Melancholia

Melancholia


Language: English.

Brief Synopsis: A film with two acts. Act one is the wedding reception of younger sister Justine (Kirsten Dunst), planned by her seemingly overbearing elder sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg.) Throughout the course of the night, Justine has several emotional meltdowns that eventually end in the party being a disaster. The second act has Justine living with Claire and her family. Claire's husband, John (Kiefer Sutherland), is an astronomer and he talks about the oncoming planet Melancholia, which should come near Earth but miss it. At this point Justine is in a severe state of depression and Claire must help her survive it. The relationships of all of the characters become more and more strained as Melancholia nears Earth, and it looks like the two planets will collide.

My Take: This was my attempt to watch another Von Triers film, after my lack of excitement over Antichrist. Melancholia had more characters to it, and a number of them were actors that I liked. (Including Justine's husband, played by Swedish hunk Alexander Skarsgard.)

Gainsbourg, Dunst, and Sutherland are all absolutely phenomenal. As side characters, Alexander Skarsgard, his father Stellan Skarsgard, John Hurt, Udo Kier, and a devastatingly cruel Charlotte Rampling are all amazing as well. The acting in this film is what drives it, even more than the stellar beauty of each shot.

Von Trier has a reputation for artsy, good-looking films, and Melancholia does not disappoint on that front. As with Antichrist, most of the shots are so beautiful they could be paintings, and the music that goes with them is perfect. The opening sequence is gorgeous, detailing some of the drama to come when Melancholia gets close. The planet itself is breathtaking, a turquoise orb of doom that also spells out peace for at least one character.

The movie itself is supposed to be about depression and the devastating numbing effect it has on a person. As such, it is almost impossible to like Justine in the first half of the film, but in the second half you begin to understand her plight. She suffers so greatly from her sadness that she is unable to eat (all food tastes like ash) and she cannot will the strength to step into the bathtub.

As the complete opposite of her character She, I loved Gainsbourg's Claire. She was a loving, caring mother archetype, which was nice to see in an otherwise misogynistic film. (I'm sensing a trend here, Von Trier.) Beyond even Gainsbourg and Dunst's stellar performances, however, it was Sutherland that stole the show, and he was absolutely captivating in every scene.

It's hard to explain Melancholia without giving away plot devices and spoilers. The first half of the movie is dreadfully slow and if you're anything like me, you will want to slap Dunst's veil right off of her pretty little head. (Seriously. Turning down sex from Alexander Skarsgard is a sin, good woman!) The second act is better thought out, less infuriating, and much prettier.

I think the film is worth seeing if you know anyone who suffers from depression, suffer from depression yourself, or are perhaps a fan of psychology. The average movie-viewer will find it either utterly pretentious or really, really boring. Those who are looking into the film for a scientific/astronomical aspect should be ready to be disappointed, as a great deal of the film is more science fiction than science fact.

After having a chance to think about Melancholia (it takes some time to digest), I really sort of liked it. The first half was infuriating, but it was worth it for the second hour, which gave me an insight into an unusual family in the path of inevitable destruction.


Entertainment value: Low-Medium. Act One is sloooooow, Act Two is only marginally more fast-paced. At least in Act Two you care a bit.
Scare value: Very low. Nothing really terribly frightening, though there is definitely a sense of impending doom.
Realistic?: Very Low. Notsomuch.
Violence/Gore: Low. None that I can remember really. A character dies but there is no gore whatsoever.
Sex: Medium. Kirsten Dunst quite naked several times, a scene of possible masturbation, clothed sex seen from a distance.
This movie is for: Those with depression, those who know someone with depression, psychology fans, Von Trier fans, those who appreciate art cinema.
Films like it: [u]Antichrist[/u], in a way, though this was far better.

IMDB Entry on Melancholia
Trailer