Dancer in the Dark (2000)

This movie challenges all ideas and preconceptions: of music and musicals, of acting and even of movies . I woke up half way through and really started appreciating it. The music is ethereal, the story horrific, the dancing necessarily contrived and surprising but relevant. Von Trier is in my view a genius that takes you to the outer suburbs of your artistic mind. More of an experience than a movie

I never understood / or got into Bjorks music - all very airy fairy and go nowhere - while trying too hard to be groovy....this movie is the same - fell asleep a quarter way through - a waste of time

I didn't enjoy this and couldn't watch it till the end. I love a good musical and a drama but something didn't click in this one. I found the sound track muffled.

A Masterpiece or a Masquerade? Innovative post-modern musical or a bad joke? "Meretricious fakery" or yet something else?.. This film is not easy to rate, I am still not sure whether it deserve two stars or maybe instead 4 stars out of five from me...? Bjork is an amateur actress, which shows, especially in the first part of the movie. But at the same time she has plenty of charisma and creates a truly intriguing character. I do like her vocals and musical style. The film can be described as a collage of traditional musical (think "House of music", etc.) and a very dark morality tale/drama such as in "Short film about killing". The juxtaposition is on purpose shocking. Is very melodramatic, also on purpose. Both Bjork and the director have very strong and perhaps not very easy going personalities, which is documented in the extra feature. Overall highly intriguing and controversial! Both ordinary viewers and professional film critics are highly divided over this film! Of course, that is exactly what Lars von Trier loves: to provoke and shock and be controversial!

Bjork is brilliant

A very unique and moving film. I did feel that the regular musical numbers drew away from the story's great pace, but when you look past that the movie delivers an almost home video like style of cinematography and Bjork is fantastic in her role. This is not an everyman's movie, but when one appreciates film it's hard not to like.

This film is so melodramatic and manipulative I started wondering if it was a comedy.

A terrific story but spoiled by the so-called singing which was mostly off-key. We fast-forwarded those bits in the end because they slowed the momentum in the storyline. I realise they were probably the female lead's thoughts and aspirations, but they did nothing for the film. Very annoying, in fact. God - she can't sing a note to save herself! However - great plot. OMG ending.

As a drama, once it eventually gets going, the movie has some merit; it's a sad story. But interspersed with totally inappropriate musical and dance sequences, it's a joke and makes the whole things tedious, unreal and far too long.

not my cup of tea too predicatable...

The worst,film I have ever tried to watch, obviously taken by a 12 year old child with a camrecorder.Jerky,not focused properly. bad film

This movie is unlike anything I've ever seen, extremely harrowing scenes broken up by odd musical interludes. I found it quite hard to watch, though am intrigued by it to some extent. It does make an impression and viewers are likely to love it or hate it with a passion!

A most powerful and thought provoking film. The entire cast is magnificent while Bjork shows an astonishing acting ability. the final scene is one of the most suspensful and harrowing i have ever seen. Five stars

This controversial film from Lars von Trier succeeds in many ways and fails dismally in some. The song and dance numbers are jarringly introduced and shot in such a way that you can't see much of what's happening. As Lars admits in the extras he wished that he had had more cameras at his disposal so that the movement could be shown in a clearer fashion. The acting is all over the place..some obviously improvisational techniques were involved. Bjork is so good that she is difficult to watch in places. A stunning performance. The "Sound of Music" amateur production sub-plot is ludicrous. An obviously nearly blind Bjork cast as Maria...oh, please!!!! The jail scenes are powerful, particularly those with the female warder who is superb. Cut by 30 minutes (the musical society sub-plot entirely) and with clarified musical numbers this could have been a much better film.

This movie is a masterful effort from Bjork and Von Trier. It's one of the sadest film ever made and Bjork is certainly the best actress you will see on screen imply because she's not acting in it, she's living it. Check the extras. The musical scenes are wonderful but again you still need to like Bjork. If you don't like her music style, her voice I don't see how you could enjoy the whole movie. I watch this movie a couple of times and I asked my friends to watch and all of them were petrified by the intensity of the end scenes. Von Trier is a master and this movie proves it.

best movie ever, pulls at your heart strings :(

This was a wonderful movie, extremely sad yet still very moving, the characters are so real. I am a Bjork fan so I loved the music, but even if your not and the music doesn't appeal if you are interested in a little more substance than the latest rush hour 3, american pie 10 this films story may surprise you.

Great movie, awesome soundtrack!

This is possibly my favourite movie of all time. That said - conversations with my peers leads me to believe, that just like Hong Kong, you either adore it, or loathe it. Anyone who gets Bjorks music, will definitely get this movie. Anyone who likes arthouse, will like this film. And anyone who loves to cry during a film (me) will love this one.

Amazing, strange, beautiful and heart breaking. I loved this movie, the acting was shockingly good, the music intriguing and lovely, the story compelling and so sad!! Unlike anything you have ever seen before...

The topic was dismal, the photography awful, the acting and music appalling. It was the worst movie I have seen in my life with absolutely no redeeming features. Had I been by myself I would have left after 20 minutes but my husband wanted to stay thinking it would improve. It only got progressively worse. Totally depressing.

somehow we just couldn't find the redeeming point of this awkward movie.

Its a very nice story

If you are one who can wait for the story to work it self out - fine. I felt it to be hackneyed and steriotyped.

This was a weird and wonderful watch. Its oddball musical moments were more refreshing than anything in a mostly slow but moving story.