Left Field Cinema

I saw this movie a year ago, and have not been able to get it out of my mind. I thought I would share, as I've never seen anything like it. It's what is known as a "Dogme" movie. Here is an explanation of what this means, taken from Wikipedia:

"The goal of the Dogme collective is to purify filmmaking by refusing expensive and spectacular special effects, postproduction modifications and other gimmicks. The emphasis on purity forces the filmmakers to focus on the actual story and on the actors' performances. The audience may also be more engaged as they do not have overproduction to alienate them from the narrative, themes, and mood. To this end, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg produced ten rules to which any Dogme film must conform. These rules, referred to as the "Vow of Chastity," are as follows:

1. Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in (if a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found).
2. The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. (Music must not be used unless it occurs within the scene being filmed, i.e., diegetic).
3. The camera must be a hand-held camera. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. (The film must not take place where the camera is standing; filming must take place where the action takes place.)
4. The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable. (If there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera).
5. Optical work and filters are forbidden.
6. The film must not contain superficial action. (Murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)
7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. (That is to say that the film takes place here and now.)
8. Genre movies are not acceptable.
9. The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, that is, not widescreen. (Originally, the requirement was that the film had to be filmed on Academy 35mm film, but the rule was relaxed to allow low-budget productions.)
10. The director must not be credited."

Dancer in the Dark does not conform to all these rules, but sticks to most of them. The biggest flouting of the rules is the fact that this movie is a musical.

So, the plot: Björk stars as Selma Jezkova, a Czech immigrant living in the United States. She has a condition that is causing her to go blind, which her son, Gene, also suffers from, but this is unbeknownst to him. It is too late for Selma, but she is saving money to pay for an operation to save Gene's eyesight. In her spare time, Selma is taking part in a local production of The Sound Of Music, as she has a love for musicals.

That's all I will say in terms of the plot, so as to not give anything away. Needless to say, things go somewhat awry.

I'll start by saying I hate Björk's music, and one of the things this movie suffers from is the fact that she wrote and performs all the songs. I do think would have a nice voice, if she chose to sing like a normal person. However I also believe Björk gives an outstanding performance in this movie. The same can't be said for everyone else in the movie. Not that they are bad actors, but I got the feeling that they weren't used to filming in the Dogme style. Maybe the fact that Björk is not an actress by trade helped her performance.

It is very hard to review this movie due to the nature of the Dogme filming process. Part of the point is to make the film more believable, but the poor performances really took me out of the movie. The film takes a very dramatic turn halfway though, which I will not spoil, but it seemed in a way TOO dramatic, to the point of unrealism. I guess one can suspend disbelief, as I don't think it is made clear when the film takes place or what in state it is set.

This is a very sad story, which is aided by Björk's emotional performance. It is hampered however by the songs. You are gearing up to an emotional release, and then the characters burst into strange eccentric song. I liken it to when you are having sex and the doorbell rings. It's jarring.

That said, this is one of the most emotionally draining films I've ever sat through, and I struggle to think of films that have made me cry as much - only Edward Scissorhands and Requiem for a Dream come to mind. They all give a similar sense of dread, knowing what is to befall these characters. Utterly heartbreaking.

J.Palmer