I knew that it was about a blind Czech woman who somehow ends up needing to decide whether to use her life savings to save her life (she is in jail and sentenced to be hung) or to cure her son's eyesight.
I knew that Bjork* was in it, and that her songs were part of the soundtrack.
But what I didn't know was that this dark, and grim tale was a musical!
It sounds very odd, and certainly the first time song breaks out, it's a bit of a shock, but it's obvious that it's Selma's (Bjork) fantasy world, where everyone sings and dances, and no-one is ever hurt.
I don't want to spoil the film, but I have to say that it really grabbed me
by the throat. At one point I wanted to throw my water bottle at the screen, I
was so angry at Selma.
She was so stubborn and full of pride, and refused
help at all points. I could see myself in her, and I could see a good friend of
mine in her.
I walked away from it, feeling very stirred up, and wanting my friends to see it, perhaps to alert them to what can happen if you squash your feelings down, and use your pride as a defense.
Please see it, though it would be just as great as a video, but please see it, sometime in your life.
*Please note, I know that I have used incorrect spelling of Bjork's name, but when I previewed this article, the "o" with the umlaut, did not appear correctly.