Dear Wendy Review

"DEAR WENDY" reviews

Movie

DEAR WENDY

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2005-10-25 21:09:37

Provider

Review

Lars von Trier has long been a thorn in the side of conservative America. The Danish writer, film-maker and dogme advocate exposed the last great super power's vexed fascination with religion in Breaking The Waves, the death penalty in Dancer In The Dark and both religion, the death penalty and immigration in Dogville.

So, therefore, it should come as no surprise that von Trier has chosen firearms and the magnetic pull they have over many Americans as the basis for Dear Wendy. And although von Trier has chosen not to direct this curious tale of smalltown America - that honour falls to his fellow Dane Thomas Vinterberg - his influence his stamped all over the film.

Dear Wendy concerns the problematic existence of Dick (played by Britain's Jamie 'Billy Elliot' Bell). Something of a loner in the mining town of Estherslope, Dick regards himself as a pacifist so he's understandably perplexed when he develops a fascination with guns. This attraction soon extends to the town's fellow outcasts and misfits, a loose collection of individuals who dub themselves the Dandies. The Dandies love their guns but vow never to use them violently.

Dear Wendy - the title is a reference to a letter Dick writes to his sweetheart; which is actually his gun - is an alluring and complex film. Exploring themes such as loss (Dick is an orphan), love and adolescence, as well as the primary focus on guns, Dear Wendy may ask more questions than its answers, but those seeking to analyse the dichotomies prevalent in contemporary US society will find Dear Wendy admirable and engrossing.