Dancer in the Dark (2000)

Dancer in the Dark follows Selma, a Czechoslovakian immigrant and single mother living in a small American town in 1964. Working long shifts on a factory assembly line, Selma is slowly losing her sight to a hereditary condition and is secretly saving every penny for an operation that could spare her young son Gene the same fate. Her only refuge from fear and exhaustion is classic Hollywood musicals: she watches them, performs in a local production, and retreats into vivid, song-filled fantasies that contrast sharply with her harsh everyday life. When a neighbor’s accusation triggers criminal consequences, Selma’s already precarious plan and fragile world spiral toward a tragic climax. What a viewer will experience: - A powerful emotional journey: tender maternal devotion, quiet courage, and mounting desperation that build to a heartbreaking finale. - Stark contrasts between gritty, naturalistic realism (factory work, cramped trailer life, community pressures) and lush, imaginative musical interludes that represent Selma’s inner life. - Intense moral and social themes: sacrifice, injustice, isolation, and the cost of trying to protect a loved one. - Visceral filmmaking that alternates intimate, documentary-like scenes with stylized, exuberant musical sequences—creating a disorienting but deeply affecting tone. - Music and performance as both escape and emotional language: the musical moments are joyous and consoling but also underscore the tragedy of Selma’s circumstances. This film is both a drama about hardship and a bold, unsettling musical experiment—moving, often painful to watch, and likely to linger emotionally long after the credits.

Actors: Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse

Director: Lars von Trier

Runtime: 140 min

Genres: Crime, Drama, Musical

7.6 /10 63 /100 7.9 /10 7.3 /10