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Had to catch up with both of these so I could vote in this poll. I'd say Dancer in the Dark is a more fascinating piece of filmmaking with its commitment to hyper-realism and magical, reality-bending, Dogma '95-rule-breaking musical numbers, and Bjork's performance is incredible. While I'm overall positive on the film, it also strikes me as overlong and unnecessarily cruel. Once, on the other hand, boasts nearly as much handheld indie realism as the former with lovely characters that we enjoy spending time with and seeing grow, plus any number of heart-melting songs, Falling Slowly ranking up at the top of the film's wonderful original tracks. The dark, brutal cynicism of von Trier's vision seems more serious and noteworthy on the surface, but Once's open-hearted and sadly, amicably ill-fated romance strikes me as vastly more mature and resonant. Point: Once.
Once is a beautiful film and one that I truly love, but Bjork's performance is too magnificent for me to vote against. Gotta go with Dancer in the Dark, no matter how depressed watching it makes me.
I love the songs from Once so much that I immediately wanted to vote for it. But Dancer in the Dark is more interesting as a piece of film making. So I voted for Dancer in the Dark ... and regret it already :-(
Vote with your heart not your cynical cynical brain. Once. I beg you.
ONCE was enough viewing for either of these movies... but for different reasons. It comes down to either wanting to feel bored or provoked... and I usually choose provoked... so DANCER it is.
This was the hardest for me. Both films I watched for the first time recently (Trying to catch up with my blindspots for this year's madness), and still, both of them left me nostalgic for the decade that was the 2000s and I was able to appreciate the uniqueness of each one as well as the way both subversively utilize the musical tropes to tell their story. I ended up voting for Dancer in the Dark and what gave it the edge at the end was that Dogville is not up for consideration for this whole thing and at least Von Trier will have some representation. I know it´s arbitrary but this is already called madness so...
I have to go with Dancer in the dark here. Once is an amazing movie, beautiful and moving. However Dancer in the dark has the most non-"musical" music i could ever imagine. The story of the blind factory worker succumbing to forces outside of her control, but remaining a source of inspiration has always stayed with me.
"If there is one more idiotic song, I'm going to leave this theater!"
That was what I muttered to myself near what I thought was the end of the simple yet overwrought and shrill Dancer in the Dark, a musical so maudlin it seemed to stretch on forever.
There was one more song and so I left. But I was blocked into my row and I chose to climb over the seat to escape. My foot caught the back of the seat and I landed hard on my knee. The resulting large bruise was a daily reminder of just how much I hated that film.
Whereas my review of Once was something to the effect of, "It's a movie that's left me feeling high, but without all the trouble of sourcing an illicit substance."
What I'm saying is that it's a very easy pick.
Also, it's weird to me these movies are from the same decade. I was in very different place in my life when I watched each of them.
Once is a fine example of a modern musical, and I will give it the edge of DitD as far as the songs go. However, Von Trier's anti-musical is emotionally devastating with an unforgettable performance from Bjork, and it easily gets my vote.
This one kills me. Both are such incredible examples of how to make film musicals work in the 90s, ground in reality, avoiding cliches. Two of my favorites. No losers here—just watch both before you vote!
Easiest yet. Dancer in the Dark is beautifully acted, Bjork is superb, but the film is so grim and depressing I never want to go near it again. Once is a joyous celebration of music, love in all its ups and downs, has one of the greatest soundtracks of all time, is beautifully acted and makes me warm and happy. No contest.
I have a lot of respect for Lars von Trier as a stylist and an auteur, but all of his movies make me want to take a shower to wash off the despair and self-loathing. Dancer in the Dark is no different. It's beautiful and daring, and I've promised never, ever to watch it again as long as I live. Once is also beautiful and daring, and it makes me want to hug myself. No competition: Once.
(hometown: Providence, RI)
If Once gets eliminated before the real fight even begins, I am going to go stand on a public street corner and pout loudly at passersby, and when asked why I'm doing that I shall tell them that Josh and Adam have ruined everything, and siphoned away the last of my joy and wonder in their bid for quote-good radio-unquote. (Don't worry, I'll get video of it for you.)