In Dancer in the Dark Von Trier re-invents the musical genre, giving his version a tragic ending.  Musicals are traditionally associated with utopian ideals, conservatism and escapism.  Today the musical tends to be associated with frivolity and Disney cartoons rather than serious films.  The musical genre is practically extinct in the Western world – although it is extremely popular in Bollywood.  In India, musicals are used as a means of expressing desire and sexuality in symbolic ways, sometimes quite obviously.  For example, it is quite possible and not at all suggestive for a Bollywood musical to show a man spraying a woman with a large water hose!  In Bollywood the musical is a conventional means of expressing sexuality in an inoffensive way; a way of expressing sexual tensions and needs that are not addressed in Indian society, as it would be unacceptable in Indian society to articulate these feelings directly.

In 1933, when 42^nd Street was released, there was insecurity about how far to go with music as the genre was becoming unpopular in the US.  Musicals had drawn a mass audience and in 1929 "no excuse was too illogical or perfunctory to introduce music to movies."(Barrios, 239) 42^nd Street also reflects aspects of the labour market during the Depression and this is reflected in "its mixture of hope and cynicism." (Barrios, 388)  The national mood became optimistic, however, after the new president, Roosevelt, was elected.   There was hope that this new leader would bring about a turning point in the Depression. 42^nd Street is a mixture of politics and entertainment.   It encompasses aspects of "The New Deal" and became a "symbol of national renewal." (Barrios, 371) The attitude that now surrounded the ‘American Dream’ of wealth, success and happiness was that it could only be achieved through group effort and interdependence.  The success of the lucky individual was attributed to those who supported that person, just as much as the individual’s actions themselves.

Like 42^nd Street, Dancer in the Dark also makes the personal political through the subject of the death penalty. It deals with this subject in a poignant and traumatic way and is unbiased to the extent that it gives several viewpoints from different characters. The viewer is torn as s/he realises that Selma has no option but death; even though her thinking and reasoning is unconventional, she has come into conflict with the social structures and laws of society which her mind is incapable of assimilating. The injustice of this ultimate punishment is felt strongly by the viewer as s/he is in a privileged position of knowledge and finds it unbearably frustrating that the main protagonist cannot express what she has done and why.  This moral narrative effectively conveys the immediacy of the death penalty – though the film is set in 1962, there are few period markers.  The film could be set in any period and still be relevant today because the death penalty is still a current and controversial subject. Unlike 42^nd Street, then, Dancer in the Dark does not make the discomfort of the personal becoming political nicely palatable.

Then there is the problem of character.   Conventionally characters in classic musicals lack depth and are difficult for audiences to relate to because it is obvious that they are part of another dimension, in a Utopian world – such as Kathy Seldon and Don Lockwood in Singin’ in The Rain.   Any problems that Cathy and Don have are solved in a trice and in a most heart warming, romantic, idealistic way.  The resolution of their problems leads to an even more perfect solution, such as when Lina’s hideous voice is revealed and Cathy is unexpectedly realised as the true star. Cathy and Don are flawless, beautiful and energetic. Any eccentricities they have only accentuate their individuality, talent and success compared to those around them.  However, the eccentricities of Selma in Dancer in the Dark result in her annihilation rather than being valued and congratulated for her unusual personality, as are Lockwood and Seldon. And yet, in a way it is the characters of 42^nd Street who are more realistic, since they experience everyday problems, such as money worries and fatigue, and are portrayed with "tact and sympathy"(Barrios,376) as are the characters in Dancer. Peggy Sawyer, the heroine of 42^nd Street, cannot continue to operate like a machine, her human weakness is apparent when she collapses in the middle of a dance rehearsal. She is not constantly brimming with energy, nor can she exist in her own right. She is reliant on the kindness of people around her, like Anytime Annie, who supports her and offer her advice that she needs, even if she is unaware of it.

In keeping with the Hollywood ideal, however, 42^nd Street is far more optimistic than Dancer in the Dark, since the heroine, Peggy Sawyer, is rewarded by her hard work. She puts every ounce of effort into her singing and dancing before her first performance, and stands out as an individual, her "posture and mien gawky and self-conscious." (Barrios, 376)  The viewer is aware how much effort Peggy makes, and this makes her performance all the more endearing and moving.   Selma’s performance in rehearsals, on the other hand, is clumsy and comical.   There is a sense of inevitability about Selma not being included in the final show.

Comparisons can be drawn with the character of Selma and Peggy Sawyer, played by Ruby Keeler, who was a "projection of total innocence and vulnerability." (Barrios 376) These exact words could also be used to describe the character of Selma. Peggy "was sweet, she was good, she worked hard and was rewarded." (Barrios, 376) Selma’s ‘goodness’ is central in Dancer.   Like Peggy, she works hard and is rewarded through the gradual accumulation of her savings and through self-satisfaction - but this pleasure is torn from her. Her vulnerability allows for this to be more affective. Peggy’s good nature and innocence, in contrast are rewarded beyond her expectations when fate intercepts and she is given the central role in the show.

Peggy is somewhat naive in her actions. When she stays at Pat’s house she is in a vulnerable position and he could easily take advantage of her. However, he behaves like a true gentlemen, and carries her to a separate bedroom. It is only then that Peggy realises that she could have been violated, and locks her door as she does not know whether she can trust Pat entirely. She has an untainted, positive view of men and sees them as friends as well as potential lovers. Peggy is not suspicious of men and when she is around them she behaves normally, her natural femininity and sexuality still attract men to her without her needing to put on pretences or prove anything to them. She is relaxed when Billy guides her through a dance sequence, and seems unaware of his attraction to her. Peggy has a natural beauty and unlike other cast members, such as Dorothy Brock, she does not need to wear excessive amounts of make-up and glamorous clothes to look attractive.

Selma is different to Peggy in this respect. She seems to have a wariness surrounding heterosexual relationships and does not want to take the risk of getting involved with her admirer, Jeff. Von Trier breaks mainstream conventions in choosing a heroine who is not glamorous. Selma wears drab, plain, ill-fitting clothes, which are unflattering and scruffy. She wears no make-up, nor does she appear to make any effort with her appearance as her hair is messy and unbrushed. Von Trier’s heroines do not have conventional beauty. Selma is not sexualised or objectified for the male spectator. However she is engaging and endearing for the viewer through her personality and imaginative ideas. She is quirky, unconsciously charming, mystical and embodies a natural femininity. Her unthreatening ‘naturalness’ is enhanced by her surroundings; lush woodland and glistening rivers. These surroundings give Selma a magical quality, her dancing and songs in the countryside associate her with the image of a good-witch creating a spell or an innocent, fragile fairy.

When Selma breaks into song or begins dancing in the non-diegetic musical numbers it is not purely escapism for her. These dream sequences convey that she is "seeing another side to the characters and reality around her." (25 Gavin Smith, Film Comment) Feuer comments that, "Musicals suggests that this dream work acts as a kind of exorcism, leading to the actual fulfilment of desires." (Feuer, 73) However, dream sequences have the opposite result in Dancer as Selma must return to her reality, which offers no new opportunity for her. Musical numbers in Dancer build up tension for the viewer rather than let them experience enjoyable escapism, as is their function in the classical Hollywood text. In Dancer they act as a relief for the viewer to be allowed to escape from the intensely grim reality in which the character is living. Although the musical numbers can be enjoyed because of the striking visual effects and rich colours, Von Trier creates fear at the back of the viewer’s mind, that when the musical number finishes reality will return and may have become worse because of the musical sequence itself. It has happened in the character’s imagination, and this day-dreaming may have affected her reality in a negative way. Furthermore we feel very sad that Selma is not even allowed to dream to escape her meagre existence.

Like most musicals, Dancer features diegetic and non-diegetic musical sequences. However, the diegetic ones break with convention. When Selma sings ‘My Favourite Things’ in the cell, there is no dancing and her voice is weak and wavers. Another example is the musical number she performs in the rehearsals for The Sound of Music. The heroine cannot even come on at the right cue, cannot see where to stand – let alone dance or perform. Although she is pre-occupied with musicals and the optimism and utopia they encompass, she cannot even have the pleasure of watching them anymore. Her friend has to tell her what is happening and describe what the characters look like. In any case she tells us that she always leaves before the end, because she wants to imagine that they do not end.

The musical numbers in 42^nd Street are very different to those in Dancer in the Dark. In classical Hollywood parts of the dancer’s bodies are shown in close-up, primarily their legs. This is typical of the Busby Berkley style; the chorines are presented as pure spectacle, in a show-girl style. Their dancing movements are repetitive and simple. Commonly it is the camera that performs movement. The chorines in 42^nd Street become what Foucault refers to as ‘docile’ bodies. The director, Julian Marsh, trains them to become precise and accurate through repetitive machine-like movements. Thus the product of feminine spectacle is produced by masculine agency, Marsh. Women’s bodies are objectified early in the film, when the girls display their legs for Marsh to judge whether they will fit into his ideal. Other male spectators become aroused by this sight offered to them. However, when the male financier has sat through many repetitive rehearsals, the women’s bodies have become desexualised. As he remarks, "A leg is just a thing to stand on." It ceases to have an erotic charge and becomes a commodity.

Fordist values are also relevant to 42^nd Street. Marsh wants maximum efficiency from the girls and as his machine-like routine comes together he shouts "Faster! Faster!" He also de-skills the chorines, as they are forced to repeat simple movements which will come together to produce the whole performance – like a production line. Their individuality is of no concern; it is the effect they produce as a group which is important.

Dancer in The Dark also contains elements of Fordism. Selma works in a kitchen sink pressing factory and works on the production line. She is required to perform a simple movement repetitively, like the chorines. Her body is like a machine in the way that she moves in a jerky, controlled way. However, her human faults are revealed when her mind wanders and causes her to make a mistake at work. As she is working on a production line, her mistake has repercussions for the whole process. Unlike Peggy she has nobody like Marsh to correct her.

Bill and his wife are in binary opposition to Selma. They conform to the American dream; the wife is materialistic, attractive, made-up and house-proud. The husband plays a stereotypical role in that he is the provider for his wife. His job is important in conveying his conformity to the values of American society since he is a policeman. It is ironic that his morality becomes challenged as he violates Selma; the values of decency, protection and honesty that his job is associated with are turned upside down in this act. Bill and his wife fit into the genre of melodrama as they have common problems that are conveyed by many characters in Hollywood melodrama - the security of their marriage being threatened by economic problems.

Bill is trapped in his situation with his wife, since he is unable to voice his concerns about money, thinking that she would not understand. Selma’s viewpoint is far more attractive than his wife’s reaction would be if she knew the truth. Like Henry, in the classic Universal film Bride of Frankenstein, Bill is intrigued by Selma’s individuality. He is intrigued by her "Otherness". As well as being a foreign national, Selma is also foreign in the way she moves. She is clumsy, slow, concentrated and deliberately in the way she thinks; she is not materialistic, has strong and unusual principles and sees beauty and value in things that the majority of people in American society do not. For example, she values a shiny tin sweet container. She has simple, child-like pleasures, which enhance the innocence surrounding her. But Selma’s innocence, unconventionality, eccentric ways and failing eyesight make her an easy target for Bill. I shall return to this element later.

"The musical was bound by a form that had to remain essentially conservative." (Feuer, 85) Despite Feuer’s claim, 42^nd Street is unconventional in the way the script is witty, sharp and full of sexual innuendo and double meanings. There are comparisons made between the entertainment business and prostitution as well as the chorines being associated with prostitution themselves. One girl remarks of another, "She’s such a nice girl. She makes $45 a week and sends her mother $100 of it."

Dancer in the Dark is also unconventional in its subject matter. Death is certainly not a subject one associates with musicals, but it is something that Dancer is primarily concerned with. The heroine’s impending death is portrayed in a very intense emotional way. This is so partly because it is drawn out over a long period of time and also partly because it becomes more engaging as the viewer’s hopes are raised and then dashed, resulting in a final feeling of devastation. Selma’s death is deeply tragic, made more so by the fact that the people around her do not understand or share her unwavering principles. Dancer also features a harrowing violent scene where the heroine defends herself in a gruesome encounter with Bill. This raw but ungratuitous violence is shocking for the viewer and certainly could not be described as being conservative.

Feuer proposes that audiences love musicals because "they give us a glimpse of what it would be like to be free." (Feuer, 84) Dancer does the opposite since Selma is confined to her social position because of her disabilities and her tendency to lose touch with reality. She has to rely on other people to survive, even though she wants to be self-supporting and independent. At the end of the film she is truly trapped, and no longer has control over what happens to her.