Review of Dancer in the Dark (2000) by Legitsalt — 18 Apr 2018

This was the first film by 'Nazi' Lars Von Trier that I have seen, and I'll say it bluntly, I really enjoyed it. The first 1/3 of the movie or was rather stale, and poorly acted, this combined with distracting editing was anything but a turn on for me.

But, as I continued to watch, it didn't bother me as much, because I was sucked into the compelling characters and story. I felt tangible pain several times in the movie when Bjork's character continued to destroy her life, just to keep up the facade of being unimpaired.

Bjork, as a whole, was a spectacle to watch, I really bought into her blindness, and felt like I was watching the tragic story of a real Czechoslovakian immigrant. Her blindness didn't seem to be all that consistent, but for the most part, it was a well-implemented plot device.

Going back to Bjork, the sounds that she brought to the movie were right up my alley, and after the credits started rolling, I found myself having bought the soundtrack and listened to it play a few times through before I went on to my next task of the day.

The tension and emotion built up during the climax and finale were exquisite, and, had I been a more emotional person, I have no doubt I would have cried. Overall, this is a wonderful film that accomplished many things at once.

It manages to be an 'anti-musical' critiquing the idealist nature of classic Hollywood musicals. It does this while also still managing to be an enticing drama with great sound to boot. I definitely recommend this to both fans of classic Hollywood musicals, like 'The Sound of Music' or 'My Fair Lady', and to those seeking an enticing and engaging drama.