Review of Dancer in the Dark (2000) by Robert W — 06 Nov 2011

If you think all musicals are happy, Lars von Trier says THINK AGAIN. Dancer in the Dark hits you where it hurts. Because of a Lars von Trier's eye for melancholy, and INCREDIBLE performances, this is a movie that WILL bring a tear to your eye.

Starring international pop star, Bjork, in one hell of a stretch of character as Selma, a Czech immigrant in 1967 Washington. Selma is a single mother, struggling to keep ends neat. In secret, she is going blind hereditarily, and she is saving her money for an eye opperation for her son. Though her life seems incredibly depressing, she drifts into her own world as she daydreams that she is in a musical, and she continues to do so, even when her life sakes a turn for the ultimate worst. This is just a movie that gets more and more depressing, but everything seems so cheery. Dancer in the Dark sounds like a bad melodrama, but it's an original and strikingly effective drama. Bjork, despite her media image, gives a performance that'll make you fall in love with her. Selma is a woman who always looks on the bright side, even when people mistreat and take advantage her. Catherine Deneuve is particularly incredible, playing Selma's musical theatre friend with a strong heart, and David Morse and Peter Stomare are really great in playing characters who you never know who they are inside until the end. Dancer in the Dark is a moral tale of selflessness and a good heart in a world that is less than kind and understanding. Is Selma's innocent escape her demise, or the greatest strength of the human soul?

Lars von Trier once again makes one hell of a drama. von Trier uses the realist method of filmmaking, making the movie look more documentary like. In the real world, it looks dull, cold and depressing. And that depression is REALLY brought out in an effective way. But in Selma's world, the world's most annoying sounds and depressing images can be cheery and full of music in the air, and switching to warmer colours. I would have liked it if von Trier dropped the documentary look once and a while through the musical numbers, but other than that, all of Dancer in the Dark's little off beat and unusual details work extremely well with the movie's pacing and dramatic impact. I found the style very crazy and unexpected. It looks like the dialogue and scenes skip a bit, or it'll continue, but from a different cut of the scene. It's an odd pacing, but it's a kind of wild style that raises the suspence and drama of the movie. The shooting locations are very dull, but very appropriate. But although it's supposed to Washington, it DEFINITELY wasn't filmed in Washington, but it all looks good none the less. The musical scenes are choreographed really well, and the songs are pretty cool and easy to listen to.

The third movie in Lars von Trier's "Golden Hearts" trilogy, Dancer in the Dark is, yet again, another daring feat in filmmaking and story from von Trier that will touch your heart and then have it ripped out of you. Its unconventional style and grim themes are great, and the performances are superb. Dancer in the Dark is powerful and depressing, but too touching and brilliant not to love.