Best of 2011 #6 Melancholia

How does one explain such a strange movie? I suppose you start with the title.

The word "melancholia" is defined in the dictionary as "a mental condition and especially a manic-depressive condition characterized by extreme depression, bodily complaints, and often hallucinations and delusions."

In the movie Melancholia, the word is used in two separate contexts.  First, it describes the state of depression described above by Merriam-Webster.  :It is also the name of a planet on a collision course with Earth, threatening to obliterate the world and every living thing on it.

Yes, you read that correctly.  



The brilliance is revealed when one discovers that the two Melancholias -- the crushing sadness and the coming planetary apocalypse -- are ultimately one in the same thing, the latter being an astrophysical manifestation of the former.  

Does that sound a little pretentious?  I'm not done yet.  

The movie opens with an eight-minute prologue filled with spectacular (spectacular!) visuals set to Wagner.  The pictures and images will only make sense as the movie progresses, with some of them explicitly depicted in the film, others described or implied.  They are images of destruction as well as the emotional pain felt by the protagonist.  And, yes, at the end of it all a large planet collides with the Earth.  Once again, all of this is placed on the screen as Tristan and Isolde plays in the background.  

Yes, I'm aware how self-consciously arty all of this sounds.  But, I don't care.  It's fantastic.  I knew immediately after the prologue that this would be one of my favorite movies of the year.  

Of course, the rest of the movie isn't half bad either.

It starts at a wedding celebration.  Justine (played by Kirsten Dunst in a wonderful, Oscar-worthy performance) is a bride suffering from mood-swings.  Though her initial efforts to be happy and enjoy the day are apparent, she quickly descends into uncontrollable sadness, followed by fits and inexplicable anger.  She acts out...and that's all I'll say.   

The juxtaposition is important here.  Her depression deepens while she's at her wedding, an occasion specifically planned and designed to promote her happiness.  It also doesn't hurt that her family is ridiculously rich, holding the wedding in an opulent mansion surrounded by vast, beautiful grounds.  Yet, it is in this very moment that her depression overtakes her and, in the course of the night, she destroys almost every aspect of her life -- her young marriage, her career, etc. 

Through all of this, she is doted on by her sister Claire (played by Charlotte Gainsboug, who is also great in the film), who is, at least at first, a calming, mature presence, perhaps the most stable element of Justine's life.    Their respective roles will change as the movie progresses.

I have to admit that this first part of the movie -- the wedding part -- was a bit frustrating initially.  I simply didn't get what Justine's problem was.  It wasn't until I realized that the movie was specifically about depression as a concept -- not just a single depressed person -- that I started to catch on.  

In the second half of the movie, Justine's depression has worsened.  She moves in with her sister and is increasingly unable to function due to her sickness.  

At the same time, everyone else is preoccupied with the approach of Melancholia -- the aforementioned planetary harbinger of destruction.  Claire in particular is worried, though her husband (played by Kiefer Sutherland) repeatedly tells her there's nothing to worry about.  You see, these people didn't see the prologue.  They have been told that Melancholia will just pass our planet by, giving us Earthlings a spectacular show in the sky, but no lasting effects.

The fact that audience knows what's going to happen -- I'm not giving anything away here, this is all made known in the first eight minutes -- allows them to look upon the character's emotions with objectivity instead of suspense.  As the planet approaches, Justine becomes invigorated and her depression begins to subside.  Claire, on the other hand, becomes paralyzed by fear and anxiety. 

All of this leads toward a climax that is, in a word, exhilarating.  Few movies are able to pull such disparate elements together into and ending so cohesive and satisfying.  I'm not saying that it's profound in its message or themes -- I'm not really sure whether that's the case.  I'm referring mostly to the broad use symbolism, imagery, and narrative to create a singular feeling in the end.  It's a very impressive achievement.

Like I said, it's hard to explain this movie.  It's obviously trying to speak to the impact of depression.  I think it probably is also trying to say something about the meaning of human emotions -- all human emotions -- in a vast universe wherein an individual life -- indeed an entire planet full of life -- is but a tiny bump in the road.  I think I'd have to see it a few more times to get a firm grasp on what it's trying to say.  

But, I do know that Melancholia earns its emotional stripes.  The writer-director -- the insane and controversial Lars von Trier -- is reaching for something beautiful and awe-inspiring.  And, though he may have bitten of a tad more than he can chew, he's eventually able to digest almost all of it.  

NOTE: The first clip I'll put down is the entire prologue.  If you're going to watch it, make you sure enlarge it to get a sense of what I'm talking about.