Melancholia (Opens in U.S. Theaters November 11th, 2011) D: Lars Von Trier 5/5
I went to go see this film over the summer in a tiny independent theater of about 25 seats in Krakow, Poland with no air conditioning on a warm muggy night and of course with Polish subtitles(though the film is in English). Aside from the slightly uncomfortable seats and lack of fresh air this cinematic experience was made all the more powerful in such an intimate setting. Before I begin my review I must admit I definitely hyped this movie up in my head and expected a lot after how much I enjoyed Von Trier's previous film Antichrist, which weaves a similar tale of depression through a lens of fantastic visuals. Needless to say this film pretty much surpassed my expectations and is probably more accessible for a wider audience than Von Trier's previous masterpiece.
Von Trier opens this dark and contemplative film by playing the final scene in reverse with the action all in slow motion. The story line is divided into two Acts; the first focuses around two sisters played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg who partake in Dunst's disaster of a wedding, and the second depicts the final days before a planet collides with Earth resulting in the end of the world. Dunst shines in the film as a depressed woman struggling with the routine of a normal life. All of the actors including Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, and Alexander Skarsgard set up the ominous tone for the end of the world perfectly. I believe I heard that Von Trier wrote this script as a kind of therapy to express the feelings of melancholy he regularly struggles with, which takes form in the character played by Dunst. Later it evolved into more of an all encompassing tale of the end of existence for all humans. Overall the movie contains spectacular visuals and exceptional acting that make this worth the watch even if you don't enjoy darker films.
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