Fantastic Fest 2011: Melancholia Review
Lars Von Trier is one of the most interesting directors working today. I look forward to, and usually love, everything he does. With that in mind, Melancholia was my most anticipated film at Fantastic Fest. Did it live up to expectations? For the most part, yes.
The simple synopsis would say Melancholia is about the end of the world. A gigantic rogue planet is traveling through our solar system and seems to be on a collision course with Earth. This planet is given the name Melancholia. It is an inescapable blue giant, moving almost imperceptibly closer by the minute. The name and coloring of the planet are important, if not exactly subtle, clues about the films true subject, depression.
Melancholia is split into three parts. There is a short prologue which, much like Von Trier’s previous film Antichrist, uses beautiful slow motion to set up the movie. In this case, those images are of the end of all things. It’s a haunting opening. The film then switches to a much more naturalistic style for the remaining two parts. The two parts are each roughly an hour long and are dedicated to two sisters, played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
The first part follows Dunst on the night of her wedding, held at a lavish estate among the super upper class. The celebration is short lived, however. It is evident early on that not all is right with Dunst. On a night that should be magical, she becomes increasingly withdrawn. The more she is told to be happy, the more sad she appears. It becomes apparent that she suffers from a crippling case of depression, and the results are inevitable. Unavoidable, much like the new star that has appeared in the sky.
This portion of the film plays out like a minimalist slice of life. It actually reminded me quite strongly of Rachel Getting Married and, much like Anne Hathaway did in that film, Dunst gives a career defining performance. It’s made more impressive by how reserved she is. There are no over the top outbursts or monologues, just the slow decay of a woman who has tried and failed for the last time to find peace and happiness.
The last section of the film focuses on Gainsbourg. Here the tone of the film shifts as the large ensemble cast is paired down to just four. Gainsbourg and Kiefer Sutherland, playing her husband, are left to care for Dunst, which is causing a strain on their family. Of greater concern here, though, is the approaching planet of Melancholia. Sutherland believes that the planet will pass by and be nothing more than a spectacular show he hopes to share with their son. This is of little comfort to Gainsbourg, who can’t help but be drawn in by those saying this is doomsday.
The tension slowly builds during this section and becomes almost unbearable before the conclusion, which is spectacular.
I didn’t love everything about the movie, though. Von Trier has developed into one of the most refined visualist in film but seems to have sacrificed the blunt conciseness of his earlier films in favor of the abstract. This was more apparent in Antichrist, which is impenetrable at times, but is evident here as well. Sure, the central metaphor of Melancholia is clear and comes from the director’s own experiences with depression, but I don’t believe enough is done to really tie that into the events of the film. The visual splendor of the finale is really the only thing saving it from being somewhat of a dud. A clear thematic and emotional connection just isn’t made.
That being said, this is definitely not one to miss. The performances are stellar across the board, and the visuals are gorgeous and unforgettable. If more had been done to flesh out the thin metaphor, this would be in contention for my film of the year.
