Review of Melancholia (2011) by Ana B — 06 Jul 2012

Strange mix of sci-fi and drama movie centred in the life of two sisters, Justine and Claire, during the days before the Apocalypse. Previously unknown planet Melancholia is going to enter Earthâ(TM)s orbit and eventually crash with it erasing all living creatures.

Justine is a young woman getting married to his fiancà (C), Michael, during the wedding dinner she starts to behave erratically and we come to know that she is depressive and the marriage is called off that very same night. Claire is somewhat Justineâ(TM)s carer, always trying to fix her life and supervising her needs. But when things start to get ugly and people realize that the end of days is coming up the roles reverse, melancholic Justine looks after practical Claire and her young boy Leo.

This is a peculiar movie, an apocalyptic tale in European style, you can tell for the slow pace of the action and the emphasis on human relationships. I am just a plain viewer but astronomically I would have thought this to be completely implausible. I find most of the reactions of the characters slightly off. You would think that if you know that everything is going to end soon people would riot to the streets, instead here we find a strange haven of peace only agitated by a nervous Claire trying to make sense of it all. Indeed there is hardly any reference to what is going on everywhere else around the world, the movie places this manor house and the little family inside under the microscope and analyzes their behaviours and their fears. So much so, that the only character that seems truly rational is in the end melancholic and resigned Justine.

There are some powerful images, typical from Lars von Trier, full of beauty and poetry and seasoned with classical music, but the storyline for me is a bit crumbly and left somewhat unexplained, especially the wedding part. A good effort for this unlikely plot.