The pop star Bjork, sweet as a sugarcube, plays a factory worker suffering from the encroachment of hereditary blindess, and suffering further by toiling to pay for eye surgery for her 12-year-old son. Her only succor is music, mainly in the form of escapist daydreams that erupt, on screen, into dance numbers. In Dancer in the Dark, director Lars von Trier seems unashamed of horsewhipping his audience with mawkishness — exploitative emotional bombast that spoils the subtleties of honest feeling. His talent for wrapping us up in sadness is profound, which makes it all the sadder that this wrenching movie is a failed masterpiece.
Related Articles
![Graziano Di Prima attends The Sun's "Who Cares Wins" Awards 2023 at The Roundhouse on September 19, 2023 in London, England](https://ew.com/thmb/nIoCV-sO4CMBM0R5CSD7_jq_UgE=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Graziano-Di-Prima-tout-071924-69cdc3b1dc084209b8357a443f03fa83.jpg)
Strictly Come Dancing pro admits to kicking Love Island star during rehearsal
![Drag Race](https://ew.com/thmb/2YsWBfiSSLSpDhRKygPVKEvyzZg=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Drag-Race-072024-c85d2e0e7d904f17b24d23e9da3db602.jpg)
Drag Race star Kennedy Davenport reveals partner had miscarriage: 'Thank you all for the love'
![Drag USA contestants](https://ew.com/thmb/OiFuvfDlWf2cB1Uiv3nW-KO5qy4=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/rupaul-tout-071524-840b8eff39f9461486f118a95f35b33e.jpg)
RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars cast announced, Alyssa Edwards returns with international all-star queens
![Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) and the Stranger (Manny Jacinto) on 'The Acolyte' season 1 finale](https://ew.com/thmb/4ZaYEgTUPMWsXOSNLg9amc09rT8=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/The-Acolyte-1-071824-15157cb039fe4acabc6e0c5da71e3b48.jpg)
The Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg reacts to Oshamir dark side romance
![Jean Smart in Hacks; Steve Martin in Only Murders in the Building; Andrew Scott in Ripley; Maya Erskine in Mr. & Mrs. Smith; Hiroyuki Sanada in Shogun; Jodie Foster in True Detective](https://ew.com/thmb/RYj4g4mLusElMnxlBgIquP2870k=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/emmy-predictions-MAY13-6ae6dc7eee234d209e3a94407b35ef7f.jpg)
2024 Emmy nomination predictions: All the main acting categories
![Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) on 'The Acolyte'](https://ew.com/thmb/D0bA4bWbEErVK0CAVHqUYgIuu_4=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/acolyte-6-071624-55cdc7af8bf34a38b11b1a5f87a5e7c4.jpg)
The Acolyte finale ending and cameos explained
![Still from The Decameron Trailer](https://ew.com/thmb/qMRxaK-hXELHbwf0HhZhcNoQhA4=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/decameron-1-0703024-d45006c0260141ed83ca37f59da9e1b3.jpg)
The Black Death creates chaos in exclusive trailer for The Decameron
![Still photo from Wayne Brady: The Family Remix](https://ew.com/thmb/LFcYOJ3q6GscJhZ-kZQlwVMH5WU=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/wayne-brady-1-071624-24b853e428064fab87010f57cba914a8.jpg)
From pandemic TikToks to reality TV: Wayne Brady previews his blended family’s journey to the screen
![Batman and Harley Quinn from The Caped Crusader](https://ew.com/thmb/zFJDVNDOK9HEvzkZpFTZ-8H4rok=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/caped-crusader-062624-a307652eaf6048939c076879a729b92a.jpg)
Batman: Caped Crusader trailer unveils new animated incarnation of the Dark Knight
![Claire and Jamie on Outlander](https://ew.com/thmb/5FaOd6lsW7u2-ctUiCKNo14x9G0=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Claire-and-Jamie-on-Outlander-022724-tout-9a28a0ba97c045c7b99dc9c9e0a1f494.jpg)
The Best Prime Day Video Deals Include Paramount+, AMC+, and Starz From Just 99 Cents per Month
![Rose McGowan Shannen Doherty Brian Austin Green](https://ew.com/thmb/dAVp_fre4n_L1mTFJgOBTOhiKgY=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Rose-McGowan-Shannen-Doherty-Brian-Austin-Green-071424-d033b7a4f9394d7dacd5fd57563bf494.jpg)
Shannen Doherty's costars Rose McGowan, Jason Priestley, Brian Austin Green, and more pay tribute
![Jessel Taank](https://ew.com/thmb/QcE8cb8EWOs7sHrst-uL_pT8RCw=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Jessel-Taank-070424-2-a149c266974246f2b009702adb82c95e.jpg)
RHONY star Jessel Taank shares 'wild' Hurricane Beryl vacation footage
![Kevin Jonas and Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show](https://ew.com/thmb/5mzC2HUXAE_5u8CxW16j4hbKf2s=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Kevin-Jonas-Jimmy-Fallon-The-Tonight-Show-071224-ce460769ecba407f860e9a183447e8ea.jpg)
Kevin Jonas addresses viral Jimmy Fallon handshake snub: 'We're awkward guys'
![Euphoria Season 1, episode 4 (debut 7/7/19): Zendaya. photo: Eddy Chen/HBO](https://ew.com/thmb/iZ63WcJ1x0uFfm7e498t3A4eL1Y=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/euphoria1-2000-05232f0d3f634b5d8c269125033c9edc.jpg)
Euphoria season 3 to begin production in January with all principle cast returning
![Down in the Valley, Nicco Annan](https://ew.com/thmb/1IUyRtpiECVlKtAvbs0cliPu2Lk=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/down-in-the-valley-starz-5-060724-31a33d95438e44ac9cb854fabc69c1b4.jpg)
Watch P-Valley star Nicco Annan explore sexy Southern subcultures in new series
![Cheryl Burke beverly hills 11 29 23, Jacoby jones dwts 2013](https://ew.com/thmb/e7pCCYEeLXBX1OsxFRT4_txml0A=/282x188/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/cheryl-burke-jacoby-jones-3f66b48fb918458aba2c9bb4763cea92.jpg)
Cheryl Burke honors late friend and Dancing With the Stars costar Jacoby Jones