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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
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
88 of 89 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
This movie touched me in a lot of ways.....,
This review is from: Melancholia (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.
44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most beautiful film I have ever seen,
By
This review is from: Melancholia [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
This is, hands down, THE most beautiful film I have ever seen. I'm sorry, articulation is not my strong point, but all of these one star reviews... baffling. I cannot imagine we were watching the same film. Von Trier has taken existential dread to new heights with this one. Everybody's worst fear, fully realized right there on the screen...
44 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Loss,
By
This review is from: Melancholia (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.
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