Depression finally seems to have brought out the best in Lars von Trier: "Melancholia" is his strongest work in a while; a devastatingly beautiful, operatic mixture of all his signature themes and visual schemes. Doom is certain from the start. This is, after all, a von Trier film” (Lemire, 2011).
In brief, Melancholia is about a wedding gone horribly wrong and a bride sinking deeper and deeper into depression. As Justine and Michael are celebrating their marriage at a sumptuous party, a planet called Melancholia heads directly towards Earth. In the course of a long and hectic night, Justine comes increasingly undone. The irony is that the closer the threatening Melancholia draws near, the better Justine feels. If this is the end of the world, she welcomes it.
Although it is definitely not for everyone, this is possibly von Trier’s most accessible film. “Melancholia will haunt you for days, maybe weeks. One reason is Manuel Alberto Claro's evocative, almost palpable cinematography, but another is von Trier's merciless pessimism” (Guzman, 2011).
References:
Lemire, Christy. “Depression looks gorgeous in `Melancholia'”. Boston.com. http://www.boston.com. 8 Nov. 2011.
Guzman, Rafer. “Haunting, thought-provoking 'Melancholia'”. Newsdat. http://www.newsday.com. 17 Nov. 2011.
Image: Courtesy of Madman Entertainment
Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library