From The Archives: Melancholia
Originally published in March 2012.
Melancholia, literally meaning great sadness or depression, is the latest offering from Danish filmmaker, Dogme 95 member and king of avant garde movies Lars Von Trier. Very similar to Drive, Melancholia has been criminally overlooked by the masses and has relied heavily on word of mouth to gain exposure which is a real surprise considering the considerable acting talent attached to it.
Melancholia begins in a very unique way with a 10 minute sequence showcasing the various themes and images explored in the movie. Accompanying this segment is the prelude to Tristan und Isolade by Robert Wagner which fits the films overall feel very well…so well that it is the movie’s only piece of music. Following this, the film is then split in half with each focusing on two sisters (Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsburg) dealing with two stressful situations; a wedding and the imminent, and inescapable apocalypse.
The two parts have a very different feel from each other. The first part focusing on the wedding of Justine (Dunst) who for reasons not fully explored is not entirely happy with her newly-wedded husband (Alexander Skarsgard) and her boss (Ironically played by Alexander’s father Stellan). Over the course of the evening, Justine goes through a series of odd and awkward situations with her family, her brother-in-law (Kiefer Sutherland) and husband and seemingly succumbs to an early stage of depression.
The wedding sequence is handled very well and catches with astonishing accuracy the chaos that usually occurs during your standard wedding…while maintaining Von Trier’s unique camera work and gorgeous lighting.
Dunst is stunning in this film and her range of emotions utilised in this segment and later in the movie highlights once again why she is such a sought after actress. Alexander and Stellan are both great as victims of Justine’s new found view on life as is John Hurt playing her father but this is Dunst’s show and rightfully so. A special mention must be made to Trier regular Udo Kier who is hilarious as the drama queen wedding planner.
Part two is far more intimate and only contains four actors, Gainsburg, Dunst, Sutherland and newcomer Cameron Spurr playing young Leo. In this part, attention focuses on Claire (Gainsburg) who is trying to juggle looking after her now seriously depressed sister and repressing her fears that the world will soon be obliterated by a passing rouge planet. Gainsburg, like Dunst, is in fine form once again and really paints a realistic portrayal of someone bordering on hysteria. Sutherland acts his part very well as the misinformed husband and its a nice change to see him do something different instead of running around waving a gun around! Part two represents the more artistic side to the movie with stunning shots and special effects which look better than some you will see in this summer’s blockbusters.
There aren’t too many downsides to this movie but if I had to highlight any concerns it would be that some of the characters and relationships at the wedding are not explored as much as they should be. Another issue would be the reactions or lack of from the sisters to a couple of major plot developments. Perhaps they were intentional considering the theme of the movie but one moment in particular is a little weird and unrealistic.
Melancholia may be a film about the end of the world but this will massively disappoint people hoping for another Armageddon. The film uses this scenario as a tool to showcase the real theme of the movie which is how people react and deal with their emotions in stressful scenarios, and in many ways this is a far more interesting and unique topic to deal with. Trier has assembled a fine cast and story and has really created something that has to be seen. If you enjoy films that showcase stunning visuals and deal with the human condition, then this is definitely one for you.
Best bit: The opening part of this film is beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
Worst bit: As said above, the relationships between the main players could have been explored further.
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