Last week I watched the film Dancer in the Dark by Lars Von Trier. It was extremely interesting to watch because of the decision of the director to incorporate music into the film. The movie is about a Czech immigrant, Selma, who is about to lose her sight due to an illness she inherited. Throughout the movie, she works in a factory to pay for an operation so her son isn’t affected by the illness. Another major part of the movie is about Selma’s love for musical theater, even though something tragic might be occurring, she imagines herself performing lively musical numbers throughout the film. It was interesting, yet confusing, to see the contrast between the sorrowful plot and the musical numbers, which incorporated the mechanical sounds of the factory she worked in. I think directors usually aim to use music to influence the way people feel about the movie, so it was interesting to see the exploration of music that contrasted with what was happening in the film.
ADDC 401 Fall 2019 