"Have you seen the great wall?""All walls are great if the roof doesn't fall."
When the below embedded song came up on shuffle the other day, it forced me to face the fact that its been ten years since I saw Dancer in the Dark at the Oriental Theater in Milwaukee. Anytime I'm asked to name the best movies I've seen, this film always comes immediately to my mind. I remember seeing it on the Thursday night before something new was going to push it out of the screen. After telling her I was planning on going to it alone, my friend Christina (a fellow Björk fan) joined me. It's rough to admit, but I have never been as emotionally affected before or since in a theater.
It's not a movie for everybody. One of my closest friends openly laughed at its ending. Also, my fan loyalty for Björk had me in the most accepting mindset possible for this experimental film.
The accompanying Selmasongs album was also very much loved by me. Highlighted by "I've Seen it All" (featuring Radiohead's Thom Yorke), which was a song that was on near perpetual repeat walking to class in the weeks that ensued. It was nominated for "Best Original Song" that year at the Oscars. Yorke was supposed to accompany Björk in the performance - along with an entire Orchestra in the background. However, the song was shorted for time - and all that people remember today is a swan dress.
Every year the Oriental Theater in Milwaukee sells its movie posters of the past year. I scouted out that day in (by then 2001) and woke up early on a Saturday to take the half hour bus ride needed to secure the above poster... Which proudly hangs in my condo to this day.
I can not recommend the movie to you. If only because there is a high chance that you will not like it and I do want to express to you why I love it so much. On the other hand, I think the song is beautiful for all and think you would like hearing it.
