Tag: Dancer in the Dark Script

Dancer in the Dark

Dancer in the Dark poster thumbnail
Year:2000
Director:Lars von Trier
Written by:Lars von Trier (Author), Lars von Trier (Screenplay)

Script Synopsis:Selma, a Czech immigrant on the verge of blindness, struggles to make ends meet for herself and her son, who has inherited the same genetic disorder and will suffer the same fate without an expensive operation. When life gets too difficult, Selma learns to cope through her love of musicals, escaping life's troubles - even if just for a moment - by dreaming up little numbers to the rhythmic beats of her surroundings.
Dancer in the Dark Script Resources:

Note: Multiple links are listed since (a) different versions exist and (b) many scripts posted become unavailable over time. Please notify me if you encounter a stale link.


Other Links:
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Inspirational Film Scripts

An inspirational film is not something easily made. Writing a script that is attractive without being sappy is something that takes a lot of practice, experience and revision. When dialogue is able to bring an audience to tears, it shows a deep understanding of the emotional triggers of other human beings.

These film scripts are like solid gold. With just a pen and paper (or sometimes a computer), these writers have been able to change the lives of other people. Their scripts were enough to encourage people to be kind, to live life to the fullest, or to be brave in a time of danger.

There is not much that can be said about technique. Each person’s strategy is unique and should not be emulated by others, lest the technique might lose its power. However, these scripts show how a person’s life experiences, education and determination can wrap together a story into a coherent and touching film.

The only advice that they give to future film makers, writers and actors is to find something that they believe in and work to express that to the best of their ability. This may take years and years of practice and revision but in the end, everything will hopefully tie together and create something that not only the individual believes in, but that the world believes in as well.

Good luck.

  1. (1995) Braveheart Script
  2. (1996) Independence Day Script
  3. (1997) Titanic Script
  4. (2000) Dancer in the Dark [Transcript]
  5. (2000) Requiem for a Dream Script
  6. (2001) Amelie Transcript
  7. (2004) Crash Script
  8. (2007) Love in the Time of Cholera [Transcript]

Lars Von Trier Scripts

Lars Von Trier is one of the few honest directors left in the business. The 50-something year old Danish director has created films that continuously defied conventional norms of morality, directorial style and pretty much anything else that could risk defiance. What this rebellion results in are poignant films that make an audience experience the world through the eyes of Trier. Despite his talent,  Trier is not a mainstream director nor does he desire to fall under that category. Trier once stated,

“You have to fight the urge to do a big action movie. You avoid ‘Batman.’ The bigger it is, the worse it is.” (IMDB.com, 2011).

Trier believes in expression and notices how American films are usually devoid of the individual perspective of a director- with film companies vying more for financial gain than a truly enchanting film. Trier, on the other hand, believes in film making not only as a source of income, but as a therapeutic and personal experience.

That being said, Trier suffers from many phobias including the fear of underground structures, flying and illness. His belief is that these phobias stemmed from his terrible childhood. According to Trier, his mother allowed him complete freedom over everything in his life except “feelings, religion and enjoyment” (Beltzer, 2011) which led to his paranoid complexity of phobias and anxiety attacks. These emotions and experiences reflect in Trier’s films and gives the viewer a firsthand look at the painful experiences that Trier has lived through.

 

Filmography

References

Beltzer, T. (2011) “Lars Von Trier” Retrieved from http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/vontrier/IMDB.com (2011) “Lars Von Trier” Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001885/