LARS VON TRIER
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBBB.
Denmark/Germany/The Netherlands/Italy/USA/United Kingdom/France/Sweden/Finland/Iceland/Norway, 2000. Zentropa Entertainments, Trust Film Svenska, Film i Vast, Liberator Productions, Pain Unlimited GmbH Filmproduktion, Cinematograph A/S, What Else? B.V., Icelandic Film, Blind Spot Pictures Oy, France 3 Cinema, Danmarks Radio, Arte France Cinema, SVT Drama, ARTE, Angel Films, Canal+, FilmFour, Fine Line Features, Filmek A/S,Constantin Film, Lantia Cinema & Audiovisivi, TV 1000, Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Yleisradio. Screenplay by Lars Von Trier. Cinematography by Robby Muller. Produced by Vibeke Windelov. Music by Björk. Production Design by Karl Júlíusson. Costume Design by Manon Rasmussen. Film Editing by Francois Gedigier, Molly Marlene Stensgaard. Academy Awards 2000. Cannes Film Festival 2000. Golden Globe Awards 2000. Independent Spirit Awards 2000. National Board of Review Awards 2000. New York Film Critics Awards 2000. Phoenix Film Critics Awards 2000.
Lars Von Trier repeats his exact formula from his 1996 art house hit Breaking The Waves with one notable exception: this time the leading lady sings up a storm. Björk is phenomenal in her film debut as a young woman who is slowly going blind, working in a factory to save up money for her son who has a similar condition and needs an operation. Along the way, her dreams of becoming a musical star are realized through fantasy sequences with music by the leading lady herself. Things get ridiculously melodramatic really fast, often to the disadvantage of the film’s power, but no matter; Bjork’s music for the film is so indelible as to make it worth the rave. Vincent Paterson also lends much to the production with his energetic choreography (he also has a small part in the film).
