Now on Blu-ray/DVD the film Melancholia by writer and director Lars von Trier stimulates the artistic part of the brain with sprawling landscape images, ominous tableaus and threatening visuals of a drifting planet. The film moves along playing out like the definition of its title. Melancholia: a mental condition and especially a manic-depressive condition characterized by extreme depression, bodily complaints, and often hallucinations and delusions.
Lars doesn’t pull any punches here or hide the intention of the story in any way. He takes the lovely conflicted Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and pairs her with Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) a love-smitten man who has visions of a future with her.
In part one (Justine) of the two-act script, the newly married couple are on their way to their reception at a beautiful mansion and are late due to some issues with their limo driver. The party is a gift from Justine’s sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her husband John (Kiefer Sutherland) who want to make the late afternoon soirée something that everyone will never forget.
Lars treats his audience to an ominous feast however, complete with a brooding bride who has lost herself in an almost surrealistic emotional despair, a puzzled husband and other elements way beyond the word ‘festive’, ending the event both faithless and unfaithful.
At the start of part two (Claire) we find Justine forlorn still at her sister’s vast estate trying to recover from the night before, but this time Lars presents his audience a different kind of depressing stimulus, the threat of a collision between Earth and the roving planet Melancholia. Here Lars’s camera focuses on the dangerous planet hovering over the estate with its expansive manicured lawns, neighboring lush woodlands, and opulent estate buildings. Justine begins to succumb to the pull of Melancholia while Claire attempts to draw her out of the dreary mental state. Now on the verge of something even more unimaginable, Claire herself starts to slide into the abyss.
Melancholia, although an amazing work of art accomplishes what Lars set out to do, make a depressing movie. If I could categorize the film on whether it is the best dismal film ever, it’s certainly near the top of the list. Not a mainstream contender for box-office glory, yet still art for those who like films intriguing and all absorbing.
Lars brings out some brilliant acting on the part of the main cast and support players in this fantasy tale. Providing a stage for their craft with Dunst at the center of the enigma, Lars works his characters into frenzy as they try to come to grips with the inevitable. I especially liked Gainsbourg’s performance as the hapless woman who takes on her sister’s plight only to realize that time has run out for Justine and her family.
Melancholia is rated R for some graphic nudity, sexual content and language. The film emits a depressive feeling that may tend to extract a somber mood from susceptible viewers. The film runs just over 2 hours.
The bonus features are interesting and complement the theme of the film:
- About Melancholia
- The Universe
- The Visual Style
- Visual Effects
- HDNet: A Look at Melancholia
Specifications and additional film information for the Blu-ray format:
“Melancholia”
- Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgård and Kiefer Southerland
- Directed by: Lars von Trier
- MPAA Rating: R for some graphic nudity, sexual content and language
- Genre: Art/Foreign, Drama and Science Fiction/Fantasy
- Language: English
- Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
- Video: Color, 1080P High Definition 16X9, 2.35:1
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- Original Theatrical Release Date: November 11, 2011
- Running Time: 2 hrs 15 min
- Street Date: March 13, 2012
- Distributed by: Magnolia Home Entertainment
FINAL ANALYSIS: A fantasy tableau that captivates. [rating=4]
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
