Dancer in the Dark
Reviewer: Hanako
Director: Lars Von Trier
Studio: Fine Line Features
Year of Release: 2000
Genre: Bjork
Starring: Bjork, Catherine Deneuve
Running Time: 190 Minutes (approx?)
Rating: R
Soundtrack: Selmasongs (2000, Little Indian Records & Elektra Entertainment)

Nothing quite says "spend an evening with your significant other" like the emotionally packed and somewhat disturbing movie Dancer in the Dark, starring the ever talented musical diva Bjork. This rather tragic film crams all of the things that make us love Bjork into about two and a half hours- her songs, her dance, and her raw, powerful emotion. The film will be released to the US on DVD starting March 20, 2001, so unless you have some connections, all of you Bjorkophiles will have to wait a little bit longer to be able to see it. The film contains no sex, violent language, or crude references, however, it does contain bloody murder. This is probably not something for children, the elderly, those faint of heart, or by non-believers in Bjork. It is very emotionally charged and there are some scenes that will disturb almost everyone that watches it. Do not let this deter you from seeing it- it's absolutely wonderful in almost every way imaginable.

The main character is a woman named Selma, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia to the United States in what seems to be 1960's America. She has a somewhat delinquent son named Gene whom she loves very much and works very hard to support. She is a single mother and works at a pan factory to keep food on the table. She lives in a trailer owned by a police officer named Bill and his wife Linda, who let her stay for a discounted price because of her predicament. Selma's best friend is Kathy, a co-worker at the factory. Kathy watches out for Selma and keeps her out of trouble. Jeff, another co-worker, is in love with Selma and is very kind to her even though she repeatedly turns down his advances.

A love for musicals takes Selma to an acting class on Tuesday nights where she and Kathy practice for a production of The Sound of Music. Selma's life is completely enveloped by her obsession with song and dance to the point where she daydreams of her life becoming a musical as she works and speaks to people. She happily drowns out the dreary reality of her life in song and dance.

Selma has a dark secret: she is going blind. Because of the nature of her job, she must decieve the company doctor into thinking that she can see so she can keep her job. She even memorizes the eye charts to do this. Her blindness is a genetic disorder, which means that Gene is inevitably going to go blind, as well. Selma finds out from her doctor that he must recieve an operation to cure it within a certain period of time or else he will be blind, too. She saves every last penny of her earnings to be able to provide for this surgery. The real tragedy starts, however, when someone she loves and trusts takes advantage of her handicap to help himself and in turn, sparks the sad finale of her story.

I went into this movie knowing vague, overall details about what the movie was supposed to be about. I was also told that it was disturbing and emotionally wrenching. I had no idea what exactly I was in for. The movie involves so many elements of the human mind and the human heart that it's difficult to notice or understand it all. Trier did a beautiful job casting some of the most talented people for this movie. Originally, Bjork was supposed to only supply the soundtrack but managed to snag the lead role. This pleased me completely. Bjork's performance is gut-wrenching. In the beginning, Selma is full of life and energy despite her difficult existance. In the end, she is left devastated and destroyed. Nobody else could even come close to how Bjork contrasts the two Selmas. Though she is not the best actress, Bjork puts in more feeling than any other performer I have ever seen on screen. Her music is also breathtaking. The soundtrack, appropriately named Selmasongs, is another example of Bjork's musical genius. The instrumentals mirror the movie- industrial machinery samples provide the beat for a song in the factory and a train rattling the tracks keep rhythm in a song while she walks across a railway tressle. The lyrics are also beautiful. Typical of Bjork, they reach deep into the human psyche and tickle the places that are seldom used. Overall, this movie is one of the neatest and most thought-provoking films I have ever seen. It makes me really think about who my real friends are. One recomendation, though- go into it with an open mind.