Rating: 
Summary: The American Dream Gone Bad
Review: Many of the reviews I read dealt with the process of the making of the film, and the fine performance and music of Bjork, but few seemed to reflect on some of the major issue of this movie. As in Dubus' recent novel, "The House of Sand and Fog", it is a story of the tortuous journey of immigrants pursuing what Ameican has to offer. Unfortunately, in Dancer, Selma encounters many negative aspects of what America offers: monetary greed, betrayal, poverty, the enormous sacrifices made in order to pay for medical care, and legal malfunctions. Selma pays the ultimate price for her misplaced but steadfast belief in her dream for her family. Her concept of the wonders of America was apparantly born in the country of her birth, through the movie-musicals she saw there. She was able to hold onto her courage and her beliefs by entering musicals via her imagination, particularly when she experienced overwhelming pain in her life. While Selma is portrayed as what we might see as simple, I think it was her singlemindedness and her trust in what she was trying to accomplish for her son that we might interpret as "simple". She could not be persuaded, sidetracked or manipulated into being anyone other than herself; her trust in her purpose became her downfall. Few reviewers mentioned the last half hour or so of the film which could be construed as a "poster-film" for the anti-death penalty movement. Many reviewers, both male and female, openly stated that they cried and cried at the end of the film. Why? What did the film's end touch off in so many of us? Clearly, Selma was not competently represented in court (in the court scene, her attorney says nothing, challenges no one, and reminds us of all the recent publicity of disinterested court-appointed defense counsels emplyed in capital cases). She was either not urged to defend herself or she did not want to. Selma was convicted and sentanced without the true facts of the murder being exposed. E.g.: When Bill's wife says that her husband begged for mercy, no one questions her interpretataion of what she heard, but did not see. This is a very complicated film. It is both fresh and inovative and is one of the most remarkable films I have seen in a long time. Whether you like it or not, the film will stay with you and challenge you both emotionally and intellectually.
Rating:
Summary: i love depressing movies; and this one beats the lot
Review: most moviemakers believe that to make a successful movie you have to carefully plan the emotional highs and lows to keep the audience connected throughout. with this utterly miserable story of selma's descent from mere misfortune to utter wretchedness, lars von trier proves them all wrong. its grainy, utterly non-hollywood look, two and half hour running time and dour, humorless characters come across on paper like definitely one to miss. but somehow they all come together to create a beautifully hypnotic and heartbreaking tale. bjork (as selma) is absolutely incredible in her acting debut, and she even wrote the brilliant score - is there no end to her talent? and the bittersweeet musical numbers - selma's imaginary escapes into the brightlit utopia of broadway shows - are simply wonderful. watch the movie, dry your eyes, then go buy the soundtrack.
Rating:
Summary: The saddest movie I've ever seen and also one of the best.
Review: The last movie I watched was absolutely the saddest movie I've ever seen in my entire life. Even being the testosterone-filled tough guy that I am, I teared up. It was none other than Lars von Trier's "Dancer in the Dark" staring Icelandic chanteuse Björk. I mostly wanted to see it because of Björk, and anyone who has heard her voice can relate. I've also heard great things about other work Lars has done, so I thought that this would be an enjoyable film. I was drawn into the film slowly, as the viewer is simply dropped into the middle of things. I caught up quickly and was hooked. This film can best be described as a train wreck. It's so tragic that one doesn't feel they can watch any more, and yet one cannot peel their eyes off of the screen. Selma was definitely a tragic hero, and many fine tragic elements were included. Different styles are used than Shakespearian tragedies, but I think that even the Bard himself would be impressed. People mostly don't know what to say when asked what they think of the movie. They agree that it's not a bad movie at all, but in a movie where the only enjoyable parts are the musical fantasies Selma delves into and the rest being heart-breakingly painful, it's not a happy film. I would recommend this movie to anyone who can handle the dark nature of this movie. One great aspect of this movie is that I'm still thinking about it days later. The film sticks with you. I added it to my Amazon wish list, but watching it again won't be any easier.
Rating:
Summary: us in the agenda
Review: after having developed his theory on europe, von trier throws another critical (and again a little bit too ethical) eye towards the us. my hunch is that he will be remembered like hayyam or dante or fellini generations after. great to share the times with an artist like him.
Rating:
Summary: The Musical For The Modern Audience
Review: When I say 'modern audience', I don't mean the pop culture audience; the audiences who are able to change good ideas into pointless overkill (e.g. "Scream"). In "Dancer In The Dark's" case, the Palme D'Or winning musical from Lars von Trier that promptly sank without trace at the box office, I mean those who appreciate when a filmmaker decides to take a familiar genre and make a film that, whilst exhibiting a certain knowledge of its conventions, gives it a refreshing spin. And "Dancer In The Dark" is one of these films: a unique wedding of melodrama and musical follies. Lars von Trier's collaboration with dance director Vincent Paterson and music genius/goat (whatever you prefer) Bjork brings forth something no big film studio would immediately jump onboard to. As well as Trier's token drama, with added dashes of gentle comedy swiftly diminished by horrific violence, Trier's rugged camerawork in the 'reality' scenes (which rarely resort to "Blair Witch"-style blurriness) adds a documentary feel to the piece, aided by a wonderful performance from Bjork, some cast-breaking flourishes from Catherine Deneuve, Siobhan Fallon and David Morse and a showstopper from Joel Grey. The musical sequences, like many of Bjork's own promos, are beautifully filmed with enriched colour, as well as being thematically rich (see "I've Seen It All" and the unsettling "Smith & Wesson") and downright danceworthy ("In The Musicals Part 2", quietly spectacular in a way only Trier could have done it). The film didn't find an audience anywhere thus far, Fine Line Features quickly swiping it from cinemas all to early after its release as well as FilmFour playing it for only a couple of weeks. Therefore, let's turn this into the cult classic it clearly deserves to be.
Rating:
Summary: film art at it's best
Review: this really is the saddest movie i have ever seen. i, like many other reviewers, have never cried so hard. i don't think i could own this on dvd??? as a matter of fact i will probably never see it again. i won't tell what it's about, there are plenty other people who have done that! it was definatley worth seeing. the sweetness of selma, thanks to bjork, makes the movie even harder to bear. she is dynamite! but beware of the tears. once they start, they won't stop.
Rating: 
Summary: Strangely Moving
Review: After seeing this movie I found myself in a strange place. The world seemed odd, and I kept hearing a small, tortured, yet beautiful voice over the noise in the streets. This movie touches you in a very strange way. What begins as a painting that changes so slowly you can barely tell it's happening turns into the most interesting story I've seen in quite some time. Poor Selma, you just know that something horrible is going to happen to her, working constantly in the factory, slowly going blind and saving every measly cent she makes to help her son. On first viewing I had to turn it off because I felt I was just going to get upset if I continued, it had been a bad day and this movie was pulling me in too deep. Good thing I did is all I'll say. When I was feeling well enough to finish it I was glad that I did, as sad as the ending was to me, It was also wonderful and sweet. I've heard about the pressure put on the actors by this particular director, and how Bjork was somewhat scarred after making this film, but the end result is a beautifully horrifying work that everyone involved in should be proud to have done.
Rating:
Summary: Bjork's Debut: A Success
Review: Bjork is an amazing actress under extremely good production. Her acting skills are pheonimanal for a beginner. Though many people are waiting for another film by her, it was announced this will be her first and only film. She said being the character was just to hard for her. This film symbolized that people will do anything for their kids. In this film, Bjork stars as a mother saving up for her son's eye operation. Instead of keeping it in a bank account, she stores in her house and a man finds it and takes it all. Ending up killing the man, she sings through all this imagining everything is going to be ok. This movie is very emotional and but yet intreguing. Bjork went in and out with a bang.
Rating:
Summary: Favorite film ever!
Review: ... though I have at least ten favorites. When I saw this in the theatre, all but two of the theatre occupants were crying by the end (the odd pair was actually laughing, so keep in mind that this is not a picture for everyone out there), and when I took home the DVD it was no different for myself (sans the laughing couple). In short, this is a brilliant film by the neo-neo-realist director Lars Von Trier. Breaking out of the embarrassingly pretentious Dogme 95 style, Von Trier uses a dogme-ish grainy handheld camara approach to film the bulk of the painfully realistic life of Selma, (a soon-to-be-blind factory worker whose only goal is to save enough money to both survive, and get her son an operation that will keep him from going blind, himself) however, the musical segments (which stand as Selma's reason for living, aside from her son's wellfare) erupt with vibrant colors, beautiful bjorkian music (music by Bjork, lyrics by lars von trier), and flawless choreography. Alone, the handheld portion could have stood up as a good film, but with the musical interludes, the entire picture is raised to an entirely new level of stark realism contrasted with unrestrained escapism. The movie itself becomes a similar escapist affair, never forgetting its entertainment roots. However, the moving plot and powerful presentation, which superficially drive the story (they would actually be enough to carry the film), pale in comparison the the concepts lying beneath the surface of this brilliant and unforgettable film. P.S. Check out "The Kingdom" and "Breaking the Waves" as well as any other of lars von trier's excellent movies if you want the full effect of his vision. P.P.S. The DVD version of this film is especially good, as the alternate takes of the musical portions, and director and crew commentaries are well worth the price (even if you have to buy a DVD player just to play this movie)
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant and Powerful.
Review: Dancer in the Dark is everything you want out of a movie - it is brutal, brave, compelling, passionate, focused, real and interesting. Yep, Lars von Trier has done it again. Lars' 1996 movie Breaking the Waves must of come somewhere high in my Top 50, it was an astonishing film. Can this movie match up to the same high standards? Indeed! This film too made my Top 50 Best, it earned one of the highest 9/10 ratings I have ever given. This movie is groundbreaking in all areas - story, song, direction and acting. Oh how Bjork can act. Wow! She deserved an Oscar nomination at least for an incredible performance as the dreamer Selma. Catherine Deneuve supports her excellently as a friend who doesn't know which side to take. Lars' direction is once again ignored, but watch this movie and you'll see how immaculate he made it and just how much praise he deserved. Brilliant.
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