“Selma (Bjork) is a Czech immigrant and a single mother, who works in a factory in Rural America, escaping the hardships of her life through the films that inspired her childhood. In her imagination she sees the world as an all-singing all-dancing Hollywood musical. This is just as well, because in the real world she can’t see shit. Losing her eyesight, her son will inherit her blindness unless she can save enough money to pay for an operation. Then she gets accused of stealing, and her life begins to slip beyond her control. She’s still got Jeff though. Lucky girl…
Controversial when first released, Lars von Trier’s movie is still compelling and unforgettable; its grim ending outright refusing to put some Hollywood shine on Selma’s world. After a jittery start, there’s an impressively awkward and captivating performance from Bjork, whose songs steal the show and turn this intriguing drama into a unique oddity bordering on greatness. Von Trier delivers enough poetic moments to elevate the quieter ones, the actors delve into their roles with gusto and there’s tragic humour aplenty to indulge in. Yet best of all, Dancer in the Dark manages to ignore anything resembling the norm… thought-provokingly perfect.” DW
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