dogville perfectly follows all of our beats and, of course, in the right order. So, for once, let us... Save the Dog!

  I Type: Family Institution

  I Cousins: Moonrise Kingdom, The Queen, Celebration, Brother, Boyz n the Hood

  DOGVILLE

  Screenplay by Lars Von Trier

  Directed by Lars Von Trier

  Opening Image: “This is the sad tale of the township of Dogville.” From above, we witness our “group,” a small town in the Rocky Mountains. Sure, there are no walls, and the shacks are only made by chalk lines on the ground... but no one seems to notice. The town is full of lively people, quite a big difference to what we will behold at the end.

  Set-Up: We get to know Dogville’s inhabitants a little better, all seemingly happy people who mind their own business. True, everyone has individual quirks, but don’t we all? Like gloomy Chuck (Stellan Skarsgård) the apple gardener, his obsessive wife Vera (Patricia Clarkson), their naughty children, the nosy store clerk or the church’s caretaker, they all seem to live pleasantly, considering times are tough. At least there seems to be a balance.

  Theme Stated: Tom (Paul Bettany), the town’s ever-aspiring writer and philosopher, is worried about its people and their ability for tolerance: “What they really need is something for them to accept. Something tangible, like a gift.”

  Catalyst: After a gunshot is heard in the distance, Tom sees Grace (Nicole Kidman), a beautiful and fancily-dressed woman arriving in town, apparently fleeing from somebody. That “somebody” seems to be gangsters, and when they appear, Tom fools them into believing he has not seen any girl. They leave him with a number to call in case he sees her.

  B Story: The B Story, or love story, deals with the nature of the love between Tom and Grace. While the rest of the townspeople will ultimately be shown to be selfish, Grace expects her relationship with Tom to be purer. Will she be right?

  Debate: Tom asks Grace about herself, but she only reveals that she had a father until some “gangsters took him away” from her. She is doubtful about staying in Dogville, because she has nothing to offer in return to its inhabitants. However, Tom gathers the townspeople in church and they all Debate about the convenience of her stay. Isn’t it crazy to hide a runaway with them? Couldn’t it bring them trouble? Is she fit to live with them?

  Break into Two: The people in the village decide to let Grace stay for two weeks, and after that, they will let her know if she can join the “group.” There is no turning back, as she is on trial now. But what does this “choice” entail for her?

  Fun and Games: Grace soon reveals herself to be a Naïf because she knows nothing about the rules, so she is a “virgin” to the citizens of Dogville. She offers to help, and after a lot of snubs, she starts being accepted. Thus she experiences the “pros and cons” of the group, finding happiness in helping, but also having to work hard. She discovers that many of the town’s happy dwellers are not actually happy; indeed, they hate Dogville! She meets Company Man Chuck, who also comes from the city and seems to be in a perpetual bad mood. However difficult their lives may be, Grace tries to make them better, and ultimately she gets subjected to the town’s verdict: 15 bells ring, which means everybody wants her to stay.

  Midpoint: All the village celebrates with her, which allows Grace to have her false victory, as she is considered at one in the village. There is a “public coming out” and a whiff of Sex at 60 when Tom confesses his love and she reciprocates, holding hands with him in front of everybody. “Stay with us as you damn please,” they tell her. All seems great... until stakes are raised as the police come to town and nail a poster with Grace’s photo on the wall. There is even a reward for her, as she is wanted in connection with a series of bank robberies.

  Bad Guys Close In: This information triggers some changes in the dynamics of the village. The citizens feel that they are further endangered by Grace’s presence, so she must make up for it by working more hours and taking reduced pay. “The choice becomes harder” for Grace when the townspeople start showing her a dark, hidden side, and even Chuck subtly blackmails her. Sexual harassment comes next, and further Bad Guys Close In when the police return. Things become nasty when, while she is hidden, Chuck brutally rapes her. To make things worse, Tom shows himself incapable of protecting her, so she has to endure the sheer rejection and aggression of some of the jealous women on her own. Following Tom’s advice, Grace tries to flee from the village, but she is raped again on the way, and then brought back to the village, where everybody despises her for having tried to leave.

  All Is Lost: Grace is chained by the neck to a heavy flywheel, which prevents her from trying to escape again. Yet she must still work for everyone as a slave.

  Dark Night of the Soul: Grace laments her state, but things get worse when she realizes Tom has betrayed her, blaming her for the theft of the money that she used to escape. Autumn comes and almost every man in town periodically rapes her — except for Tom, who is not really more pure than the rest, but only wants her to accept his advances willingly.

  Break into Three: Tom makes Grace publicly apologize to the whole village at the church to no avail; now people think she has brought “bitterness and troubles” to their lives. Later, A and B Stories cross when Tom tries to talk Grace into having sex, but after she cleverly rejects him once more, he decides to let it go and finds the phone number that the gangsters gave him in the Catalyst beat.

  Finale:

  Gathering the Team: No one bothers Grace the next morning — the village seems to have gathered to wait for someone. However, things look strange when they find out that a tree is blocking the road. Grace seems to suspect something; she is “gathering” her strength for the final decision.

  Executing the Plan: Tom’s “plan” of calling the mobsters is put into effect when they are welcomed into the town and Grace is handed to them, the inhabitants of Dogville expecting the reward. This could be viewed as her “plan” too, since she actually knows who is coming.

  High Tower Surprise: The surprise for the citizens is clear to Grace, as the mobster’s boss is her father (James Caan), come to take her home. Grace tries to defend the town’s inhabitants: “Dogs only obey their own nature. Why shouldn’t we forgive them?” But her father thinks that “dogs” should be disciplined by punishment.

  Dig, Deep Down: Grace “digs, deep down” as she wonders what to do with Dogville’s inhabitants. First she thinks she would have done as they did with her... but then realizes that if that were the case, she would not be able to forgive herself. They still deserve punishment.

  The Execution of the New Plan: Changed, Grace makes her “sacrifice” and decides to have the town burnt and everybody slain, as the world will be better off without Dogville. To show how much she has changed, she even kills Tom!

  Final Image: Grace and the mobsters leave, and we behold the town again from above. Where once people lived, now there are only corpses in the ash, and all the chalk lines on the ground have been erased. The only living being that Grace spared... is a dog.

  GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (1992)

  The workplace a
nd all the things that go with it — cubicles, reports, policies, pay cuts or layoffs — define the subgenre that is our “Business Institution.” Aren’t our jobs actually communities in themselves, in which we have to decide on a daily basis if we are “one of the guys”? There are consequences here for following “rules, ethics and bonds of loyalty.”

  Things get worse when the job itself sits on the thin Post-It-yellow line that separates honesty from crime. When our everyday tasks consist of tiptoeing on that boundary, making decisions and judgments about our companion’s good or wrong doings, on which side of the line do we want to walk?

  Such is the case of the main character of this wonderful film that depicts a day in the life of some real estate agents, and not just any random realtors! Stars like Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin and Ed Harris will fight each other with testosterone, profanity, mutual distrust and unforgettable dialogue — among the best ever written, in my humble opinion.

  Based on master screenwriter David Mamet’s stage play (which earned both the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award), the film shows the

  contemporary nature of its characters, themes and situations in our personal world, where the “choice” between good and evil can be waiting at our desk every day.

  I Type: Business Institution

  I Cousins: Margin Call, The Executioner (El Verdugo), Big Night, There Will Be Blood, Inside Job

  GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS

  Based on the play by David Mamet

  Screenplay by David Mamet

  Directed by James Foley

  Opening Image: Early ’90s blue neon, jazz music and the passing subway introduce us to a hot and rainy night, and also to Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon), an aging real estate agent in distress. Apparently, he has a daughter in the hospital who needs to be taken care of. Where will this “primal need” have taken him by the end?

  Set-Up: Let us meet our “group.” As is customary in films with an ensemble, it is best to introduce each character as early as possible, along with their trademark quirks and things that need fixing: angry Moss (Ed Harris), clueless Aaronow (Alan Arkin) and confident Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), the current top seller of the bunch. Apparently, all the real estate agents in the office are burdened with the same problem: they lack “good leads,” people who may actually buy property. Without the leads, they are basically out of business, Stasis=Death for sure.

  B Story: The thematic B Story focuses on Roma, who is quite the opposite of our main character. While Levene’s glory days are fading and he is in a bad-luck streak, Roma is fueled by ambition, the desire to earn and glibness. Although their selling styles are very different, they have an eye on each other, because as we will understand at the end, they may end up working together.

  Theme Stated: “Put that coffee down. Coffee is for closers only.” A man who introduces himself as, “My name is F**k You” (Baldwin), has been sent by the owners of the company to shake things up at the office. With the new policy, mutual support is off the table — basic privileges are only for those who deliver, and the competition is on.

  Catalyst: Blake (Baldwin’s real name) “kicks the dogs” at the office, not only with his demeaning verbal abuse, but with the mission he has come to deliver: only the top two sellers will keep their jobs and will get a bonus, while the rest will be fired.

  Debate: Obviously, such an outrageous measure is promptly protested (and Debated) by the agents: Isn’t it crazy to give them a task like that on such short notice? Can they really meet their quotas with leads as bad as the ones they’ve been given? Soon we learn something else: the precious “Glengarry leads,” easy and lucrative sales, await the closers. But for now, those will be locked in office manager and Company Man Williamson’s (Spacey) desk.

  Break into Two: “Those of you who are interested in a continuing job with this organization, get to work.” The game is on, and every man in the office knows his livelihood, future and family are on the line. There is no turning back!

  Fun and Games: Our promise of the premise is witnessing the literal workings of real estate agents in a high-pressure situation while also seeing the “pros and cons.” They use techniques ranging from flattery to underhandedness to hook their prospective buyers... so our “choice” involves morality, if not legality. After some calls with no success, because the old leads are so weak, Levene tries to negotiate with Williamson to get some of the Glengarry leads to no avail. Even his futile attempt to bribe Williamson doesn’t work out. Not even by personally (and rather bluntly) visiting his leads can Levene make the sale. At the same time, Moss and Aaronow discuss their bad luck, when a dark idea starts slipping into their conversation: “Someone should rob the office.” For now, that seems like just a joke.

  Midpoint: Moss and Aronson begin seriously discussing the idea of stealing the Glengarry leads to sell them to a competitor at another agency. Aronson wants no part of the plan, but Moss coerces him, raising the stakes. Levene is still unsuccessful, and he is about to make his “choice” between the company and himself. A and B Stories cross when we turn to confident Roma, who is about to make a sale to an unsuspecting customer — his personal false victory.

  Bad Guys Close In: When triumphant Roma arrives at the office the next day, he is surprised to see that it has been broken into, and not only have the phones been stolen, but the Glengarry leads are missing, too. Also Bad Guys in the form of police officers Close In on whoever is the thief and start interrogating the agents, when Levene arrives in very high spirits. He has closed one of the tough leads, securing his job at the office and earning the admiration of all, among them, Roma. However, “the team starts disintegrating” when Moss does not take Levene’s triumph well. And, even though Levine is proud, Williamson conjures up the Bad Guys of doubt and uncertainty when he points out that the sale may still be cancelled. Levene publicly humiliates Williamson, unknowingly bringing his boss’s vengeance closer.

  All Is Lost: All Is Lost, in this case, for Roma, when the man he sold property to the day before arrives to cancel the deal. Roma seeks Levene’s help as they try to con the client, but to make matters worse, the client’s wife has notified the attorney general.

  Dark Night of the Soul: Roma “is beaten and he knows it,” but he keeps trying, now lying straight to the client’s face.

  Break into Three: A and B Stories cross as Levene is called to be interrogated while Roma, alone, tries to make the deal stick by manipulating his client. But then, Williamson loudly and clearly contradicts Roma about the contract, causing the client to flee the room. “Company man!” shouts Roma to Williamson as an insult; he is not one of “them.”

  Finale:

  Gathering the Team: Levene confronts a very embarrassed Williamson, ready to enjoy humiliating him.

  Executing the Plan: Levene’s “plan” consists of taking revenge upon Williamson, mocking him, his clumsiness, and pointing out his mistakes. “You are scum,” Levene tells him.

  High Tower Surprise: Levene says something that only the man who had broken into the office could possibly know. Williamson realizes Levene was the robber!

  Dig, Deep Down: Levene “digs, deep down” while trying to use all his dirty tricks and techniques to lie and deny the truth he just let slip, but it doesn’t work with Williamson.

  The Execution of the New Plan: His “new plan” is to tell the truth: Moss asked him to steal the leads and sell them. Levene tries to bribe Williamson, who not only rejects the deal, but tells him that his sale will be rejected. Levene tries to plead in the name of his sick daughter, but Williamson turns his back on him.

  Final Image: Roma leaves the office in high spirits and pays his compliments to Levene, asking him to be partners. But as we know, Levene is just waiting to be arrested. In our Opening Image, he was a free man with a “choice” that included honesty. Now, jail is all he has ahead — that is where his choice has taken him. The rest of his associates keep working as usual. How long until they have to make the same decisio
n?

  CINEMA PARADISO (1988)

  Seldom is a film both a critical and box-office success, let alone a true classic, but such is Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, our title in the original Italian. It is a wonderful film about film, a tale of nostalgia and an homage to the notion of doomed, impossible, yet true love.

  It is also a film that seems to defy categorization and analysis, but we who are taught in the ways of the Cat!, can recognize a “Mentor Institution” film when we see one. In this subgenre, our protagonist is given a life lesson pertaining to a “group,” a “choice” and a “sacrifice,” so that he must decide between “I” and “them.”

  The mentor can be a “false teacher” to give us wrong lessons we must defy, or as in this case, a good man who, though blind, will help us see what is best for ourselves — even if it takes three decades and a dreaded return home! For the sake of this analysis, we chose the 2002 173 -minute Director’s Cut, which gives full meaning to the “choice.”

  Ironically, this version makes our analysis an even more interesting challenge, since the film is longer and the beats are more spaced out and subtle. Yet it’s another example of how, no matter your format, our flexible tool can help us hold such a vast narrative together while letting us perfectly map our main character’s transformation. Lights out, watch the film leader roll… and hush! Our favorite movie about the movies is about to start.

  I Type: Mentor Institution

  I Cousins: The Last King of Scotland, Whiplash, Leon: The Professional (Léon the Professional), Apt Pupil, 99 Homes

  CINEMA PARADISO (NUOVO CINEMA PARADISO)