The Celebration by Thomas Vinterberg presents a distinct style clearly defined by the rules of Dogma 95 and the accompanying manifesto. The Celebration, like other Dogme 95 films, makes extensive use of minimalist production values ​​in its overall aesthetic. This essential style gives a certain authenticity to the films; helping to focus the viewer's attention on the dialogue and action. Although it initially seems unusual, The Celebration's particular style becomes a defining characteristic of the film. The opening scene of The Celebration was chosen because it represented my first taste of the Dogme 95 style; as well as my first opportunity to express an opinion on the matter. The film opens with an extreme long shot of Christian, the protagonist, walking along a road in the Danish countryside while talking on his cell phone. Christian appears severely isolated in this shot, taking up only a small portion of the expansive view of rolling wheat fields. Shot using a Sony Handycam on DV cassette, the image quality is poor, significantly distorted and grainy compared to films shot using the 35mm standard. This opening shot also makes the Dogme 95's signature handheld camera operation very evident with tremors clearly visible. In my last essay on Dogma 95, I processed my initial feelings of uncertainty watching a film with seemingly so little production value. Now I'm starting to understand that these stylistic choices were intended to shock the audience as they are exposed to a completely reinvented style of filmmaking. While The Celebration manages to follow the Vow of Chastity fairly closely, there are scenes in the film that appear to break some of the rules of Dogme 95. Immediately following the opening shot, the film cuts to a close-up of Christian's face shot using a wide-angle "fisheye" style lens. This choice of lenses appears to violate rule number five of the poster which states that "optical work and filters are prohibited." While this would violate Vinterberg's own rules, choosing a wide-angle lens helps enforce another rule of Dogme 95, "shooting must be done on location." The wide-angle lens helps give the viewer a broad view of Christian's surroundings. Christian talks about his father's homeland as the camera pans around, presenting the viewer with images of the Danish countryside and a picturesque blue sky. These opening shots are mostly made up of extremely long takes, giving the viewer a chance to take in the scenery. In a single shot, the camera pans from Christian's face, to his pocket, to his briefcase, and then back to his face.