I'm really not sure what to say about this movie. It's a movie about some really big concepts and ideas, but one where nothing really happens for most of the running time. Even though it was a little slow, I would definitely say it has been haunting me since I saw it. I was a first-time viewer of a Lars von Trier picture, while my friend L who accompanied me is a big fan of his movies.
The movie is split into two halves revolving around two sisters. The first part concentrates on Justine, played by Kirsten Dunst, on her wedding day to her charming hubby played by Alexander Skaarsgard (yep Eric Northman hisself). The wedding reception is held at her sister Claire's country B&B owned with her rich husband played by Kiefer Sutherland. Although Part 1 begins comedically as they arrive for their reception, as the evening unfolds Justine goes into a downward spiral as her depression and self-centredness can no longer be suppressed. L's description to me of Mr von Trier as the "master of awkward" certainly came true in the first part as Justine and her family stumble from awkward situation to disaster to debacle as the long evening wears on.
The character of Justine is very interesting, as most movies try to make the lead actress as likeable and sympathetic as possible. Justine is almost the opposite, with even members of her own family and her wedding planner not wanting to talk to her by the end of the night. It's an extraordinary performance from Kirsten Dunst, portraying her depression expertly but just giving enough charm that you can see why the wedding would have taken place. This is borne out by the relationship with her sister Claire, who often tells Justine how much she hates her for her selfish acts and words, but always forgives her and picks up the pieces. L thought that Kirsten's facial expressions were fantastic at showing the inner thoughts of Justine, as there is little dialogue in places. How sad for Kirsten that she has not been nominated for a Golden Globe award and is therefore pretty unlikely for a chance at an Oscar.
The link between the two parts of this movie is Justine's fascination with a bright star in the sky on her wedding night, which turns out to be a planet called Melancholia which is potentially on a collision course with Earth. The second part of the movie focuses on Claire, as she covers her anxiety over Melancholia's potential trajectory by busying herself with the B&B, caring for Justine who has slid further into depression and trying to balance out her husband's excitement over Melancholia. Claire is all happiness and sunshine compared to Justine, but this creates its own problems as her desire to cling to her perfect life makes her fret over the impending doom if the scientists have made a mistake and Melancholia doesn't pass by.
As Melancholia approaches Earth it is fascinating to contrast Justine, Claire and Claire's husband's reactions. And also afterwards to think about how you would react. One chooses not to face it, one faces it bravely and one faces it with denial. I won't say who is who. I won't say which one I could empathise with either.
The movie starts and ends with 2 incredible scenes which are worth the price of admission alone. The beginning is an amazing scene close to 10 minutes of slow motion art, which gives you a glimpse of what is to come and what is going through the mind of Justine. The end is also literally jaw dropping and a fantastic use of sound and music. Everything in between is beautifully shot and those familiar with Lars von Trier's "Dogme" films should know that this is so not one of those. It breaks almost every rule he set for Dogme 95 (check out their movie making Vow of Chastity here) in fairly spectacular fashion, particularly that they not create genre cinema. This is most definitely joining the cannon of science fiction movies I've enjoyed this year.
I'm not sure if I've made a point about this movie or not. I think it is just something you have to experience and if you do, I'm sure you'll be thinking about it for a long time afterwards like I did. It contains all round great performances from the cast, it is a beautiful piece of art and it makes you think about life and how you participate in it. But be warned it can be slow and painful at times - it's definitely a mood piece.
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