Hegemony and the Factors of Production

"The whole interval structure of the nation itself depends on the stage of development reached by its production and its internal and external intercourse" (Rivkin 653). Marx recognized the importance of economic concerns regarding the ideology and structure of a nation, stated in his article "The German Ideology." Economics determines the human condition, a fact that has been reflected in Lars von Trier's scathing critique of American society in his film Dogville. The film provides an explanation and an illustration of the idea that all society is governed by economic principles and the evils of capitalism. From Gramsci's ideas about hegemony to Marx's thoughts on the use-value of commodities, and finally, to the oppression and objectification of women, the economic structure of a community determines the status of all relations within it. Dogville, and these three theories, demonstrate that even, and often especially in the most capitalist of societies, value is placed on financial survival and the human condition is reduced to object status.

Grace (Nicole Kidman) enters the world of Dogville, a small, isolated town in the Rockies during the Depression. A supposed criminal, she flees an unknown person with a gun in the middle of the night, running toward a town which has only one entrance and one exit. The isolation of Dogville provides a microcosm for the United States and capitalist societies, demonstrating on a smaller scale how the stages of production dictate the structure of a nation itself. Grace finds herself in the unwitting position of seeking refuge in this sheltered town, offering herself to the townspeople in return for the "generosity" of allowing her to stay. It is this selfless donation that follows Antonio Gramsci's principles of hegemony. Recognizing her weakness, Grace offers services to the town, submitting herself to their authority. The power equation based on the exploitation of Grace's labor, directly correlates to the economic structure of the town, its capitalist and dominant tendencies, and serves as a mirror for von Trier's image of America at large.