Movie/Television Reviews: Melancholia (2011) - ReviewOctober 12, 2011 2312
Melancholia is a beautiful movie.
The premise of the movie is simple; another planet is going to collide with Earth, destroying the Earth in the process. What truly makes this a great film is not the premise, but how it is executed.
Within the first few minutes of the film we know that Earth is going to be destroyed. This creates a dramatic irony and a feeling of dread throughout the film. This feeling of dread is amplified as the main character, Justine, slips into a deep depression prior to learning of the planet’s impending destruction.
What is interesting about this film is how the impending apocalypse affects Justine’s depression, the inspiration for which came from director Lars von Trier’s personal experience with depression and his knowledge that depressives are more likely to remain calm in stressful situations.
The music also greatly adds to the mood of the film, using Richard Wagner’s prelude to the opera Tristan und Isolde. The visuals are stunning. The acting is great, for which Kirsten Dunst won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her lead role as Justine.
The beautiful visuals, superb acting, and perfect music make this film something great. Melancholia is truly art. I recommend this film to anyone who likes emotionally moving films or to anyone interested in studying film.