Review of Melancholia (2011) by Daniel R — 26 Aug 2014

A planet colliding with Earth to explode? A wedding? Two sisters who are night and day? A castle with a stable of horses? Relatives and friends and in laws all bickering and lost? Tristan and Isolde;s overture prelude played over countless times? A Celtic looking boy staring at the heavens? This film which could have also been easily named "Conundrumia" is provocative,exciting and also tiring to watch.

The fatigue sets in but that of course is the magic of the story. And to my mind it worked. Brilliantly.The sadness that overflows and the strange nihilist aspect is appealing somehow. The shots are compellingly beautiful here and there.

. then commonplace. The color textures and yellows used in the wedding scene create a golden quality. This quality then turns more blue in the second half of the film in color and emotion. Dunst is completely believable as the "chiaroscura" character of the crazed bride Justine.

Gainsbourg as sensible brunette sister Claire provides her next door plainer looks with excellent timing allied by an emotional undercurrent in every line she utters. The result is thrilling as the tautness builds as the planet approaches closer to Earth.

The child boy is also fascinating to watch. His doll like muteness echos Dunst's aunt character in doom. Sutherland is 100% committed to every line and creates a sinister husband and a compelling anti-hero.

The film with the Wagnerian motifs and almost Nazi 1930's echos in texture via the Swedish castle, wedding style and Dunst's Aryan look matched with her bridgeroom is more than obvious. The planet Melancholia acts as a strange face that looms over the story silent and approaching.

The finale is devastatingly simple and one that whilst not terribly brilliantly scripted maketh a movie that none who watch shall ever forget. I suspect in years to come this art piece in trilogy form of Von Trier's will certainly be more resonant as time goes by.

Haunting and terribly terribly odd. I give it 5 stars.