It's a musical about a Czech immigrant, is directed by a Dane, stars an Icelandic pop star and is set in blue collar America. It also has to be one of the best films I've ever seen.

'Dancer in the Dark'

Danish director Lars Von Trier's 'Dancer in the Dark' won the Cannes Film Festival award for Best Film and the Best Actress award for Bjork. This critically acclaimed film is about Selma (Icelandic pop star Bjork), a Czech immigrant who works in a factory in blue collar America. She lives with her son in a trailer belonging to a policeman, Bill (David Morse), and his wife. Her only friend, Kathy (Catherine Deneuve), is a fellow machine operator in the same factory.

Selma is going blind from a congenital disease, and has been saving money to get her son an eye operation to prevent his suffering the same fate. Bill, who is going bankrupt, decides to take advantage of her blindness and steal her money, hidden in the trailer itself. When Selma realizes what he's done, a skirmish results in her maiming Bill and facing the possibility of a court sentence.

This is a dark, melodramatic musical. The story has that old-fashioned dramatic touch-- a mother saving her son at all costs. However, what makes this film unique is the skilful alternation between Selma's real life and dream life. And casting a non-actress as Selma, was probably the best decision, for Bjork gives a wonderful performance. Her unaffected intensity saves the movie from becoming mawkish. The movie is filled with astonishingly touching vignettes. One especially powerful scene has Bjork watching a film with Kathy, only that she cannot 'see' the film but relies on the latter's descriptions of what's happening on-screen.

Another strong point is the music. These numbers - choreographed on the lumber train, the factory floor, in the countryside- reflect Selma's love of big Hollywood musicals. These technicolour daydreams are her means of escape from her bleak life. The songs move the story forward and Von Trier has done an outstanding job of integrating the other characters in the film into these numbers.

Rating: If you thought 'Breaking the Waves' by Von Trier was excellent, this one is a worthy follow up. It's melodramatic, it's dark and it makes you want to weep your heart out - simply outstanding.

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