This reviewer like to compare each film to something of a higher plane; something at a completely different level. This higher entity will be television's The Brady Bunch, which aired for from 1969 to 1974. In this review, we shall compare and contrast the feature film Dancer in the Dark to The Brady Bunch Episode #61, "The Not-So-Rose-Colored Glasses".

In Dancer in the Dark, Bjiork plays a woman named Selma who has failing eyesight but is determined to live her life as usual. However, she has passed on this trait to her young son, dooming him to a world of eventual sightlessness She works very hard her whole life in order to save enough money to pay for an operation to heal her son's eyes before they get as bad as her's. Despite her long hours at the factory and tedious job at home of placing bobby pins onto a card to be sold, she remains optimistic by daydreaming of movie musicals and imagining herself in them. At the factory, the monotonous pounding of the steel press turns into the percussion section of an orchestra that she alone hears. In her imagination she sees well enough to dance and sing while in her real life she barely has the sight to do her job.

In contrast, Episode #61 of The Brady Bunch features Jan who has failing eyesight and refuses to accept that she may have to wear glasses for the rest of her life. In this respect, Jan and Selma are very similar in the way that neither wants to accept the eyes that they have. The both strive to hide this from others so they will not seem anything other than independent. Selma goes so far as to memorize the eye chart in the doctor's office so he will grant her permission to keep working at the factory, despite the inherent dangers. Jan on the other hand, goes so far as to leave her glasses off while riding her bicycle putting her own safety at risk.

Of course in both pieces, a conflict does arrive. In Dancer in the Dark, Selma has her money stolen by the kindly police officer who rents her the trailer she lives in. Knowing that she needs that money for her son, she fights back for it and in the struggle, kills the man. She has her money, but is now a fugitive. She is eventually caught and charged with murder. In The Brady Bunch, Jan�s conflict arises when she smashes her bike into the family portrait that was made for her parent�s wedding anniversary. Both women are torn at what to do next and each decide to lie about what happened. Jan must now have the photograph retaken without her father finding out and Selma must get the money to the doctor so that the operation is paid for without the police finding out what happened to the money.

In the end, both of our heroines get what they want, but must pay a high price for it. All that Selma wants is for her son to be able to see without using glasses and she does achieve that goal by insisting the money stay with the doctor instead of going to a new lawyer to reopen her case. By doing this, she ensures that her son will see but she also assures that she will pay the ultimate price for her son's sight. She is convicted of murder and sentenced to die by hanging. As for Jan her ultimate goal is also achieved: she gets another photo just in time for the anniversary of her parents. Although it is learned by her father that is a duplicate photo Jan is happy that gift is such a huge surprise for her mother. She too pays the price. She is grounded for two weeks and not allowed to ride her bike anymore but the joke is on her father because she already sold her bike to pay for the photograph. Both women lose things that are precious to them: Selma loses her life and Jan loses her bike.

Overall, both pieces are extremely entertaining. Bjiork shows a sweet gentle hopeful soul who can convey such emotion with a single look. The music that she sings (and wrote) is unlike any other style of song. Each word and note is sung with such emotional clarity that it is gut-wrenching. There is also wonderful choreography, particularly the train scene where we can actually imagine that the homeless men on the train would sing and dance a musical number on their way to nowhere. By contrast, The Brady Bunch has no singing or dancing in this episode, but Jan's acting is of the highest caliber. When she learns that she will have to pay for another photograph, the look on her face brings tears to this reviewers eyes. Their is fine supporting work in each piece. Catherine Deneuve is wonderful as Selma's best friend and Greg Brady shows true range when he sees Jan crash on her bicycle. Both Dancer in the dark and Brady Bunch #61 are highly recommended.