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RATING: 4 out of 5

Selma, the protagonist in Dancer in the Dark, is a woman obsessed with Hollywood musicals, even though she has never seen one through to the end. She whimsically explains it away by saying that if you leave before the finale, the film’s magic never dies.

Dancer in the Dark is a film she would hate. It takes you inexorably toward an ending you wouldn’t necessarily wish to see. But just as the tap dancing lives on in Selma’s mind, this memorable film will remain in yours.

The plot revolves around a young Czech woman and her son in their new lives in America. Afflicted by an unknown disease that will leave them both blind, Selma, (Björk) forsaking herself, works doggedly to raise enough money to save her son’s eyesight.v They live with a couple who seem just 2.4 kids short of being the typical American Nuclear Family. In this safe environment, and with the help of a factory colleague (Catherine Deneuve) Selma seems set to attain her goal.

As an ending is in sight (forgive the pun) Selma begins to lose hers and in true soap fashion, betrayal and deception lead to devastating consequences.

It may sound like the blurb for an episode of Days of Our lives, and perhaps should be, but this was never Von Trier’s intention.

In a very real sense the film is a slight on the American conventions of manipulative media imagery. And while he reverts to cinematic scope for the musical scenes, the cinematography is caustic and ultra-realistic, as is the acting. In this sense the film is a parody of the Hollywood lens.

Dancer in the Dark is not an exercise in plausible storytelling. It has more to do with a gripping tale and haunting moments.

Von Trier situates you directly in the characters’ lives, which gives way to a strange feeling of culpability, something which makes the ending so utterly devastating.

Björk, in her first major acting role is simply superb and often upstages Deneuve, who is still as compelling as ever.

Simply put Dancer in the Dark is haunting, challenging and ultimately rewarding filmmaking. Be advised though; it does fall into the category of films that you instantly love or you don’t.