Although I have not personally suffered from it, I know the destructive power depression can have on individuals, and the people around them. I have seen family members and friends lose their spark and become husks of their former selves just going through the motions, some got through it, some didn’t. That is why I think Melancholia might just be one of the best stories about depression I have ever experienced, because it tells it the way it is, which is strange considering how peculiar of a film Melancholia is.
Melancholia opens with a slow-motion sequence set to Wanger’s ‘Tristan & Isolda’, wherein we see sisters Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) experiencing strange phenomena as a planet collides with Earth, completely obliterating it.
We are then taken back to Justine’s wedding day, more specifically the wedding reception. She and her husband Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) are late, and the extremely extravagant party goes ahead several hours later than planned. Despite a wedding reception normally being a place for celebrations and happiness, we often find that Justine’s is often challenged by hostilities, bitterness, and greed. It is here that Justine begins to slip into a particularly deep bought of depression, causing her to frequently leave the party to be alone, and eventually her and Michael decide to call the marriage off. It is here that Justine notices that the star Antares is no longer visible in the sky.
Sometime later Claire takes Justine in to care for her as her depression has gotten so bad that she is unable to effectively care for herself. Meanwhile, Antares disappearance has been put down to the appearance of a new planet, Melancholia, which is on a ‘fly-by’ course with Earth and is expected to be at its closest in just a few days’ time.
Claire is anxious that Melancholia will collide with Earth, however her husband, John (Kiefer Sutherland), assures her however he can that it will not. The family prepare for the passing of Melancholia by gathering supplies to stay up and watch it pass over them, meanwhile Justine becomes more and more depressed. The morning following Melancholia’s passing Claire and John discover that Melancholia is coming back, and this time will most certainly collide with Earth. Afraid to confront death by planetary collision, John commits suicide leaving Claire to try to prepare her son and her sister for their imminent demise. Justine takes the news surprisingly well and becomes the carer for their final few hours. The three sit together on the grass lawn in a makeshift magic shelter as Melancholia makes impact and the three are killed along with everyone and everything on the planet.
Melancholia opens with a slow-motion sequence set to Wanger’s ‘Tristan & Isolda’, wherein we see sisters Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) experiencing strange phenomena as a planet collides with Earth, completely obliterating it.
We are then taken back to Justine’s wedding day, more specifically the wedding reception. She and her husband Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) are late, and the extremely extravagant party goes ahead several hours later than planned. Despite a wedding reception normally being a place for celebrations and happiness, we often find that Justine’s is often challenged by hostilities, bitterness, and greed. It is here that Justine begins to slip into a particularly deep bought of depression, causing her to frequently leave the party to be alone, and eventually her and Michael decide to call the marriage off. It is here that Justine notices that the star Antares is no longer visible in the sky.
Sometime later Claire takes Justine in to care for her as her depression has gotten so bad that she is unable to effectively care for herself. Meanwhile, Antares disappearance has been put down to the appearance of a new planet, Melancholia, which is on a ‘fly-by’ course with Earth and is expected to be at its closest in just a few days’ time.
Claire is anxious that Melancholia will collide with Earth, however her husband, John (Kiefer Sutherland), assures her however he can that it will not. The family prepare for the passing of Melancholia by gathering supplies to stay up and watch it pass over them, meanwhile Justine becomes more and more depressed. The morning following Melancholia’s passing Claire and John discover that Melancholia is coming back, and this time will most certainly collide with Earth. Afraid to confront death by planetary collision, John commits suicide leaving Claire to try to prepare her son and her sister for their imminent demise. Justine takes the news surprisingly well and becomes the carer for their final few hours. The three sit together on the grass lawn in a makeshift magic shelter as Melancholia makes impact and the three are killed along with everyone and everything on the planet.
To say Melancholia is depressing is no understatement, but considering the film is about depression it makes the bleak outcome of the film so much more bearable. I have no issues divulging the whole plot in the synopsis because the opening minutes of the film detail everything anyway. You know what’s going to happen quite literally from the word go, but it’s how Melancholia portrays depression, and how that is represented visually that makes Melancholia worth the watch.
Despite the film being somewhat ambiguous about many things to allow for interpretation, Melancholia (the planet) is absolutely the visual representation of Justine’s depression. Its emergence at the end of her wedding night symbolises the start of her troubles and it grows ever closer until the sheer tragedy of just how depressed she is metaphorically ends all life as we know it. The symbolism is certainly a tad melodramatic and when described like that seems insensitive, but it works, and incredibly well at that.
Because you know how everything will end, and it will inevitably end, you’re simply along for the ride just as Justine is. Which makes characters like John, who studies Melancholia and has predicted everything will be fine, a complete joke. It’s hard not to find him tragically hilarious at times because of just how deluded he is. It then also makes Claire’s sudden realisation that she is actually going to die and there’s nothing she can do about it all the more tragic, because like Justine you’ve been prepared for this all along and you’ve grown used to everybody else’s obliviousness to it.
During Justine’s final day alive she seemingly overcomes her depression and is the one caring for Claire and her son who are understandably terrified. It’s a common symptom for depressives who have accepted that they are going to end their lives to have a period of time where they seem ‘back to normal’, and this final day before Melancholia hits represents that so well.
Kirsten Dunst is fantastic in this film. It’s a truly commanding performance wherein even when she isn’t explicitly doing anything she captivates. I’d only ever seen Dunst in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films before seeing Melancholia, so it’s a major change in role and it’s one that she suits perfectly.
I’m beginning to wonder whether I just don’t like Gainsbourg as an actress, because much like Antichrist I felt like she was just there and not delivering a particularly interesting performance. It was significantly better than her performance in Antichrist, but it was still stagnant at best.
Despite some other good performances from the likes of Kiefer Sutherland & Stellan Skarsgård, they aren’t in the film long enough to really make a big impression. It’s Justine & Claire’s story and everything else exists on the periphery to that.
Despite the film being somewhat ambiguous about many things to allow for interpretation, Melancholia (the planet) is absolutely the visual representation of Justine’s depression. Its emergence at the end of her wedding night symbolises the start of her troubles and it grows ever closer until the sheer tragedy of just how depressed she is metaphorically ends all life as we know it. The symbolism is certainly a tad melodramatic and when described like that seems insensitive, but it works, and incredibly well at that.
Because you know how everything will end, and it will inevitably end, you’re simply along for the ride just as Justine is. Which makes characters like John, who studies Melancholia and has predicted everything will be fine, a complete joke. It’s hard not to find him tragically hilarious at times because of just how deluded he is. It then also makes Claire’s sudden realisation that she is actually going to die and there’s nothing she can do about it all the more tragic, because like Justine you’ve been prepared for this all along and you’ve grown used to everybody else’s obliviousness to it.
During Justine’s final day alive she seemingly overcomes her depression and is the one caring for Claire and her son who are understandably terrified. It’s a common symptom for depressives who have accepted that they are going to end their lives to have a period of time where they seem ‘back to normal’, and this final day before Melancholia hits represents that so well.
Kirsten Dunst is fantastic in this film. It’s a truly commanding performance wherein even when she isn’t explicitly doing anything she captivates. I’d only ever seen Dunst in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films before seeing Melancholia, so it’s a major change in role and it’s one that she suits perfectly.
I’m beginning to wonder whether I just don’t like Gainsbourg as an actress, because much like Antichrist I felt like she was just there and not delivering a particularly interesting performance. It was significantly better than her performance in Antichrist, but it was still stagnant at best.
Despite some other good performances from the likes of Kiefer Sutherland & Stellan Skarsgård, they aren’t in the film long enough to really make a big impression. It’s Justine & Claire’s story and everything else exists on the periphery to that.
Melancholia is a true joy to watch with some fantastic cinematography, editing, and special effects. It’s definitely got that art-house aesthetic with handheld cameras and frequent manual focus zooms, much like Antichrist did (which I didn’t enjoy there). But I feel it’s handled better in Melancholia. The times where the camera is stationary are gorgeous however, and borderline works of art. Lucious rich greens and blues are the primary colour palette here, and it seems both surreal and sublime.
It all comes together to make a very engaging watch, and whilst there are times where the pacing drags, it feels necessary to convey the tedium and time manipulation one experiences whilst depressed.
Much like Antichrist before it, Melancholia is a very niche film, and I don’t think many people will actually enjoy it. But unlike Antichrist it is considerably more accessible, and I would say that if you have suffered from depression, or you know someone who has, Melancholia really is worth watching. There’s very little there likely to offend or disgust people, which is quite unlike von Trier, and I feel that really aids the film because it feels like one of the only films where von Trier has made something without feeling the need to be graphic or controversial, he just lets the work speak for itself for once.
It all comes together to make a very engaging watch, and whilst there are times where the pacing drags, it feels necessary to convey the tedium and time manipulation one experiences whilst depressed.
Much like Antichrist before it, Melancholia is a very niche film, and I don’t think many people will actually enjoy it. But unlike Antichrist it is considerably more accessible, and I would say that if you have suffered from depression, or you know someone who has, Melancholia really is worth watching. There’s very little there likely to offend or disgust people, which is quite unlike von Trier, and I feel that really aids the film because it feels like one of the only films where von Trier has made something without feeling the need to be graphic or controversial, he just lets the work speak for itself for once.