In
a tough year for movies, originality seems to be sorely lacking. Even many of
this year's best films play it safe, resorting to conventional storytelling. This
is certainly not the case in Lars Von Trier's (Breaking the Waves) ambitious new
film Dancer in the Dark.
Employing
the Dogma '95 rules (handheld photography etc.), this interesting film tells the
story of a young Czech woman (Iceland musician Bjork) named Selma who moves to
America circa 1964, and finds that life is not much easier. When beaten down by
the riggors of life or unable to deal with confrontational situations, she slips
into an imaginative state, in which she and everyone around her express themselves
through inventive musical numbers. It should be noted, however, that Dancer in
the Dark shouldn't really be considered a traditional musical, because there's
is a lot more to this picture.
There
has been much debate about Dancer in the Dark. Many are put off by the shaky,
handheld camera style (reminiscent of Blair Witch Project or N.Y.P.D. Blue) and
the musical numbers (something equally effective in Woody Allen's underrated Everyone
Says I Love You). These people are missing the point of what is a truly unique
movie experience.
The
cinematography technique in this picture adds a kind of intimacy to the project
that sweeping crane shots and standard photography would detract from. For me,
the musical numbers really worked and never felt intrusive. They are fueled, of
course, by the distinctive and powerful vocals of Bjork who emerges as a fantastic
actress. Not only does this woman give a stunningly heartbreaking performance,
She also manages to convey much of her persona through her voice.
Also
adding weight to this special film are stellar supporting turns from Catherine
Deneuve, Siobhan Fallon, Joel Grey, Udo Kier, David Morse, Peter Stormore, and
Stellan Skarsgard. It is Bjork, however, that carries the picture in a truly remarkable
performance. She also adds a spectacular soundtrack that lends a whole new dimension
to Dancer in the Dark.
Dancer
in the Dark is a film in which bad things happen to a good person, much the same
way it occurs in life. And although this is a thoroughly depressing picture, and
one in which the ending becomes telegraphed about halfway through, there is no
denying it's unrelenting power and originality. Trier is a very gifted film maker,
and has no interest in showing us something we've seen time and time again. In
this day and age of obvious fast-food cinema, that's quite refreshing.
