Film Review: Lars Van Trier's Melancholia

I have never done a review of a movie before on my blog, but I felt like this film was a bit different as I found it very inspiring visually. I knew going in, that this film was not a happy one, but I feel you get that from the title alone!


Lars Van Trier wrote and directed this story, and did so in such a soft, poetic manner.  The style of how he presented this story is quite a contrast to the horror of the subject. The film is about Melancholia, a planet that is coming towards Earth and will eventually collide into it. It is focused on two sisters and their emotions and reactions to what is happening around them.


The beginning and last scenes were my favourite probably because they are mainly slow moving images, so dramatic and beautiful. The wedding scene, which is the majority of the film, was chaotic and felt like it was a never ending wedding. BUT...that is the point of it! We were made to feel how Justine was feeling, and it was a whirlwind of emotions.


Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and Justine (Kirsten Dunst) are the main focus of this film.  Van Trier separates the focus by dividing them into two sections: Justine's view and Claire's view.  Claire is a loving, nurturing sister who will do anything for Justine. Justine, who is severely depressed, appears selfish and unresponsive to emotions, yet it is Justine who comes through in the end for her sister and her nephew. Throughout the film, you both sympathize and dislike both characters.


The use of dialogue, camera framing and music successfully create the emotion and mood of the characters and the overall story.  It was filmed to give the audience the same emotional experience that goes on with each characters, and I found it a bit intense to watch at times.


How the film ends is just beautiful, in a strange way, and is perfectly done. I have said it before in this review, but poetic is my word to describe it. I left with a feeling I have felt only once before, the feeling of being helpless.  No, not the best feeling to have after 'escaping' reality, but I cannot seem to put into the right words how beautiful this film really was. I suggest that everyone sees Melancholia at least once.


This film touches everyone differently. It made me really think about traditions and rituals, making them seem completely ridiculous. It brought forward how many of us get so caught up with material items, but in the end they count for nothing. 
Melancholia was the escape of all this for Justine, and she was so connected with the planet, it created a sense of peace within disaster.


Here are some of the beautiful images from the film: