‘Melancholia’ Review: It’s The End of The World As We Know It, And Kirsten Dunst Feels Fine

Melancholia, released 2011
Melancholia, released 2011
Kirsten Dunst floats by as the worlds ends in "Melancholia." | Photo Courtesy of Zentropa Entertainments

Melancholia, the latest from controversial director Lars von Trier, is a consuming experience. From the opening, a dream-like sequence cutting to different slowed down scenes of the apocalypse as “Tristan und Isolde: Prelude” plays, von Trier creates a visceral yet elegant portrayal of the end of the world, but one that takes a while getting there.

The opening scenes allow an understanding of the outcome that makes watching the process of getting there more interesting. Seeing the reaction versus the action first creates a sense of mystery not in what would happen, but how it would happen.

Visually, the film is stunning, with extensive hand-held camera use and warm, muted colors that seem to calm the viewer after the disconcerting opening scenes.

Following the ethereal beginning is “Part One: Justine.” Justine (Kirsten Dunst) just married Michael (Alexander Skarsgaard) and the two seem excited, happy, bubbly: like newlyweds. Their limo driver struggles to navigate the curves of a country driveway that leads to their destination, causing the couple to be two hours late to their own reception. Both Justine and Michael try to maneuver the boat of a vehicle themselves and giggle all the while. When they finally pull up to the palatial scene of the party, Justine’s sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) impatiently reminds Justine of all the hard work she’s put into the wedding her husband (Kiefer Sutherland) funded. As the night wears on, Justine transforms from a blushing bride into a moody, depressed woman, going from person to person as if it were torture. She eventually retreats to the bathroom and stares idly at the wall as she bathes, the party continuing downstairs. She sneaks out to the 18-hole golf course on the property (an aspect of the property Claire’s husband is comically obsessed with) and seduces another man. She heads to the stable to visit the horse only she can ride. In the early hours of the morning, it’s clear she’s retreated back into something that’s plagued her for a long time, and Michael leaves with the rest of the party guests, giving her a rueful smile as he slips away.

The film transitions to “Part Two: Claire,” with Justine arriving at the same estate and looking dead inside. Claire works to get her to bathe, to make her eat, cooking her favorite meal, meatloaf, in an attempt to get her acting like a human again. When Justine excitedly digs into the meatloaf, only to declare it tastes “like ash,” I knew we were really in trouble.

However, as the film goes on, the idea of Melancholia, a rogue planet that is headed in earth’s direction, becomes an increasing reality, and the sisters seem to switch places. Claire is unable to shake the idea that it will crash into earth and becomes almost hysterical with worry. Justine, paradoxically, seems calmer and peaceful as she declares the world ending, knowing she’s right because she “knows things.” Claire’s husband, an astronomy nut, brings their young son out to their telescope, preparing for the spectacular sight that will come when Melancholia passes by earth. As the day comes, and passes, Claire is euphoric, but when Melancholia reverses course and heads back toward the planet, she plans for the end. She’s left to fend for herself after her husband breaks at the first sign things aren’t as the scientists predicted.

Melancholia
Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg in "Melancholia." | Photo Courtesy of Zentropa Entertainments

Dunst gives a believably strong yet fragile performance, and one that has many ups and downs; Justine is clearly unable to function yet somehow not completely hopeless. Charlotte Gainsbourg as her sister is easier to follow, increasingly scared as Melancholia approaches and, in the final scene, truly terrified. The plot is minimal at best, with one woman commenting as she left, “That was torture. I just wanted it to be over.” The pacing is slow, almost painstakingly so, especially in Part One—over an hour documenting Justine’s wedding reception.

There was also, I felt, a lack of pity for the characters. These people were obviously moneyed and didn’t do much with themselves. The entire film took place at Claire and her husband’s gorgeous estate. The crunch of the gravel in the outdoor dining area became a familiar sound, and one that for some reason stuck with me. I can picture the sturdy but elegant table, overlooking the entire property, all 18 holes of the golf course. In the end, I wasn’t upset that these people were dying (except Claire’s young son; it’s always the little ones), but that earth itself would cease to exist.

When Melancholia did eventually crash into earth, a fiery and abrupt end to so much suffering, I wasn’t as much devastated as I was relieved something happened during the two hours and fifteen minutes I was in the theater. As the days passed, however, Melancholia came back to me. It’s a haunting portrayal of the end of the world that plants a seed of disaster within the opening sequences that, albeit very gradually, grows into a fully realized sense of doom by the end of the film and beyond.

What Melancholia lacks in plot it makes up for in style, with beautiful shots and great performances. However, the long runtime tests the patience of viewers. B.

About Sara Arnold

Sara Arnold, COM '14, loves movies. She likes to think movies love her, too.

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One Comment on “‘Melancholia’ Review: It’s The End of The World As We Know It, And Kirsten Dunst Feels Fine”

  1. Plot isn’t everything, you know. Von Trier’s work recently has been character studies (Antichrist). This film is not a Roland Emmerich apocalypse thriller—the plot only serves to reveal new aspects of characters. There’s more to this film than what’s on the surface.

    Also, earth is dirt. We live on Earth.

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