a ragtag collection of western tourist in africa suffer the misfortune of their plane break down and so theyre compel to hop on a bus to travel across the namibian desert to reach the near jumping off point back to civilization . not surprisingly and the driver compass end up not work and and they find themselves way off course and come to a stop at a deserted ghost town that have be a barrack during the fighting in wwii . they find some kerosene ( useless in term of re fill the tank of their bus ) and a storage room full of half poison carrot in tin can and and a native hermit who view them with indifference . the one fellow amongst them who appear to have something on the ball in term of survivalist technique go off to get help . they be to remove the tire from the bus and burn them if he not back in five day represent hopefully and someone will see the black smoke . do this sound interesting . well and sure and even if it sound a lot like the flight of the phoenix or any number of film in the deserted island genre . which be why it surprise that the king be alive be number 4 ( if anyone be still count ) in the ongoing dogma 95 series and which and if i remember that ridiculous dogma 95 vow of chastity correctly and proclaim that genre film be strictly verboten . oops . well and anyway and you can tell it gon na try and be all arty and stuff in order to compensate for the fact that it a genre flick . yep and it doesn not take long for one member of the group and a wizened old stage actor and to start scribble down from memory . the various role from king lear on and well and roll of paper . the idea be that perform the play will help while away the time . all of which really go against the absconded survivalist advice to stay optimistic ( do not the old actor ever do a dinner theater performance of the odd couple just once in his life . ) and quite apart from such an activity be a colossal waste of precious time and energy . this movie be so bad i really do not know how to continue . it so monumentally stupid and so full of absurd situation and character that it beggar rational criticism . it may be a timely moment to offer full disclosure represent i despise this so called danish film movement to an almost irrational degree . i think my face even turn slightly red at the mere mention of dogma 95. first of all and if the name of your movement have the word dogma in the title and you have already lose me while secondly and in this particular instance and the movement insistence on the abnegation of individual artistic achievement be a recipe for arch hypocrisy when you consider that the filmmaker here be plunder one of the great work of the great individual writer who ever live . ( but and doubtless and the dogma crowd believe the work of shakespeare be actually pen by a consortium of elizabethan bigwig like the earl of oxford and francis bacon and walter raleigh and and the queen herself . ) hell and i may have forgive the whole enterprise if it have play the scenario for farcical purpose ( attack the precious dogma now that would be subversive . ) . but the movie take itself very seriously and and soon devolves into the clichés attendant upon the genre in which it unmistakably belong represent people turn against each other while the men grow beard while the inevitable death of a few of the principal actor . all with a straight face . be this the promised end . well and not quite represent we also have to endure the abysmal transfer of dv . for this be another rule in the dogma 95 vow of chastity represent hand hold digital video only . some friendly advice to the dane represent your movement be in trouble when your finish product have bad visual quality than an average high school graduation home video . professionalism belongs in an artist bag of trick and right alongside his own individuality . artisan and artist be kindred word and mr. von trier represent not every jackass with a $ 100 hand hold can be a filmmaker . pas it on . and by the way represent allow your dogma director to be credit for their film and while youre at it . the fact that the writer of the king be alive receives credit and while the guy ( or girl ) actually film it doesn not and be just a wee bit hypocritical . contemptible . 1 star out of 10 .