9. Dancer in the Dark
(Lesson: Don't Trust The Police Or Leave Cash Where The Police Can Find It)
I'm not going with another Lars von Trier movie because I'm lazy. It's because he's a master tragedian and teacher. When Selma emigrates to the US to get a job that will pay for her son's eye surgery, it seemed like a good thing to have a cop for a landlord. What greater protection could you expect for your family and property? But the lesson here is that it is especially when we are protected that we need to be most on guard. Lars von Trier uses the metaphor of blindness in the movie to show how the biggest threats in life lurk right beneath our noses, and he calls Selma's son "Gene" to suggest that blindness is something we pass on genetically through the generations. Watch this flick and then keep an eye out for your own blindness about false security.