Product Details

• Actors: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgard, Brady Corbet
• Directors: Lars Von Trier
• Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Closed-captioned, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: March 13, 2012
• Run Time: 135 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (486 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B006KH6CI6
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,761 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Melancholia [Blu-ray]" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The always unpredictable Danish provocateur Lars von Trier follows up the Gothic horror of Antichrist with the apocalyptic psychodrama of Melancholia. In the first chapter, "Justine," Charlotte Gainsbourg, the grieving mother from his previous film, returns as Claire, the calm sister of Kirsten Dunst's tense newlywed, who unravels during her wedding reception at the fairy-tale-like estate of Claire and her husband, John (Kiefer Sutherland). Clad in a white silk gown, Justine is the picture of bridal perfection, but she keeps finding excuses to flee her devoted spouse (True Blood's Alexander Skarsgård), her imperious employer (Alexander's father, Stellan), and her fractious parents (Charlotte Rampling and John Hurt). Meanwhile, a planet called Melancholia is hurtling towards Earth. In the second chapter, "Claire," everyone, except for Justine and her sister's family, has left. John assures his wife that Melancholia will merely "fly by," except that it appears to be getting closer, looming over the horizon like a bad omen. As Claire sinks into a funk, Justine starts to emerge from hers, but what does anything matter if the world is about to end? The allusions to René Magritte and Alain Resnais lend Melancholia a visual grandeur missing from von Trier's recent films, but the fear and dread evoke Ingmar Bergman like never before, particularly Persona. If it isn't the masterpiece some have claimed, the director's strange creation will surely get under your skin, and the usually sunny Dunst, winner of the best actress award at Cannes, goes deeper and darker than ever before. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) celebrate their marriage at a sumptuous party in the home of Justine's sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and brother-in-law John (Kiefer Sutherland). Despite Claire's best efforts, the wedding is a fiasco with family tensions mounting and relationships fraying. Meanwhile, a planet called Melancholia is heading directly towards Earth threatening the very existence of humankind...

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

395 of 414 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars This movie touched me in a lot of ways..... October 29, 2011

By Sever

Format:Amazon Instant Video

I've read some of the reviews here and I think a lot of people are looking at this film in a wrong perspective. The idea for the film originated during a therapy session Lars von Trier attended during treatments for his depression. The therapist told him that depressive people tend to act more calmly than others under heavy pressure, because they already expect bad things to happen. It's not about science fiction and it's not a disaster movie. It's a film that examines the human psyche during a disaster. The film is very subtle and yes slow at times but as someone whos struggled with severe depression I related to and understood Kirsten Dunst's character so much. We're dealing with such flawed and sad characters so the slow pace made sense. I would say this is more of a psychological drama than anything else. This film is so beautiful and the acting is superb.

218 of 236 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Loss October 17, 2011

By Douglas King VINE™ VOICE

Format:Amazon Instant Video

"Melancholia" may be the most accessible Lars Von Trier film I've ever seen. (However, for a director who often goes out of his way to alienate, repulse, and irritate his audience, that is not saying much.) "Melancholia" is beautifully shot and visually lovely to look at; gone is the difficult visual minimalism of films like "Dogville". Also gone is the gory brutality that is often part of Von Trier's films (especially his last film, "Antichrist".) "Melancholia" is a thoughtful, fascinating film told in two distinct, yet overlapping, parts.

The first part, "Justine", is a realistic, sad family drama which tells the story of a young bride who implodes on her wedding day. Just married to a handsome man, promoted by her boss, and treated to a lavish party by her rich brother-in-law, Justine has every reason to be happy. Except she's not. Behind her forced smile, she's hiding a dark depression. By the end of the night Justine's depression, along with the selfishness and dysfunction of those around her, cause her to destroy both her brand new marriage and her career, and spiral into a dramatic depressive breakdown. Von Trier seems to have a deep interest in female protagonists who are being crushed by the expectations of those around them. In films like "Breaking the Waves" and "Dancer in the Dark", the characters were treated to sordid and gruesome abuse, but in the first half of "Melancholia", Justine is a more or less ordinary person suffering in a more conventional and relatable way.

The second part of the film, "Claire", puts the focus on Justine's older sister. Claire is concerned about the reports in the news that a previously unknown planet, named Melancholia, will be passing close to the Earth's orbit.... While most scientists believe that the planet will pass at a safe distance, there are those who also believe that an imminent collision will mean the end of the world. Claire's anxiety about the situation builds as the planet comes closer. Claire is also dealing with her sister's (Justine) post-wedding nervous breakdown. As the planet grows ever closer to Earth, the tension builds, until the characters are left to deal with the very real possibility that the world is going to end.

By splitting the film up into two parts in this way, "Melancholia" explores the themes of loss, destruction, impermanence, and loneliness, first on an intimate scale ("Justine") and then on a global scale ("Claire"). Although the film is provocative and often painful, it's more subtle and nuanced than any of Von Trier's other films I've seen, and perhaps more affective. Read more ›

219 of 249 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars C'mon, you bashers ...get real. November 8, 2011

By dcinaz

Format:Amazon Instant Video

Art films, even great ones, will always have their detractors ...with accusations of pretension & the like. I'm not going to insult anyone who didn't like Melancholia with the standard "go watch Transformers or the latest Sandler flick" attitude. That's why they make 31 flavors. Besides, I love a good popcorn movie as much as anyone. But I kinda feel bad for the bashers of this film in the same way I feel bad for those who don't enjoy Mozart along with their Nirvana. And this is an orchestral, majestic art-house masterpiece ...full of beauty, pain, immorality, love, lust, fear & a dash of sci-fi. What a departure from LvT's usual shock treatment. It stayed in my thoughts for days.

Even if they didn't like it, I can't imagine a real movie lover not at least seeing the craftsmanship in this movie. I just can't take seriously any one-star reviews of this. I think those ratings are a backlash from the rather arrogant "go watch Transformers instead" type comments from the artsy crowd. So if you didn't get into this, that's cool. But the one-star "worst movie ever" reviews have zero cred.

38 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not For Everyone, But Definitely For Me. November 8, 2011

By EKP

Format:Amazon Instant Video|Amazon Verified Purchase

Von Trier's latest, "Melancholia" is certainly a departure from the typical. Looking at its origins (in Von Trier's own bouts with depression), one can't help but see the poignancy in both the story told through the characters, and in the beauty of the cinematography.

Action-packed, it is not. Science fiction, it is barely. For those who have either experienced depression or have had family members struggle with it, the film is likely to hit home in one way or another.

Not for all, but this movie certainly called to me despite my misgivings about Kirsten Dunst's ability to fulfill this role. I'm glad I rented it, and if after watching the previews you too feel a compulsion to see what Cannes was raving about, I'd strongly recommend the rental.

Strengths: Cinematography, Acting, Dialogue
Weaknesses: Slow at times, Narrow Appeal

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Terror of Knowing..............Melancholia February 14, 2013

By D. Keene

Format:DVD

"It's the terror of knowing what this world is about.....", David Bowie/Queen's song, "Under Pressure"........ The first time I tried to watch this film, I failed. I came back to it a few months later and I'm glad I did. I thought this was a movie about a bunch of rich spoiled folks...I was wrong.

The main female character is getting married but there's a problem, she's neurotic and depressed. She hasn't really developed a good defensive lie of character like almost everyone else around her. Her soul is naked and she feels exposed and at the same time she sees through everyone else's lies and it is destroying her. She sees the horror of life in front and behind her and the terror of death before her. She sees it and feels it and can't stop these feelings or this pressure.......Everyone gives up on her except her sister.

When it looks like the whole world is going to be destroyed she handles it better than anyone else because she's lived with this terror all her life and now the suffering may come to an end......Maybe the underlying cause of depression is knowing what life is really about, without illusions and not being able to express it or understand it. Van Tier is definitely on to something here.....

This movie is not just a science fiction drama about the end of the world, it's about death and the lies that we tell ourselves everyday so that we can get to the end. It doesn't matter if the world ends with a bang or a whimper, it's coming.......get ready.

Lars Van Tier does his usual excellent work. Cinematography, acting, music all of it superb. One of the best movies I've ever seen.