Dogme #2: Idioterne (The Idiots) Confession

This post will seek to explore the ways that Dogme #2: "Idioterne" deviated from the rules of the Dogme 95 manifesto. After the making of Dogme #1: "Festen," Thomas Vinterberg established "the confession" in which a filmmaker had the opportunity to confess to all of the instances where (s)he knowingly violated one of the manifesto rules. Lars von Trier confessed to the following:

• During the group sex scene, a stand-in was used for the unsimulated act of penetration (which was blacked out in the version I own, so I definitely didn't realise this).
• von Trier moved some candles around to achieve exposure (a violation of rule 4).
• He leased a car for use in the film.
• And he paid the actors so that they could buy food (that I assume was used in the film).

In addition to those instances that von Trier confessed to, there was music used in a couple of the scenes. Once it was definitely diegetic: it was coming from a boombox and everyone was dancing to it. However, another time music was used as a sort of transition. Von Trier maintains that the transitional music was captured on set and therefore did not violate the manifesto.

Most of these deviations are not painfully obvious to the viewer, so it definitely helped that Lars von Trier confessed. 

-Nate