MovieChat Forums > Dancer in the Dark (2000) Discussion > Selma is a murderer with a low IQ, I fee...

Selma is a murderer with a low IQ, I feel sorry for her orphan

posted 13 years ago by nickymelnar
41 replies | jump to latest

In this movie we watch as a mother is brave enough to sacrifice herself so that her child never becomes blind...

Or, we watch a woman with serious mental problems, low IQ, unbelievably bad mother, and of course a murderer of another person who has his own mental problems.

Why do I speak so harsly?

1) Most horrible mother I ve seen on screen:
She prefers the kid never find out the truth about his probable blindness because if he does learn that, he will be sad, thus worsening his condition. While hiding the truth , she condemns herself to death...

She prefers raising him without ever being there for him (you see, acting classes are so much interesting, and its better leaving him to her neighbors).

She never gives him any kind of presents and would rather he thought all his own money and his mother's , went to a non-existing grandfather.

SHE PREFERS HE BECOMES AN ORPHAN AND KNOWS HIS MOTHER AS A SENTENCED TO DEATH BRUTALL KILLER/LIAR, rather than just learn

he may be getting blind at some point in his life but his mother has all the money ready for a successful operation which will save his eyesight.

What a good and brave mother, lying to the court and hiding the fact her son is getting blind, thus condemning her self to death... If she had told the truth, her son would hear about it and he would become sad!!! No , we dont want that!!!
Better we get him to an orphanage scarred for life!!! That wouldn't make him sad at all!!!

(Also: in the question "why did you have your son, even though you knew he would eventually become blind? " she answered "I wanted to hold a baby in my arms" Nothing about giving him the chance to live... No comment)

2) She is so moral, hiding the truth about her neighbors condition even though she is accused of nearly raping him/stealing from him/killing him.

She is such a Christian, keeping her promises, that when he asked her to kill him she does so with 34 freaking hits. Such a good friend indeed!!!

THE GUY HAS PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS, GET HIM TO SEE A PSYCHOLOGIST, DONT KILL HIM IN A VULNERABLE STATE OF MIND!!!

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There are many many things I could point out to show this woman DESERVED THE WORST OF THE PUNISHMENTS IMAGINABLE , as she killed a human being. (I never agree with the death sentence, I believe its a far worse punishment to keep someone in jail all their life).

The poor kid grew up with a retarded woman who left him an orphan ALL ALONE IN THE WORLD "to protect his happiness and eyesight."

There were so many alternative choices, the obvious one being she told the truth from the start to the wife, so she d never end up killing him... In the end, even if noone believed they were her money, she could work and gather the money once more... After all , her son wouldnt be getting blind any time soon (she started when she was about 30 years old) and he would grow up with a mother truly protecting him...

I cant believe how horrible this plot is, how horrible the "songs" were, the camera, everything. The only thing I liked were Bjorks acting. Nothing else...

[–] snoho 13 years ago

Sorry but I've learned to ignore long senseless ramblings that could have been summed up in a couple of sentences
What it tells me is your frustration at a film for not working out the way you want it and frustration against other people's opinions. Every one has a goddamn opinion so stop trying to portray yourself as some form of higher intellect because you have an opinion. Be more respectful to other people's opinions and maybe you will get some in return. Goodbye.

[–] moiestatz 13 years ago

If one of your premises is that Selma has serious mental problems and a low IQ, then it is illogical for you to heap on her the amount of blame/culpability that you do.

[–] KaRa308 13 years ago

eero-lampinen said it best. And everyone else that responded after.

She was desperate. If you have children you do whatever it takes to make them happy, their life easy, etc. Parents sacrifice so much for their children and I'm sure many parents in a similar situation would have tried to save money for the operation (which couldn't wait).

Also, it's not like she wanted to murder anyone. She was put in this situation and she felt it was the only way (which it kind of was). As someone said, she was now blind and the operation had to be done as soon as possible. How could she get another job just in her condition alone? I understand how people would not like this movie, but I feel the reasons that the OP and others had seem stupid.

[–] KrackerJill 13 years ago

SELMA IS A VERY POOR, SINGLE MOM FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY WHO MIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES WITH ONLY ONE GOAL: PREVENT HER SON FROM SUFFERING HER FATE.
She didn't come to the US all starry-eyed and in hopes of bettering her situation or even having her own eyes operated on, she just wants her son to NOT GO BLIND.

The idea of leaving home onto a strange land where you have no family and no friends and no knowledge of its culture whatsoever is a pretty scary task in itself. The fact that this woman got a job at all and managed to get herself and her son settled in that trailer is an achievement already- something that I admire for starters. If Selma was such a bad mother, I don't think she'd even try to pursue such an ambitious undertaking, much less thinking she could work that hard to come up with the money to pay for that extremely expensive operation.

Her job at the factory as we've seen is quite tedious already that you'd think she won't even have any time to take up that take-home-sideline of placing hairpins on those little card boards. But not only was she able to manage that, she somehow even found time to participate in that community play at the local theater(as the lead if I may add), something she had to do to feed her passion which gives her a positive outlook in life and the will to survive the emotional and physical pains of her every day. She said that she uses her imagination to deflate difficulties in a situation whenever she feels she can't bear them anymore(or something to that effect). Its like she's recharging her energy through music and theater.

Moreover, I think she's very practical for someone who's poor. She refused to buy herself and her son luxuries but I don't think they were ever destitute. She put food in the table, clothes on their backs, and a roof over their heads. She even got her son in school. That's actually more than what most people in the same situation as her can say.

Now, what amazed me the most about her character is that despite the burden she carries, she never complains, gets frustrated, and goes all bitter with the life she's been given. She always kept a smile on her face and is always appreciative of the little things (candy from Linda, chapel music through jailhouse vent, watching movies with Kathy). Gene, I think, is a selfish and ungrateful brat who overlooks the things his mother does for him("I don't know, it's your dumb play", "why do you ask these stupid questions?"- notice how Selma doesn't even acknowledge this and just looks on so very lovingly at Gene to ask him if he's tired).

"Most horrible mother I ve seen on screen"?
"Low IQ"?

I DON'T THINK SO. She's got a good head on her shoulders and her heart is in the right place.

(Let me get back to you about the "murderer" part of your viewpoint in a bit.)

[–] vondasblut 12 years ago

Wonderful post. My thoughts, exactly.

[–] rmiikku 12 years ago

Yeah but it's a musical you can't look it like any other drama film. Musicals are over the top, they are emotional, they are absurd they don't pretend to to describable on what would happen in real life.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] croat-hr 12 years ago

I liked the movie, but still I agree with first post.
there just one thing I dont agree with - she being a bad mother.
She did all that she did JUST for her son. Sure - this things are differnet than you and I and most other people would do, but it's the best thing SHE thought she could do, trough her innocent and overly naive perspective of life.

Thats why this movie is even better.

[–] willow_wizard11 11 years ago

Having a hobby makes her a bad mother? Women are not robots, yknow? She let the neighbors (her friends) watch him, she didn't dump him off in an alley somewhere - sheesh!

[–] mitya-539-954261 10 years ago

It is a terrible pretentious movie with one of the most horrible plots imaginable. The only way it could make and sense would be if the director deliberately made a movie about a retarded person ruining herself and the life of her own son out of stupidity unparalleled in its greatness, deserving zero compassion. This, combined with the "innovative" camera work that gave half the audience a 2 hour vertigo and the usual goal of von Trier to create yet another movie to piss in the face of the crowd while enjoying the smiles of the degenerates who feel special and intellectual while enjoying the newest piece of The Emperor's New Clothes is masterfully achieved.