by Sarah Cope

Melancholia has been hugely overshadowed by the comments of its director, Lars von Trier, at the
Cannes film festival earlier this year. Von Trier said he felt “sympathy” with Hitler, and in so doing caused a furore that meant his film wasn’t given the attention it deserved. This is a shame,because here is a film that deserves to be seen, and is at its best on the big screen.

When reviewing a film, the first thing to bear in mind is not to give away the ending. However, von Trier opens the film with the ending, so discussing it won’t be giving too much away. It is quite literally an ending: the end of the world, which is depicted simply, devastatingly and with a sweeping Wagner soundtrack. Viewers might be reminded slightly of Space Odyssey 2001 at this point. It is certainly one of the most arresting opening scenes of any film I have ever seen.

The film is then split into two sections, ‘Justine’ and ‘Claire’, named after the two sisters around whom the story revolves. Played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg respectively, the actresses give their best performances to date, although we never learn why the former has an American accent, the latter an English one.

The first section takes place on the night of Justine’s wedding. Claire has organised the event meticulously on her sister’s behalf, and takes great offence that her sister is unable to enter into the spirit of things due to her depression. “But I smile and I smile and I smile!” laments Justine, to which Claire rather unkindly comments “You’re lying to us all.” Claire’s husband John (Kiefer Sutherland) only adds to Justine’s woes when, commenting on the fact that he has paid for the event, states “You better be goddamn happy. Do you have any idea how much this party cost me?”

The depiction of the wedding is excruciating in its awkward accuracy, and serves to highlight the interminable, never-ending nature of many of these events. The speeches, cutting of the cake, the first dance, the launching of the paper lanterns; the sisters’ curmudgeonly mother (played by a woefully underutilised Charlotte Rampling) speaks for us all when she inappropriately comments, “Enjoy it while it lasts. I myself hate marriages.”

This section of the film is filmed entirely using hand-held cameras. This perhaps helps to convey the drunken nature of the event, but this viewer at least found the effect literally dizzying, meaning I had to look away at times I would have preferred not to have.

The second section opens with an intensely depressed Justine turning up to stay with her sister, her brother-in-law and her nephew, Leo. The depiction of depression is uniquely moving; the simple scene where Claire tries to get an almost catatonic Justine into the bath – and fails – is one of the most remarkable moments in the film.

But there’s a problem bigger than Justine’s mental illness that is overshadowing the lives of the family, and which is particularly worrying Claire, despite her husband’s constant reassurances. The planet Melancholia is heading for earth, and it is unsure whether the planets will collide. Viewers of course have an advantage, having already seen that this is indeed what is going to happen. This may sound like a contrived, over-dramatic and unbelievable plot, but being contained as it is inside a film that is searingly realist, the sense of panic is entirely believable and the two sisters’ reactions to the impending end of the world is telling. Justine, struggling with her depression, declares that “the earth is evil. We don’t need to grieve for it. Nobody will miss it.”, whereas, as a mother, Claire simply ponders “where will Leo grow up?”

A few jarring notes towards the end of the film only mar it slightly. Why don’t the family, who live somewhat remotely, seek out other people and try to find out what’s happening? The electricity has failed, and neither car will start – this was particularly heavy-handed – but the stable of horses would’ve meant they could ride to the nearby village; surely this would have been the natural
instinct?

The denouement is no surprise but it is incredible in its power, and for this reason I recommend you
see it on the big screen rather than watching it on DVD. Best of all, see it alone. You will walk out
into the street under the spell of this magnificent film, and the spell won’t be broken until next you
speak to someone else. And that’s the best thing you can ever say about a film.

Melancholia is out now on general release.