Melancholia

December, 2011

A planet hurtling towards Earth is destined to eradicate life on impact – welcome to Lars von Trier at his most accessible with Melancholia.

Inspired by the Danish director’s therapy during a bout of depression where he was told that the depressed remain calm under heavy pressure – and the end of the world would certainly qualify as heavy pressure – the Dancer in the Dark and Breaking the Waves director’s new film is nothing if not memorable... even beautiful despite looming extinction.

The film begins with a stunning montage of photograph-like frames, which slowly move to Richard Wagner’s exquisite prelude to Tristan and Isolde. Melancholia is never as grand, as moving or as strong as it is during those first eight minutes. The classic painting-inspired stills of the main characters, Justine (Kirsten Dunst), her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and the Earthward bound planet Melancholia are combined in a slow dance to Wagner handled with the same tragic grace as Kubrick in space. Once the montage finishes telling the story you are about to watch, part one, “Justine” begins. Kirsten Dunst’s Justine (a role she won Best Actress at Cannes for this year) is running late for her own wedding party with new husband Michael (Alexander Skarsgard).

Arriving two hours late is as smooth as the reception gets for the newlyweds at the lavish castle – whose grounds come complete with an 18-hole golf course and look breathtaking even when filmed in shaky hand-held mode – of Claire’s insanely rich husband, John (Kiefer Sutherland). This night redefines awkward with selfish and dramatic guests but none showcase these emotions more than the bride, Justine. Her sister and brother-in-law spend the night trying to calm her down as Justine is supposedly depressed, but her selfish actions come across as immature and ludicrous rather than mentally ill, as she bangs a relative stranger in her wedding dress and routinely disappears from the party. During this night, Justine first glimpses the planet heading for Earth. Once her husband leaves before the wedding is consummated, it’s time for part two, “Claire” and the Armageddon waiting game begins.

Justine, along with Claire, John and their son Leo, wait for Melancholia to crash into Earth (or pass by). Slowly the roles of the sisters reverse. The closer life gets to extinction, the calmer Justine becomes while Claire (as you would expect) isn’t handling impending doom with much grace. It is through the interactions between the sisters at this time that we hear Justine, and von Trier’s, cold and depressing views of life. Justine not only calls life evil but states that it is, “Only on Earth. And not for long”.

While viewing Melancholia you hope Justine’s summations of life are true because if Earth is full of people as horrid as the cast of Melancholia then we deserve to be wiped out, and soon. Just pray the speeding planet will crash into Earth before von Trier fills another world with characters as depressing and selfish as Melancholia’s.

Rated  M
Opens December 15
Reviewed by David Knight