“If you think I’m afraid of a planet, then you’re too stupid.”
What’s it all about? It’s the wedding day of Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård). Their reception is being held at the stately home of Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), Justine’s sister, and her husband John (Kiefer Sutherland). At the same time, a newly-discovered planet which was hidden behind the sun approaches Earth. Scientists expect the planet, named Melancholia, to “fly-by” Earth, passing each other without colliding.
MELANCHOLIA is divided into two parts entitled “Justine” and “Claire” after the two sisters at the centre of the film. The first part focuses on Justine, her wedding reception, and her depression. She and her husband Michael are late for their reception, a delay which aggravates her family and exposes the conflicts in their respective relationships. Justine’s mother is bitter, commenting disdainfully about marriage while sitting at the same table as her ex-husband and his two girlfriends, both named Betty. Claire and John, who have organized and paid for the reception, are disappointed in Justine for being late, a disappointment which only deepens throughout the duration of the film. Udo Kier and the elder Skarsgård also appear in MELANCHOLIA, rounding off a cast of characters who have each given up on Justine and her actions.
I appreciated MELANCHOLIA’s depiction of Justine’s depression and was in a constant state of wonderment with Kirsten Dunst throughout the film. For better or worse, I still think of her as the tap-dancing beauty queen in DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. After watching MELANCHOLIA, however, I believe I will have to re-evaluate my perception of the actress. There is a moment in the film where Justine sits on a stack of chairs after the reception. Her wedding dress is off-kilter, her veil and hair a mess. She’s hunched over while she toes her high heels on and off. She’s acted poorly throughout the entire wedding reception, knows it, hates herself for it, but cannot help herself. This scene is heart-wrenching, a small visual moment that conveys her defeat, her resignation and shame.
The second part of the film deals strictly with the “fly-by” of the planet Melancholia and the family’s individual reactions to this event. Much like the first part of MELANCHOLIA focuses on Justine’s depression, the second part of the film focuses on her sister Claire’s anxiety. I greatly admired the context Von Trier creates around these sisters’ emotional circumstances. “Part One”, dealing mainly with Justine’s depression, is populated with many characters and a large event. It’s very busy, to put it simply. Justine cannot cope with this. She expresses her depression through her inability to participate in — as well as her ambivalence toward — her own wedding. On the other side of the coin, there is “Part Two”, which emphasizes Claire’s anxiety. This section of the film has four characters. There is no large-scale event like the wedding. Instead, Claire and her family wait, but not idly, like Justine in “Part One”. Claire maintains her family’s daily routines with strict diligence as a means to defer her anxiety. I find this contrast to be deft storytelling on the part of Von Trier, and immensely respect his, Dunst’s and Gainsbourg’s ability to depict these emotions so succinctly.
If you have the opportunity to see MELANCHOLIA in the theatre, please do so. Those last three minutes should not be seen on a television screen. If you live in Toronto, I would recommend that you see the film at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Don’t skimp and ruin your experience with a shoddy projection or sound system.
Waiting for the End of the World is TIFF Bell Lightbox’s retrospective of Danish enfant terrible Lars von Trier’s key films, highlighting the daring unpredictability and constant evolution of this most exciting of contemporary filmmakers. You can purchase tickets online or at TIFF Bell Lightbox’s box office.
Notes: Directed by Lars von Trier; Produced by Meta Louise Foldager, Louise Vesth; Written by Lars von Trier; Starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Alexander Skarsgård, Cameron Spurr, John Hurt, Jesper Christensen, Stellan Skarsgård, Brady Corbet, Udo Kier; Cinematography by Manuel Alberto Claro; Editing by Molly Malene Stensgaard.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This review is so good. This movie is so good. Jesus, those last few minutes. I wanted to cry.
Alas, I don’t see this ever playing near me.