She is charming, vulnerable and brave it is beyond question that no-one else could have done this role. The film is grounded in its performances. But once you get past the initial mental hurdle, it is a ride worth staying on. In an age where Netflix churns out serial-killer flics, it is ironic that audiences may be more unsettled by the singing than by the violence. Yet it is precisely this unrealistic optimism that Lars von Trier critiques, a futile hope that most American musicals perpetuate. Naturalistic dialogue is broken up by musical sequences, which are an escape from the harsh reality of the world for both Selma and the audience alike. I imagine that much of the aversion to the film stems from these tonal irregularities, yet for me, this is the source of its magic. The film becomes a trippy, distressing musical with Selma as its tragic protagonist.ĭancer in the Dark is a melodrama, a tragedy, and a musical all rolled into one. As Selma awaits her fate, she loses grip on reality and becomes engulfed by her theatrical daydreams. It is in trying to protect these savings that the tragedy of the film takes hold. As Selma’s vision deteriorates due to a degenerative eye condition, she saves every penny to pay for an operation to cure her son of the same fate. Björk is Selma, a woman who works long hours in a factory, in her spare time rehearsing at a local theatre. Written and directed by the ever-provocative Lars von Trier, Dancer in the Dark stars the Icelandic singer Björk in her first (and last) big acting role. It is safe to say, Dancer in the Dark is not everyone’s cup of tea. Peter Bradshaw, the film critic at The Guardian, said at the time that it is not just one of the worst films or artworks, but one of the worst things in the history of the world. Whilst it appears on lists of the best films of all time, it also appears on lists of the worst. At Cannes, the film was awarded the Palme d’Or, with Björk receiving the award for Best Actress. The critical response to Dancer in the Dark was, to say the least, polarised. Firstly, because I could remember it so entirely, secondly, because I couldn’t bring myself to go through the harrowing process all over again. In writing this, I thought about watching it again, but I eventually chose not to.
I saw Dancer in the Dark for the first – and only – time last year.
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