Melancholia

Chains of electrons gravitating towards the immense Melancholia.
No. These are not super powers.

     The indie film scene is not one that is densely populated-- that's for sure. Independent theaters show their fair share of them, but aside from low rate broadcasting, they are far from popular. That said, it is much easier to be a big fish surrounded by little fish than a larger fish surrounded by other large fish... or something along those lines. What I mean by that is being outlandish and different comes easy to films who enter the meager category of indie films. Considering the explosion of popularity surround the movie industry, being different is extremely beneficial to success. If people are intrigued by how unusual the film is, they are more likely to encourage their friends to check it out. Like it's indie peers, Melancholia is a story that has a deep, emotional, complex meaning; all of which is hidden under multiple layers of outstanding acting and excellent cinematography.
     Contrary to its general mien, this movie starts out quite cheerfully. Just married, Justine, played by Kirsten Dunst, and her fiancee have a celebration dinner at her brother-in-law's (played by Kiefer Sutherland) estate in the country. Claire, Justine's sister, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg, tries to use the opportunity to reassemble the frayed relationship between the sisters, but she finds that this task will not be easy as crisis inevitably ensues. Melancholia, a super-planet, comes (inexplicably out of nowhere) into the Solar System and hurls right by Earth. The presumption is that Melancholia will continue in its original trajectory, but this assumption is soon found false.
     This movie's story-line is exceptional because of the new territory it's not afraid to venture into. Few movies accurately assess how trivial our existence truly is. Without giving too much away, this movie ends rather abruptly with the complete destruction of the planet Earth. Done. Gone. There is no escape vessel, no spontaneously rising continent a la 2012, no special hiding spot; Earth is gone. One's first thought when hearing this is, "Well, that could never happen, so, this movie is pointless." Justified as it may be, one has to go past the inhibitions their ignorance places on them and delve into a deeper level of thought. The "what if's..." of life are always referred to as the means for arguing for the sake of arguing, but this entire movie is based on the sole question, "What if we all just up and died?" It's a good question! And, unlike many movies, Melancholia causes it's viewers to think existentially. When you actually stop and think, you realize that as advanced as we have to come to be, we have left absolutely no mark on this universe aside from telescopes that could easy be smashed to bits by free-flying asteroids if they were to be left unmanned. I, personally, love to think big ideas, so this movie is really sweet brain-candy for me.
     Existentialism and meaning aside, the acting in this movie is really something to take note of. Lately, playing a woman with a stigmatized mental disorder has become extremely popular. Whether it be Carrie Matheson from Homeland or Temple Grandin from Temple Grandin (Yes, they are the same actress), mental disease is becoming an increasingly popular trend in entertainment. The manic-depressed Justine is aware of her unstable mental condition but pays it no attention. She is not concerned that on the happiest day of her life, she can barely lift herself from bed. Kirsten Dunst took this role seriously and that effort is shown in some incredible monologues that just left me in awe. Claire, the cliche worried sister, trying to rehabilitate her best friend, plays her role very well. I would have preferred some originality in the character, but for what she was meant to do, she lived up to her own personal standard. The supporting characters had their fair share of lines and acted... sufficiently well. Not to say they were overshadowed by Dunst necessarily, but they were definitely not as noticeable as the director may have hoped.
     The cinematography in this movie was truly phenomenal. Indie films in general tend to have spectacular direction and this one is no exception. Directed by Lars von Trier (also the writer of the story), the shots and lighting and general art direction were stunning. There was one moment in the movie where the Moon, the Sun, and Melancholia all hover at the same level in the sky and cast three origins of light. My description of it is definitely not enough, but really, the direction was stellar.
     This movie is not incredibly violent but has many adult themes to it. Insanity is not something to be taken lightly, especially around children. Some of Justine's actions will definitely surprise and even catch the average viewer off guard. This movie also deals with a short-lived marriage, so if there are problems at home, I would not recommend this as a family activity. High school kids and up, enjoy! This movie explores our existence very openly and without interruption of other plot devices. Many adolescents go through periods of questioning their purpose and destiny, and while this movie may not be an inspiration, it is the canvas of a teenager's mind, in essence; filled with angst and conflict, while outputting a completely different personality. To say the least, self directed deception plays a huge role in this film.
     This movie, as far as I know, has no original book it drew inspiration from. Therefore, there is really no necessary preparation for seeing this movie. One thing to keep in mind, however, when going in to the film is that this is not a happy, go lucky movie about a winner. This movie has a somber message and really forces you to embark on a long journey of self exploration and actually think.


Ratings:
Direction: 4/4 - Stellar.
Acting: 3/4 - While Kirsten Dunst gave a fantastic performance, the other supporting characters left something to be desired.
Casting: 1.5/4 - Yes, this is an indie film, but I saw one person I vaguely recognized besides Kirsten Dunst and at times I was expecting someone to tell me, "The following events occurred between the hours of 4 and 5 A.M."
Effects/Art Direction: 3.5/4 - Refreshing. The way the movie played with lighting effects and the fact that it had an obviously increased aspect ratio really made everything pop. Also, some of the scenes were so beautiful I can still remember them clearly.
Promotion: 1/4 - I have yet to see a commercial or ad for this movie. I heard about it from a friend so someone is spreading the word, but it certainly is not the producers.
Length: 2.5/4 - Unfortunately, this movie does sort of drag along at times. The pace is pretty slow for the entire movie, which is fine, but does inevitably cause some boredom.

Overall Rating: 2.5 STARS/ 4 STARS (Good. Not incredible, but good.)

--Zach Cohen

Here's the trailer: