Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Genre: Music / Drama
Duration: 135 minuten
Country:
Denmark / Germany / Netherlands / Italy / United States / United Kingdom / France / Sweden / Finland / Iceland / Norway
Directed by: Lars von Trier
Stars: Björk, Catherine Deneuve and Peter Stormare
IMDb score:
7,9 (124.232)
Releasedate: 1 September 2000
Dancer in the Dark plot
"It's only the last song if we let it be."
It is 1964. Eastern European Selma (Björk) emigrates to America with her son Gene. She works day and night in the factory for her son's livelihood. Selma has poor eyesight and has a hereditary disease that will eventually cause her to become blind. Gene also has this disease. Selma saves her money to pay for Gene's future eye surgery. Despite this, Selma has enough life energy. Every evening she rehearses her role 'Maria' for the musical 'Sound of Music' in a theater. Although she cannot see well, she also enjoys going to the movies. Friend Kathy often goes along to tell Selma what is on the screen. In the glamorous world of movies and theater Selma can forget her own life for a moment and be happy for a moment.
Actors and actresses
Selma Jezkova
Kathy
Bill Houston
Jeff
Oldrich Novy
Linda Houston
Gene Jezkova
Norman
Samuel
Brenda
Reviews & comments
Onderhond
-
- 87679 messages
- 13026 votes
Musicals, what should a person do with them ...
The first half hour was pretty good, nice drama, nothing revolutionary or anything, but entertaining. Everything went well until Björk started singing.
Don't get me wrong, I really like Björk ... nice music, beautiful voice, very passionate about what she does ... but does this really have to be accompanied by such a clumsy montage/scenes? Now I don't think Björk's music fits in the film anyway. The industrial and sometimes electronic music doesn't really fit with the poverty of the 60s, but those dances and shots really succeed. Every musical piece was pure horror.
Also, the story is rather… bad? I like tragedy, but there was not much logic in this. I can imagine that Björk has blown out of her shoes a few times when it came to motivation of her character. The whole thing gave a very manipulative impression. This and the musical bits also ruin the rest of the drama, which does nothing for the film.
Judgement ? 1.0* for a talented lady and 0.5* for a dignified ending that the film really doesn't deserve. 1.5* for a failed experiment.
Translated from Dutch · View original
IH88
-
- 9780 messages
- 3194 votes
They say it's the last song. They don't know us, you see. It's only the last song if we let it be.
A punch in the stomach. Sometimes I wonder whether Lars von Trier used to be bullied very often in the schoolyard, and that this is why he developed such a black image of man. Dancer in the Dark is certainly not a perfect film and sometimes feels very manipulative, but Von Trier has made another film that stays with you. This is also due to the great acting by Björk and the supporting actors, which makes the sometimes far-fetched story feel very personal and human. The ending is gruesome, and I don't know whether to hate or adore Von Trier. Probably both. The strong music makes it a bit easier to digest.
Translated from Dutch · View originalLatest News
How Serious Film Fans Are Watching in 2026 — And Why the Home Setup Has Never Mattered More
How Much Money Has the Portrayal of Casinos Brought Into the Movie Industry?
The Death of the CGI Safety Net: Why We’re Craving Real Stakes Again
How Media Business Insights Shape Online Casino Marketing Strategies in 2026
Corporate & Media
Realtimes Network
Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31(315)-764002
