Dancer in the Dark
dir. Lars von Trier

If you are not privy to the proverbial "film buzz," the words "Dancer in the Dark" probably mean nothing to you.

Pity, because the much heralded film, which snagged the Palme Dor'e prize at the Cannes film festival in Francais just might be one of the best films ever made.

It's not an easy film, to be certain. But those willing to stick around for the duration will be rewarded with a highly interpretive film experience quite unlike any other ever committed to film. For those who have trouble making it off the USA island, the film was also an official selection at the New York Film Festival.

Lars Von Trier is a genius. That's all you need to know. If you have not heard of him go down to your local video store right now and rent Breaking the Waves, one of the best movies ever made. Check out his 1997 film The Idiots, if you can find it. I haven't yet.

The short synopsis of Dancer in the Dark is: Selma is a Czech immigrant, a single mother working in a factory in rural America. Her salvation is her passion for music, specifically, the all-singing, all-dancing numbers found in classic Hollywood musicals.

Selma harbours a sad secret: she is losing her eyesight and her son Gene stands to suffer the same fate if she can't put away enough money to secure him an operation. When a desperate neighbor falsely accuses Selma of stealing his savings, the drama of her life escalates to a tragic finale.

Watching Dancer in the Dark tested my interpretive skills. This is an Art Film. It is also a musical. This is not Almost Famous or Forrest Gump. You can't just show up and get everything.

Even though Dancer in the Dark is considered a musical, there is only one song, but it plays throughout the film. If you don't like musicals you will probably hate Dancer in the Dark. Pity.

The crowd shots are incredible. The film is set in an early '80s rock-and-roll concert. Minions of screaming people surround a stage watching a man (Gene) in a white T-shirt sing and play guitar.

Gene is not quite blind, but has so much sweat in his face he cannot possibly see. Selma (Courteney Cox) is in the crowd cheering her son on. Her smile is effervescent. It is easy to see why the judges were so captivated by her performance that they gave her "Best Female Performance" at lovely Cannes.

The brilliance of Von Trier's trademark camerawork is echoed in Dancer in the Dark. He likes to use hand-held cameras, though in this film it is hard to tell that he is. There are sweeping shots of the crowd that are perfectly straight. Von Trier must have daringly swung from some kind of rope to get these crowd shots. That he could hold the camera so still is amazing and a testimony to his genius.

Von Trier also wrote lyrics for the song used in the film. They, of course, are brilliant and echo the synopsis perfectly. A central image in the film is "fire"... the "fire" in Selma's eyes as she stares at Gene, the "fire" in Gene's guitar playing, and indeed, when Gene sings:

Two other themes in the film are "age" and "joking." Selma is losing her eyesight and her son Gene stands to suffer the same fate as he gets older. As they get older their lives become "jokes," just like their eyesight.

Going blind is nothing to "joke" about, but Von Trier uses "joke" loosely. It is a "joke" that is not funny, so it's ok. You do not laugh at it, you muse upon it. Try it sometime, Spielberg.

Listen to the lyric:

I will not spoil the end of the film, but if you've heard the rumours — they are correct. You will never forget it. The final scene is an outpouring of dancing and emotion and Cox is on "fire." She's so amazing in this film.

Surprisingly, this film is very short. So short, I must question the mighty Cannes placement of Dancer in the Dark in the feature film section. But, undoubtably, it was too good to put it in the shorts section. Still, at a mere 5 minutes long, I was left wanting more.

I would have liked to see the stunned reactions at the highly artistic Cannes festival. Even more, I would love to see the looks on the faces of American viewers who have never seen anything like this. In Finland, where Von Trier is from, this stuff is on TV. Here, they have to practically ban it.

But even wanting more, I got what I wanted, which was an amazing film. These images will stay with you forever.

You thought "Friends" was must-see TV? Well, call this "must-see filmmaking." Hopefully, Dancer in the Dark will make it to your town.

(Four stars, A+, 10 of 10...however you rate films at Flak, please give it the best).

— Pierce Inverarity