Dancer in the Dark
Denmark/France/Sweden/Italy/ge 2000
Reviewed by Peter Matthews
Synopsis
Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.
Washington State, 1964. Selma, a Czech immigrant, lives with her son Gene on the property of policeman Bill and his wife Linda. Despite poor eyesight, Selma operates a machine press at a tool company. A fan of musicals, Selma attends drama class, where she is rehearsing for a production of The Sound of Music. One day, Bill confesses to her that the bank will soon repossess his house; Selma reveals she is going blind from a hereditary condition and saving for an operation to rescue Gene's sight. After Selma refuses to loan him money, Bill discovers where she hides her savings.
Helped by her friend Kathy, Selma begins working the night shift, but gets sacked when she breaks the machinery. Selma discovers she has been robbed. Bill admits the crime, only to tell Linda that Selma was attempting to steal his money. When Selma tries to take back her savings, Bill pulls a gun and is mortally wounded in the ensuing struggle; he begs Selma to finish the job, and she batters him to death with a strong box. Selma then visits the doctor to pay for Gene's operation. Soon after, the police arrest her. On trial, Selma claims to have sent the money to her father Oldrich Novy, a musical star in Czechoslovakia. Novy arrives and refutes this. Selma is found guilty and sentenced to death. Her friend Jeff finds out about Gene's operation and gets the case re-opened. But Selma refuses to use the money to pay for the lawyer. In the execution room, Selma sings a song and is hanged.
Review
Björk gives an astonishing performance in Dancer in the Dark, one which deserves all the praise that has been lavished upon it. Let's admit, however, that the role is an easy one, almost guaranteed to reduce us to blubber. In her pop-star incarnation, Björk plays the ethereal sprite whose plaintive voice can break your heart, and it's a down-market version of this persona she embodies here. Dreaming of Hollywood musicals as she works at the tool factory, Selma cuts a poignant figure with her glaring spectacles and frumpy cardigans. Our lumpen heroine, moreover, is going blind while saving for an operation that will rescue her son Gene from the same fate. The situations that writer-director Lars von Trier serves up here might be embarrassingly florid, but the coupling of his manipulative skills and Björk's showy intensity results in a movie with the force of an emotional bulldozer.
From the catcalls the film has received in some quarters, one gathers it's possible to dismiss the whole exercise as meretricious tosh. It's true that set beside a certifiable masterpiece such as Robert Bresson's Mouchette (1966), another tale of an abject waif who goes from bad to worse, Dancer reveals itself as a gleeful tear-jerker. Unlike Bresson, who refuses to enlist facile sympathy for his protagonist, von Trier practically hog-ties us into accepting Selma as the most adorable Raggedy Ann we have seen. Yet there are undeniable pleasures to be gained from submitting to luxuriant emotions you suspect are fake. Even more patently than von Trier's Breaking the Waves, Dancer recalls such weepies as Stella Dallas (1937) or Camille (1936) - pictures where misunderstood women suffered and performed acts of saintly masochism. But those classic melodramas were motivated by a belief in the beauty of distilled pathos. Here, von Trier appears to be up to something more duplicitous.
Indeed, the main difficulty presented by the movie is determining how far it can be taken straight. It's ultimately undecidable whether Dancer is a transcendental experience or just the newest confidence trick from the reigning mountebank of European art cinema. Following Breaking the Waves and The Idiots, the director undergoes mystical self-abnegation with his familiar hair-shirt style, and once again, his film comes across as the most arrant form of self-promotion. The studied home-movie technique (the film was shot, largely handheld, on digital video camcorders) consorts rather weirdly with the kitschy flamboyance of the plot; but instead of naturalising the artifice, it only throws it into bolder relief. The film flicks between endorsing its delirious excess and ironically disavowing it, a double-jointed manoeuvre that puts one in mind of 50s soap king Douglas Sirk. But where Sirk deployed reflexivity for a political critique, von Trier seems interested in flaunting his own conceptual cleverness.
You get the sense that von Trier is using popular culture as so much grist for his mill, especially during the movie's musical sequences. In the very first scene, Selma quavers through a rendition of 'My Favourite Things' while executing a few klutzy dance steps; but her touching ineptitude is transmogrified for periodic fantasy interludes when she and the other characters writhe callisthenically in tight formation. During these sequences, in which Selma's vision is restored and a murdered man comes alive, you can't fail to grasp the idea that musicals comprise a utopian space where suffering is abolished. As an organising conceit, it sounds promising. But, as José Arroyo suggested (S&S, September), the trouble is von Trier seems staggeringly insensitive to the values of film musicals. The director has copped much publicity for marshalling 100 stationary cameras to film the dancers as they charge about, but the stunt makes a hash of Vincent Paterson's choreography. Von Trier also spitefully denies us the joy of watching troupers strut their stuff, notably Cabaret star Joel Grey. Catherine Deneuve, as Selma's friend Kathy, is called upon to tweak our memories of Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (1964), but thereafter looks baffled at being given so little to do. Yet despite everything, the musical numbers fulfil their brief and raise the viewer to a pitch of exaltation. The credit must go largely to Björk's plangent score, which adds the precise quality of yearning for release that the movie needs to work. And Dancer does work, for all that's sly about it. The gruesome finale is obscene in the way it rapes the audience's sensibilities but it's also devastating. Von Trier treads a very thin line where fraud can no longer be distinguished from genius.
Credits
- Director
- Lars von Trier
- Producer
- Vibeke Windeløv
- Screenplay
- Lars von Trier
- Director of Photography
- Robby Müller
- Editors
- Molly Malene Stensgaard
- François Gédigier
- Production Designer
- Karl Juliusson
- Music
- Björk
- Lyrics
- Lars von Trier
- Sjón Sigurdsson
- ©Zentropa Entertainments4 Aps/France 3 Cinéma/ Arte France Cinéma/ Trust Film Svenska/ Liberator Productions/ Pain Unlimited
- Production Companies
- Presented by Zentropa Entertainments 4/Trust Film Svenska/Film i Väst/Liberator Productions in co-production with Pain Unlimited GmbH Filmproduktion/
- Cinematograph A/S/What Else? B.V. /Icelandic Film Corporation/Blind Spot Pictures/France 3 Cinéma/Danish
- Broadcasting Corporation/Arte France Cinéma/SVT Drama/ Arte/WDR in collaboration with Angel Films A/S/Canal+/
- Film Four/Fine Line Features/Filmek/
- Constantin Film/Lantia Cinema & Audiovisivi (Leo Pescarolo)/TV 1000/ VPRO Television
- (The Netherlands)/ WDR/YLE TV1 with the support of Danish Film Institute (Mikael Olsen)/ Eurimages/Swedish Film Institute (Mats Arehn)/ Norwegian Film Institute (Harry Guttormsen)/Icelandic Film Fund (Thorfinnur Ómarsson)/Finnish Film Foundation (Erkki Astala)/Filmstiftung
- Nordrhein-Westfalen GmbH (Dieter Kosslick)/ Foundation for Audiovisual Production, Norway (Elin Erichsen)/ Nederlands Fonds voor de Film (Ryclef Rienstra, Barbara Stronik)/CoBo Fund (Jeanine Haghe)/ Nordic Film and TV-Fund (Dag Alveberg)/ Programme Media de l'Union Européenne
- Executive Producer
- Peter Aalbæk Jensen
- Co-executive Producers
- Lars Jönsson
- Marianne Slot
- Line Producer
- Malte Forssell
- American Line Producer/ Researcher
- 2nd Unit:
- Tony Grob
- Associate Producers
- Anja Grafers
- Els Vandevorst
- Fridrik Thor Fridriksson
- Finn Gjerdrum
- Torleif Hauge
- Tero Kaukomaa
- Mogens Glad
- Poul Erik Lindeborg
- Good Machine
- Production Controller
- Jon Frederiksen
- Production Co-ordinators
- Louise Grosell
- 100 Camera Department:
- Charlotte Kirkeby
- Sweden:
- Anna Malini Ahlberg
- 2nd Unit:
- Cassy Soden
- Unit Managers
- Anders Barbelo
- Sweden:
- Joakim Höglund
- Location Manager
- 2nd Unit:
- Roger Faires
- Post-production
- Manager:
- Lene Irgens
- Technical Manager:
- Pia Nielsen
- Paris:
- Sandrine Lesénéchal
- 2nd Unit Director
- Anders Refn
- Assistant Directors
- Anders Refn
- Caroline Sascha Cogez
- 2nd Unit:
- Damian Payne
- Continuity
- Linda Daae
- 100 Camera Department:
- Sedsel Andersen
- Casting
- Avy Kaufman
- UK:
- Joyce Nettles
- American Script Consultants
- Alex Smith
- Andrew Smith
- 2nd Unit Director of Photography
- Eric Kress
- Camera Operators
- Lars von Trier
- 100 Camera Department:
- Thomas Larsen
- Morten Søborg
- Anthony Dod Mantle
- Claus Sisseck
- Jan Weincke
- Technical Director
- 100 Camera Department:
- Peter Hjorth
- Head of Camera Department
- 100 Camera Department:
- Edvard Friis-Møller
- Visual Effects
- Hokus Bogus ApS
- Shortcut Post Production
- Special Effect Model Construction
- Joakim Zacho Weylandt
- Additional Editors
- Anders Refn
- Peter Hjorth
- Vincent Paterson
- Ivan Dudynsky
- Art Director
- Peter Grant
- 2nd Unit Set Decorator
- Nicola Hewitt
- 2nd Unit Scenic Artist
- Jessica Dodge
- Costume Designer
- Manon Rasmussen
- Make-up
- Sanne Gravfort
- Make-up/Special Make-up Effects
- Morten Jacobsen
- Key Make-up/Hairstylist
- 2nd Unit:
- Michele Ahren
- Titles/Credits
- Morten Constantineanu Bak
- Programming
- Valgeir Sigurdsson
- Mark Bell
- Musicians
- Celesta:
- Björk
- Guy Sigsworth
- Music Manager
- Scott Rodger
- Music Editor
- Valgeir Sigurdsson
- Vocal Editing
- Björk
- Music Recorder/Mixer
- Valgeir Sigurdsson
- Celesta Processing
- Damian Taylor
- Guy Sigsworth
- Orchestra Recordist
- Geoff Foster
- Additional Recordings
- Paul Walton
- Music Consultants
- Greg Rogers
- Ray Williams
- Soundtrack
- "Cvalda" - Björk, Catherine Deneuve; "I've Seen It All" - Björk, Peter Stormare; "Smith & Wesson" - Björk, David Morse, Cara Seymour, Edward Ross; "In the Musicals, Part 1", "Next to Last Song", "New World (Overture)" - Björk; "In the Musicals, Part 2" - Björk, Joel Grey; "107 Steps" - Björk, Siobhan Fallon; "Overture"; "My Favorite Things"; "So Long, Farewell"; "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"
- Choreography
- Vincent Paterson
- Sound Design
- Per Streit
- Location Sound
- Per Streit
- Ad Stoop
- Supervising Sound Editor
- Kristian Eidnes Andersen
- Sound Editors
- Pétur Einarsson
- Anne Jens
- Foley
- Julien Naudin
- Bruno Langiano
- Consultant
- 100 Camera Department:
- Tómas Gislason
- Stunt
- Stig Günther
- Film Extract
- 42nd Street (1933)
- Cast
- Björk
- Selma Jezková
- Catherine Deneuve
- Kathy
- David Morse
- Bill
- Peter Stormare
- Jeff
- Joel Grey
- Oldrich Novy
- Vincent Paterson
- Samuel, the director
- Cara Seymour
- Linda
- Jean-Marc Barr
- Norman, shop foreman
- Vladica Kostic
- Gene, Selma's son
- Siobhan Fallon
- Brenda, prison warden
- Zeljko Ivanek
- D.A.
- Udo Kier
- Dr Pokorny
- Jens Albinus
- Morty
- Reathel Bean
- judge
- Mette Berggren
- receptionist
- Lars Michael Dinesen
- defense attorney
- Katrine Falkenberg
- Suzan
- Michael Flessas
- angry man
- John Randolph Jones
- detective
- Noah Lazarus
- officer of the court
- Sheldon Litt
- visitor
- Andrew Lucre
- clerk of the court
- John Martinus
- chairman
- Luke Reilly
- new defense council
- T.J. Rizzo
- Boris
- Stellan Skarsgård
- doctor
- Sean Michael Smith
- person in doorway
- Paprika Steen
- woman on night shift
- Eric Voge
- officer
- Nick Wolf
- man with hood
- Timm Zimmermann
- guard
- Al Agami
- Alex Mouro
- Alexander Arli
- Allan Gyldenkærne
- Ami Eklöf-Annell
- Ana Christine Broström
- Anders Tärneberg
- Anders Thorhauge
- Anders-Peter Torsleff Hansen
- Andrew Lucre
- Ann Crosset
- Anna David
- Anna Norberg
- Anna Rosenberg
- Annette Lindholm
- Anthony Ajoise Olufemi Jacob
- Birgitte Skands
- Bjørn Åhlander
- Bo Westerholm
- Bobo Eriksson
- Britt Bendixen
- Carl Johan de Neergaard
- Carol Linda Nielsen
- Claus Berenhard
- Cristian Valle
- Diana G.L. Watson
- Ed Hickok
- Edvin Karsson
- Eli Stålhand
- Elin Johansson
- Emilie Bendz
- Erik Dammann
- Erik Drugge
- Fredrik Börgesson
- Frederik Mondrup
- Fernando Molin
- Gregor Michaj
- Grethe Søndergaard
- Hanne Wolsted Olsen
- Helen Dohlmann
- Helle Bach
- Henrik Uldall
- Håkan Johnson
- Ivan Valencia
- Jacob Stage
- Jens Johansson
- Jens Roed
- Jesper Caron
- Jesper Kryger Henriksen
- Joacim Hedman
- Johan Erixzon
- Johan Regnell
- Johanna Lindholm
- John Bruun
- John Martinus
- Jorge Munoz-Escalante
- Julian J. Thomas
- Jorgen Fredriksson
- Karen Nedergaard
- Karoliina Heiskanen
- Katarina Winberg
- Katharina Duarte
- Katrine Falkenberg
- Katrine Engberg
- Kenneth Fogel
- Lars Michael Dinesen
- Lasse Eckstrom
- Leif Agrer
- Lene Løvendahl
- Linda Myrberg
- Marianne Bengtsson
- Marianne Lipka
- Matts Hellgren
- Mattias Carlsson
- Melinda Young Langeland
- Meriem Zouane
- Miriam Karina Sørensen
- Mogens Eggermann
- Niclas Bendixen
- Niklas Berglind
- Niklas Karlsson
- Nikolaj Viktor
- Nina Brolin Nielsen
- Noah Lazarus
- Per-Anders Gustafsson
- Peter Engberg Jorgensen
- Peter Friis Nielsen
- Peter Persson
- Poul Erik Christensen
- Rebekka Lund-Larsen
- René Moeglin
- Rikke Lylloff Madsen
- Rolf Hepp
- Sandra Ostermann Cardichon
- Sharlene Sheppard
- Signe Fabricius
- Stefan Clarin
- Stig Narger
- Susanne Breuning
- Svend Christian Bunch-Nielsen
- Thea Gambill
- Therese Andersson
- Therese Graversen
- Thomas Agerholm
- Thomas Bendixen
- Thomas Kirk
- Timm Zimmermann
- T.J. Rizzo
- Tobias Walbom
- Tommi Salmela
- Tonia Pedersen
- Tony Jacob
- Warren Crooks
- Warren Spears
- dancers
- Certificate
- 15
- Distributor
- Film Four Distributors
- 12,623 feet
- 140 minutes 16 seconds
- Dolby Digital SR
- In Colour
- 2.35:1