In this episode of The Cinamerican Dream, Anu and I discuss Dancer in the Dark, a polarizing film about an immigrant mother, Selma, from Czechoslovakia who has a degenerative eye condition. As this diseases is genetic, it has been passed down to her son, Gene. Selma has been saving money for a surgery that will prevent Gene from going blind, but due to a host of unfortunate and unexpected events, Selma kills her neighbor and is sentenced to the death penalty. A critically acclaimed film, Dancer in the Dark is described as “brilliant and sublime”, “a triumph of form, content and artistic integrity”. The unsettling musical qualities and intentional depiction of America makes for a thought-provoking, albeit disturbing, movie-viewing experience. Similar to other works that discuss America from a foreign context, the movie portrays immigration, belonging, xenophobia, and the American Dream through a critical lens. Most interestingly, the idea of America as entertainment is captured throughout the film. Make sure to tune in for this week’s pod as we will break down everything from the aesthetic qualities to the director of the film to prominent immigration themes!
