MELANCHOLIA

A day after seeing opening night film ‘Like Crazy’ I returned to the Starz Denver Film Festival to see film #2, ‘Melancholia’.  Needless to say, on the heels of one of my favorite films of the last few years, ‘Antichrist’, I was extremely anxious to see the latest Lars Von Trier entry, luckily it did not disappoint. 

We begin by witnessing a visual apocalypse.  Slow motion cuts of a bride trying to escape the entanglement of tree roots, a woman carrying a child as she sinks into the ground on the 19^th green (yes, the flag was numbered 19 as a friend pointed out) of a golf course, paralleling wide shots of an unnamed planet on a collision course with earth, all while Strassburg’s Tristan and Isolde beams in the background…incredible.  From there ‘Melancholia’ becomes a two part drama that focuses on the disturbingly dysfunctional wedding of depressed magazine editor Justine (Kirsten Dunst who won best actress and Cannes for her effort), part 1, and the following days of Justine and her sister’s family leading up to the end of the world (when the unnamed planet, now named “Melancholia”, collides with Earth).

‘Melancholia’ might be the most accessible Von Trier film, both commercially and content-wise, for the average movie-goer to witness.  ‘Antichrist’ is his largest box office success to date but includes images of extreme violence and self mutilation.  The rest of the Von Trier collection consists of foreign language (he is Dutch), small market films, and equally difficult subject matter.  As is the case in all of his films, Von Trier is a master cinematographer.  Von Trier opts to control the camera for the majority of his films and ‘Melancholia’ is no different.  His trademark use of hand held cameras to intensify the mood of scenes is used throughout as is his eye for utilizing nature as a powerful catalyst for a series of shots in part 2.  The combination of camera work, saturated colors, and meticulous editing cements ‘Melancholia’ atop the list of visual stunning works we’ve seen from Von Trier.

The pace, mood, and story that Von Trier has created is no less impressive than his visuals.  Part 1 is a testament to Dunst, who has to create a number of emotional portrayals for Justine based solely on her internal conflict.  The supporting characters at the wedding in part 1, a stellar group including a hilarious performance from John Hurt as Justine’s father, are used solely to show how detached Justine is from reality.  Justine acts and reacts to situations without logical reason, again Dunst at her best here.  And, for the majority, we leave the wedding in confusion, leaving nothing but great acting and visual brilliance behind.  Part 2 brings it together.  Justine’s depression is elaborated on, although we never discover its source, and the scenes between her and her sister Claire (played by Charlotte Gainsbourg, the lead in ‘Antichrist’) do well to explain some of the dynamics that occurred at the wedding.  As the destruction becomes imminent Justine becomes content if not almost happy, whereas her sister, a “logical” character, is left in a state of helpless despair.

With ‘Melancholia’ we get something extremely pleasing to the eye and, as usual, Von Trier gets the most out of his actors and his story.  Unlike past Von Trier films however we get something else, something we can touch, something relatable, radiant, and relevant.  And it is extremely satisfying.

Grade: A

Oscar Chances:

Best Picture: Long Shot

Best Director (Von Trier): Long Shot

Best Original Screenplay (Von Trier): Long Shot

Best Actress (Dunst): Possible

Best Supporting Actress (Gainsbourg): Possible