Dancer in the Dark (2000)

• Year: 2000
• Released: 06 Oct 2000
• Country: Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, United States, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway
• Adwords: Nominated for 1 Oscar. 35 wins & 49 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168629/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dancer_in_the_dark
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/dancer-in-the-dark
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English, German, Czech
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Crime, Drama, Musical
• Runtime: 140 min
• Writer: Lars von Trier, Sjón
• Director: Lars von Trier
• Cast: Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse
• Keywords: musical, small town, robbery, secret, dying and death,

	7.9/10
	61/100
	69% – Critics
	91% – Audience

Dancer in the Dark Storyline

In small-town Washington state in 1964, Czechoslovakian immigrant Selma Jezková and her preteen son Gene live in a rented trailer owned by Bill and Linda Houston; Bill is the town sheriff. Selma also has a small group of friends, including her co-worker and primary confidante Kathy, and Jeff, who wants to be her boyfriend. Jeff regularly waits outside Selma’s workplace to drive her home, although she always refuses, not wishing to lead him on. Her primary job is working on the Anderson Tool factory assembly line, but she does whatever else she can to earn money. What only Kathy knows among Selma’s friends is that she is slowly going blind from a genetic medical condition. She can see just enough to be able to do her job. Her primary reason for moving to the USA and working all the time is to earn enough money for an operation for Gene when he turns 13; he knows nothing about his mother’s or his own degenerative eyesight. Selma allows only one indulgence in her life: anything to do with musicals which she loves, because they’re an escape from her bleak life. Kathy often takes her to the cinema to watch old musicals and must describe to her what’s happening on the screen, to the other patrons’ annoyance. Selma also has the role of Maria in a community-theatre production of “The Sound of Music.” Close to having enough money for the operation, Selma races against time before she loses enough sight to lose her job and her role in the musical. What may also threaten Selma’s goal of the operation for Gene is some financial problems facing Bill, who feels pressured to provide Linda with the comforts of life to which she’s accustomed.

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Dancer in the Dark Movie Reviews

Most terifying film of I’ve ever seen.

This film is brutal, it’s not violent, but it’s so intense, so sad, so depressing, that I could barely watch it. If you want to cry this film is a must watch. The storyline is fantastic, the cinematography is “cheap” and that makes it artistic. The music was fantastic, sad, creepy, meaningful and it wasn’t out of random like in most musicals, here it made sense to exist.

It’s one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen, it’s one of the best dramas I’ve ever seen. It is one of the best films I’ve ever seen.

An extraordinary, quietly exploding film – a fantasy and musical, it emanates with human spirits

This is distinguishably different from the general Hollywood films or independent projects. It’s not like anything done before. LARS VON TRIER, and BJORK, simply blow your mind away: such totality in delivery!

It’s gut wrenching – an absorbing tearjerker – but not sentimental. It is in strong doses. (NFE: it may not be for everyone.) The theatre audience was very quiet with occasional sniffing heard. The film may be a fantasy, yet there are subtle jabs at certain social norms and contains hints at how we treat life and lead life.

Bjork made it natural, innocent, and naively good. It is all Bjork matter: she is feeling all the joy and pain and daydreaming, saying all those words, singing all those songs, and dancing along to the music she so ingeniously composed. Lars von Trier once again wrote and delivered a 100% powerful film. He packs all kinds of emotions into 2 hrs. and 20 mins.: from the endearing friendship of two working women Kathy and Selma; to the faithful loving pursuit of Jeff for Selma; to the quiet exchanges of seemingly trusting souls of Bill and Selma; to Selma’s son, Bill’s wife, the crime, the court, the prison’s loneliness within; the anguish pain of a determined mother; and the integrated mood changing musical numbers in-between. One scene of Bjork lying motionless with just one finger moving with quiet sobbing heard is powerful imagery.

Catherine Deneuve as Kathy is well at ease in her supporting role. She continues to exude her charm quietly. You can tell she thoroughly enjoys the company she’s in at this production. Musical-wise, Deneuve is no stranger: besides “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” 1964 – every word in the film was sung, I also remember Jacques Demy’s “The Young Girls of Rochefort” 1967 – she danced and sang with her sister Francoise Dorleac, along with Gene Kelly, Michel Piccoli and George Chakiris.

David Morse as Bill (the policeman and neighbor) reminds me of what a memorable performance he delivered in Sean Penn’s “The Crossing Guard” 1995 opposite Jack Nicholson and Robin Wright. ’tis great to see Joel Grey dancing again (hm, in the most improbable setting!)

For a 5′ 4” singer-songwriter from Iceland, Bjork is a giant impact in this quiet powerhouse of a film, “Dancer In the Dark.” Lars von Trier’s vision and confidence in Bjork truly paid off!

experimental musical

It’s 1964 Washington State. Selma Ježková (Björk) and her son Gene are immigrants from Czechoslovakia. She’s losing her eyesight and only her friend from the factory Kathy (Catherine Deneuve) notices. It’s genetics and she’s saving money to pay for surgery for Gene. She rents a trailer from policeman Bill Houston (David Morse) and his wife Linda (Cara Seymour). Her creeping blindness is causing problems at work as well as performing ‘The Sound of Music’ with the local theater group.

This has the shaky Digital camera work of the documentary style. When Selma has her musical daydreams, the camera stops shaking and the lighting becomes brighter. I find the style a little tiresome after awhile and the running time is a little beyond my endurance. I do like Björk’s quirky little performance. The music fits well with her and the story. I don’t like the style but I really appreciate the attempt at something different.