Dear Wendy (2005)

Directed by: Thomas Vinterberg | 105 minutes | drama | Actors: Jamie Bell, Bill Pullman, Michael Angarano, Danso Gordon, Novella Nelson, Chris Owen, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Maria Charles, Trevor Cooper, Matthew Geczy, Teddy Kempner, Thomas Bo Larsen

Lars von Trier made a film with ‘Dogville’ in 2003 that was received mixedly to say the least. Some critics spoke of a brilliant experiment of form and a profound moral narrative, others of a pretentious failure. ‘Dogville’ was the first part of what was to become a critical trilogy about contemporary America. Although ‘Dear Wendy’ was officially released as a film by Thomas Vinterberg (‘Festen’), everything indicates that this is actually the second part of Von Trier’s trilogy. And once again the Danish enfant terrible is giving the press and public the necessary gray hair.

‘Dear Wendy’ is set in Estherslope, an American mining town that looks a bit like a modernized Wild West town, but even more like a theme park where Europeans can play American. There is a drug store, a sheriff, a deputy, an authentic negro, an old negress and there is a mine that you can play in. In the town there are rumors of criminal gangs and there are also weapons, many weapons. In this environment lives young Dick, theoretical pacifist and born loser. He falls in love with a revolver he calls Wendy, after which he starts a youth club with his friends with its own rituals and rules. That must of course go wrong.

If ‘Dear Wendy’ is a commentary on America’s preoccupation with guns, it lacks any conviction. Dick and his friends may claim that they feel stronger with their pistols in their pocket, but they never make it tangible. Nor is much thought given to the fascinating power of the gun, which turns every loser into a God who disposes of life and death. We do see young people delving into all kinds of technical aspects of their weapons, but it all seems to remain a theoretical interest.

There is nothing positive to say about the plot, because it is too bizarre for words. The way in which the young people are finally involved in brutal violence is so ridiculous that it is difficult to see ‘Dear Wendy’ from that point on as anything other than comedy. But the film also falls short as a comedy because the (unintentionally?) comic elements only gain the upper hand at the end. Before that, we look at a deadly serious story cast in slightly experimental form. Less experimental than Dogville but still enough to drive the average moviegoer out of the room.

Undoubtedly there will be movie buffs who will see a masterpiece in ‘Dear Wendy’. The pacifist armor bearers as an image of today’s America, which preaches peace in words but wages war in deeds. The invisible gangs as a picture of the imaginary enemies of American society. Not so implausible in theory, but in practice Dear Wendy has become an awkward mix of a half-baked experiment and a nonsensical plot. Even the popular Jamie Bell and veteran Bill Pulman can’t help that.

For example, ‘Dear Wendy’ offers a lot less quality than you would expect from the makers of ‘Festen’ and ‘Breaking the Waves’. All in all, it is high time that Von Trier and Vinterberg once again set their sights on Europe and started producing films with a little more substance and a little less form. Can we forget this failure as soon as possible.