Rajeev's Recco: Dancer in the Dark

FILMY ACCOLADES: Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier's movies have won big awards at international film festivals.

Featured Blog

Rajdeep Sardesai

26/11: Terror comes precariously close

Featured Slideshows

I have a thing for quirky little foreign films, and I'd heard a lot about controversial but genius Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier.

His movies have won big awards at international film festivals, they've been banned for their explicit sexual content, yet they've found a very faithful following across the world.

A few years ago, I happened to watch von Trier's Dancer In The Dark which won the top prize at Cannes in 2000, and also won it's Icelandic leading lady Bjork the Best Actress award. Believe me, it's one of the most imaginative films I've ever seen.

Bjork stars as Selma, a Czech immigrant and single mother in 1960s America who's losing her sight to a rare eye disease. To protect her young son from meeting with the same fate, Selma works day and night at a factory, saving up enough money to pay for his surgery.

Her only salvation, her only escape from this grim life is her passion for Hollywood musicals, which she fantasises about all day.

But an unfortunate incident involving her neighbour derails her plans and leaves her to face tragic consequences.

What's remarkable about "Dancer In The Dark" is the manner in which the filmmaker tells us the story. He uses two completely different shooting styles to narrate the plot.

The dramatic story is filmed in hand-held, documentary style, whereas Selma's dream scenes, her singing-dancing musical imagination is captured vibrantly and energetically in lavish all-colour.

The emotional core of the movie, of course, is Bjork's top-class performance, she delivers so naturally, so spontaneously that she wins your heart over instantly.

You know Dancer In The Dark is one of those rare films that melts your heart and breaks your heart at the same time. Don't waste a moment, go rent Dancer In The Dark on DVD right away.