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Considering his reputation as controversial trouble-maker, you’d expect Lars Von Trier’s new film Melancholia to be a challenging and outlandish watch. And indeed the first ten minutes, a montage of slow-mo shots accompanied by a Wagnerian score depicting the end of the world, is exactly that. But the rest of the film is unfortunately a bit of a drag, especially surprising given its apocalyptic subject matter.
After the hypnotising opening sequence, the film’s focus shifts to the disastrous wedding of depressed Justine (Kirsten Dunst). Despite the expensive castle setting, loving bridegroom (Alexander Skarsgård) and apparent celebratory atmosphere, things soon go horribly wrong as tensions erupt between her divorced parents (Charlotte Rampling, John Hurt) and long-suffering sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and brother-in-law (Kiefer Sutherland), whilst the bride’s own behaviour becomes increasingly erratic as she fails to keep at bay her melancholy.
In the aftermath of the wedding the film’s focus, along with the characters that remain at the isolated castle, shifts to that of the planet Melancholia and its impending possible collision with planet earth. By placing the personal catastrophe of the wedding alongside the global catastrophe of the apocalypse, Von Trier has essentially made the ultimate disaster movie, only without the tension as the ending is revealed in the film’s opening.
Instead Von Trier is endeavouring to draw attention to more subtle aspects of the apocalypse, in particular the contrasting reactions of depressed Justine and her more balanced sister Claire. Melancholia is true to its name; the characters in it are all miserable, and there is a pervading sense of gloom and doom throughout. But the film is neither profound nor darkly comic as a result of this, but instead can be simply described as a bit dull and empty.
That’s not to say there aren’t good things about Melancholia; Dunst’s performance is disturbingly excellent and deserving of her Cannes award, and though grandiose the opening montage and spectacular ending truly is great cinema. But overall Von Trier fails to portray enough tension, intellectual ideas and dark humour for this laudably ambitious movie to be a success.
See Melancholia at York City Screen. Go to http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/York_Picturehouse/ for more information.
I agree, the second half was dull in comparison to the excellent first half.
Could have done with a it less of Dunst's boobs, too. But that's just me.
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