(136 min, 2011)Director: Lars von Trier
Writer: Lars von Trier
Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Kiefer Sutherland
Life is only on Earth. And not for long.
“Melancholia” is the only Von Trier's movie I liked – actually it's an understatement – I loved every second of it. It's also – quite possibly – the most impressive movie about the end of the world. There are no happy turns of events, no chance for survival. Bruce Willis doesn't hit the planet and saves the Earth, rest assured. All that humanity facing is destruction and the ultimate end and perhaps it's because of that the movie works so well – it's the perfect metaphor for impending death that awaits everyone.
The film consists of two parts, each entitled with the name of two sisters who are protagonists of the film. First one is Justine, peculiar girl dealing with strong depression and the other is Claire, who is married, has a son and tries to help out her troubled sister. The film shows how in facing tragedies people who under normal circumstances appear to be weak deal with situations better than functioning humans. When all hope is gone Justine is calm, prepared. She appears to be sensing doom and danger way before the others and because of that when the end is near she doesn't panic. She even lies naked looking at Melancholia, awaiting the inevitable, already understanding it and sensing a deep connection with mysterious planet. Claire on the other hand falls into hysteria and the roles turn – it is Justine who needs to help her sister. The movie's best scene is the conversation the sisters have about how they will behave when the planet hits. Claire wants to make it almost normal, light up candles, drink some wine – do all of those ordinary things, that ultimately won't matter. Claire despises those rituals, as she despised her own wedding party during which she undressed and took a bath.
