I'll talk about Lars Von Trier first. It's important to attempt to understand him to get "Melancholia"s full effect. Von Trier is perhaps on of the greatest filmmakers of the past twenty years. I say perhaps because it's up for interpretation. He's the king of love him or hate him. Tarantino P.T.A, Scorsese, Speilberg and Johnny Depp have all said they would do anything to work with him. I think he is a genius having seen "Antichrist" and "Dancer In The Dark" beforehand. I actually watched "Dogville" as soon as I finished "Melancholia" the second time. He's a very dark and intriguing director. He'll dive deep into your emotions and tear them asunder. "Antichrist" will shake you for days and "Dancer In The Dark" will take you on a emotional roller coaster. "Melancholia" is a film I can't forget nor do I want too. Von Trier was very depressed for years and after giving up alcohol and seeking help he's bounced back to make what he calls his most optimistic film. After seeing his movies it makes sense but my god! This is bleeding with trauma. It is also interesting how Von Trior expresses his emotions with movies and even more so by making his leads females. Von Trier's work should be recognized as the masterpiece it is.
Now for the plot. Justine (A tour de force by Kirsten Dunst) has just gotten married. Her husband is the rather simple Michael (Alexander Skarsgard). He's a nice guy but doesn't really know Justine at all. They arrive at the reception late due to a pretty hilarious limo scene. Her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is not happy. That goes double for Claire's husband John (Kiefer Sutherland). He's spent a fortune on the wedding and Justine is nearly ruining it. They set themselves at the table with their family. Justine's father (John Hurt) is a nice man but doesn't quite get what people want. Her mother (Charlotte Rampling) is quite rude. She doesn't believe in marriage and on Justine's wedding night tells her to "enjoy it while it lasts". Throw in killer roles played by Stellan Skarsgard (who calls Von Trier one of the finest directors in history), Brady Corbet, Udo Kier and Jesper Christensen and we have one terrific cast. Gainsbourg who took us to hell and back in "Antichrist" co-leads with Dunst. Kirsten Dunst has never done work this good, she's phenomenal. The Cannes film festival gave her best actress and I'd like to see her get a Oscar nomination.
Justine gets more and more depressed as the night goes on. Everyone is demanding things from her and have all these crazy expectations. It's her wedding night so people should give her some slack. She's a depressed woman and depression isn't something to get over with quickly. Everyone thinks she's crazy because of her actions, but that just leads to all the more stratifying conclusion. The first half of the film is dedicated to Justine's wedding. The second half... is something else. This is where things become strange in the grandest ways.
The film opens with some surreal images. One is another planet crashing into Earth. The series of images to Wagner is one of the best openings in film history in my mind. The other planet is Melancholia and it's suppose to pass by the Earth. It's been hiding behind the Sun and is moving through the galaxy at a rapid speed. This planet is not going to pass simply by... it will hit and kill everyone on the planet. The opening images confirms this so this is no way a spoiler. Hell it's in the tagline of the movie. Knowing the ending to a film is sometimes good. Seeing how they got to that point is what's mesmerizing. The second half deals with a uncontrollably depressed Justine being taken care of by Claire. John is not to happy having her around. As the planet draws closer and doom seems more imminent, Claire and John panic. Now Justine seems sane and is ready to face this disaster. No news reports, no riots, no government meetings are shown. Just a single family dealing with these events. It's personal and brilliant. The panic of an entire population is felt in Claire (googling death now results in Melancholia being the first result). Justine stands strong and in awe of the impending doom. It's a beautiful thought is some ways.
This is a strange year in film. Or at least in universal issues. "Another Earth" which unfortunately I've yet to see is about a parallel Earth appearing in our orbit. "The Tree of Life" is an astonishing film dealing with life in the universe. There is also "Take Shelter" with a man preparing for the end of days. "Melancholia" is like a mix of those three but also it's own movie entirely. It's beautifully shot, has a deep story, wonderfully acted and so many other things. It's a highlight in a great year. I could go on and on about this film but my ideas will change by the day. Everyone will take away something different here, but the end goal is clear. "Melancholia" is a masterpiece.
10/10
Recommendation: Give it a chance because it's worth it. It's slow and symbolic so don't expect understand it all in one viewing. You'll however remember it for some time to come. Of course it may make you feel gloomy for a while. But there's a happiness in sadness like I said was present in "Beginners". It's currently on Video on Demand and PSN before it hits limited theaters in November. Strange marketing strategy but at least I got to see it. I will never regret it.
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