There are some films I just don’t
get. Occasionally a film will be met with critical acclaim and it feels the
whole world but me is enamoured with it. Other times, there are commercial
behemoths which storm to billions of dollars but leave me disheartened. I feel
slightly better about myself for my reaction to Lars von Trier’s 2000 Palme d’Or
winning Dancer in the Dark. The film
divided critics like few others have before or since. It won awards and was met
with praise from the likes of Roger Ebert but received damming criticisms from
Peter Bradshaw and many others. Personally I’m with Bradshaw.
Dancer in the Dark feels crass and manipulative and has a story
which left me both bored and perplexed. Despite some interesting song and dance
numbers and a frankly terrifying ending, I felt at times as though it was a film
that would never end and couldn’t wait for it to do so.
