Dancer in the Dark (2000)

Lars Von Trier is making a name for himself as one of the most talented, unique yet highly controversial directors working today.. His latest film, Antichrist has had critics in a bit of a fluster due to scenes of extreme violence and genital mutilation, and this, Dancer in the Dark, was the focus of similar critical division back in 2000. As a maker of films, he is not one to sugarcoat his audience, opting instead to achieve what he wants by whatever means he feels necessary, no matter how divisive they may come to be. But this is a musical I hear you say, a genre notoriously dead in the water, so void of any originality that it seems almost counter-intuitive to suggest anyone would have the audacity or indeed the talent to reinvent it. Well that is exactly what Mr. Von Trier has done. This is a musical like no other you have ever seen in your life.

The film, starring Icelandic singer Bjork, Catherine Deneuve (Repulsion, Belle de Jour) and David Morse (Disturbia, Twelve Monkeys), tells the story of Selma, a Czech immigrant now living in America with her son Gene. Selma suffers from a hereditary condition which is slowly causing her to go blind. She works in a factory solely to raise money for an operation for Gene which would stop him from suffering from the same condition, thus saving his sight. She stores her money in a little pink tin in her home, which she rents from the town policeman Bill and his wife Linda.

Selma has an amazing singing voice (unsurprising since she is played by Bjork) and is a big fan of musicals (in fact she is currently rehearsing the role of Maria, from The Sound of Music) and this together with the triviality and bleakness of her life causes her daydream often, daydreams in which she imagines she is the leading lady in big Hollywood musical scores.


It is in these musical scores that the film really shines as a fabulously unique piece of work. There is something pulsating, something rhythmic about them. You can sense them coming, slowly, as Selma, using only the cacophony of noises from her surroundings (i.e. factory noise, the noise of a train moving down the track, the footsteps of the prison guards) then suddenly bursts into song and those people around her become the backing dancers. The sequences really grab a hold of you, they are the most pleasurable and enjoyable parts of the film and are masterfully edited. 100% film genius.

This is not a film that intends to visually satisfy you. In fact, von Trier has done his best to achieve the opposite. Staying partially loyal to his Dogme-95 statement, whereby films are made using hand-hand digital camera (in this case a pretty dowdy looking one) to create a documentary-style feel, Dancer in the Dark does not look 'nice'. But this rule of thumb is abandoned when Selma abandons the reality of her life. Then, the cameras become static, the colours are vibrant, and this echoes how musicals really are, colourful, detached from reality just as Selma is momentarily lost in a world in which she wishes she could permanently be.

But it is not all song and dance. In fact the musical side of the film does not really dominant. On top of this there is devastating emotional content touching on themes of staying true to yourself in the face of those who abuse the trust that you place upon them. This manifests through the actions of Bill, who steals the money that Selma has been saving up. These leads to a really unpleasant scene where Selma murders Bill and thus is arrested and placed on death row. The final scene, of which I will not spoil, is one of the much emotionally impacting pieces of cinema I have ever seen. A truly incredible way to end the film.

Dancer in the Dark is a film that thrives on the wonderful performance that Bjork gives and a lot of credit must be given to von Trier for having the vision and confidence in Bjork to come up with such a role. Selma, is a likable character and one who you no doubt will empathize with massively. It seems so rare that a female gives such an amazing performance in a lead role, but Bjork delivers what is probably the best I have ever seen.

It is a shame that the state of cinema in the modern era means that many will not see this conventional shattering masterpiece and winner of the Palme d'Or. It is a truly original piece of work, a re-imagining of a genre that usually tends to regurgitate itself time and time again. This is a truly remarkable piece of work.


Rating: 10/10