Set in Washington 1964, Selma (Bjork) a Czech immigrant works in poverty to make ends meet for her and her son. Working daily with her friend Kathy (nicknamed Cvalda,) Selma is a pleasant worker, a musical fan and a friend to all including, Geoff, her love interest and her neighbours Bill and Linda of whom she rents a trailer from. But Selma has a secret, she is going blind and so is her son Gene. Gradually, Selma has saved for an operation to help Genes eyesight. Yet one disastrous night her savings are stolen and the reserved Selma must fight for them and her sons future.
There is a sense of realism in Selma is a highlight here in director Lars Von Trier's film. Though you can get confused with the shakey hand work here, it is Bjork's portrayal of Selma that truly breathes. Rather than acting the character, she emotes it and for a while you forget she's Bjork, you forget you are watching a film and are absorbed in a fabricated story as though it is a documentary. Selma is a loving but strict and proud mother who asks for now charity and must resort to desperate measure for the sake of her son. The character has many depths and each is explored with a delicacy and fragility.
Bjork is not the only star; her supporting cast are wonderful. Catherine Denevue's stern Kathy and Peter Stormare's Jeff are truly brilliant allies within Selma's plight. The humble Bill played by David Morse takes a dramatic character curve that is powerful and shocking. Each is unraveled before us until they collide together in a magnificent yet horrific ending; one that stays in your mind forever.
To lose herself, though, Selma resorts to living in a musical in her mind and in her mind we are offered the brilliance of Bjork's soundtrack. There are many delights offered to us from the playful "Cvalda" (a song dedicated to Kathy) and the Oscar Nominated "I've Seen It All," soar amazingly into the heart of a broken soul and we get a glimpse at her emotion through song.
Though this film is easily number one in my collection, there are some flaws. For example, Vladica Kostic who plays Gene is a struggling child actor who is unbelievable and probably why he is rarely seen and Stormare is an excellent actor but not much of a singer. Also he guest appearance by Joel Grey as an old Czech theatrical actor seems contrived in the story plot. And there are many uncomfortable scenes that can be horrific if you don't know they are coming and certainly the ending is one of the most depressing musical endings of all time.
Overall, Dancer In The Dark won many awards and deservedly so, it is an underrated classic that deserves more appreciation than it gets. Von Trier, though rumors of his difficulty whilst filming, drags us into a story so compelling it is hard to peel your eyes away. While combining realistic characters with a fantastical music mind, Dancer In the Dark goes beyond that of an ordinary musical and makes it extraordinary.
4.5/5 Stars
TTFN
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