Dancing in the Dark Reviews

DANCING IN THE DARK is filled with the endless tasks that identify Henry, a 40-year-old middle-class woman, as the ultimate housewife, one who strives for the perfect home and marriage. Edna is compulsive: she spends every minute of every waking day doing chores. Meanwhile her husband, Munro, tries to climb the corporate ladder. They've been married 20 years and things seem just fine between them. There's a catch, however--Edna is a full-blown loony. When she learns that Harry is having an affair with his secretary, she stabs him to death. Unfortunately the film's larger purpose is made clear in the first minutes, leaving nothing but tiny tasks to fill the remainder of the action. DANCING IN THE DARK is not a case study in psychology but a feminist fable that shows a woman's role in the logical extreme. Director-writer Marr directs with a style that is as meticulous as the compulsive cleaning of his main character, but this style is so cold and calculating that identifying with Edna is impossible for the viewer.