Melancholia (2011)

[poppa Q]

New "sci fi disaster" film (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1527186/) from Lars von Trier. Kirsten Dunst has been cast (http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/lars-von-trier-taps-dunst-for-melancholia/) as the lead. Not a lot of information available currently, but LvT working a "sci fi / disaster" flick should be pretty cool. Not to mention seeing how Dunst handles getting von Trier'd.

[IAmNietzche]

Nooooooooo, not snaggletooth!

[Wake Up]

The cast looks ridiculous. Although I am interested in this "science fiction tale" he's setting out to do.

Kirsten Dunst
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Kiefer Sutherland
Charlotte Rampling
Alexander Skarsgaard
Stellan Skarsgaard
Udo Kier

[Gumbyjag]

wonder what the plotline is

[Wake Up]

wonder what the plotline is

It gets as vague as "The film deals with a variety of people trying to cope with the death of the planet. "

[Gumbyjag]

It gets as vague as "The film deals with a variety of people trying to cope with the death of the planet. "

hmm yeah pretty vague indeed.

[marrost]

Nooooooooo, not snaggletooth!so shitty.

[Guern1ca]

Lame. Dunst is, not only unpleasant to look at, but a terrible actress. Hopefully someone blood-cums on her in this one so I can get a good chuckle out of myself.

[Guern1ca]

Full cast is locked down.

Lars von Trier has completed casting on his new disaster movie Melancholia (http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/film/4600), adding John Hurt (pictured below) to a cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling and Charlotte Gainsbourg, who won the best actress prize in Cannes last year with von Trier's shocker Antichrist. Father and son Stellan and Alexander Skarsgard as well as von Trier regular Udo Kier complete the cast of the $7.5 million production, which starts shooting July 19 in Trollhattan, Sweden. Peter A. Jensen, head of von Trier's production firm, Zentropa, and an executive producer on the project, described Melancholia as a "beautiful film about the end of the world," but was cagey about disclosing any plot points. He would only hint that the story hinged on a "large object from outer space approaching Earth" that affects the planet's inhabitants."

[PaperRival-Jake]

Lame. Dunst is, not only unpleasant to look at, but a terrible actress. Hopefully someone blood-cums on her in this one so I can get a good chuckle out of myself.

She has the ability to take me out of some movies, but I thought she was pretty great in eternal sunshine.

[IAmNietzche]

Full cast is locked down.
Great, Von Trier is making Deep Impact 2 with Snaggletooth and Jack Bauer.

[Guern1ca]

Great, Von Trier is making Deep Impact 2 with Snaggletooth and Jack Bauer.
Yeah, no idea where the heck he's going with it, haha.

[marrost]

I hope that John Hurt is the large object from outer space.

[alice+interiors]

Armageddon II

[eraserhead]

what the f

[showmethefever]

Bumped for what the fuck is Dunst and Sutherland doing in a von Trier film reasons. Not sure how this will turn out.

[Thomas Balkcom]

Filming has begun.
(http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/07/29/lars-von-trier-begins-filming-melancholia-reveals-vague-plot-details/)

[showmethefever]

I'm not sure how I feel about this, torn I guess. I love Lars von Trier, but I'm not a fan of the casting in this. I'll definitely see it, so we'll just have to see how it goes.

[IAmNietzche]

First thing Saturday morning I was fortunate enough to be present at a screening of the first promo for Lars Von Trier's upcoming science fiction apocalypse film Melancholia. In short, it is gorgeous - instantly recognizable as Von Trier's work and very likely the most commercial iteration of his talent that we have seen yet. This in no way implies that he has dumbed things down, just that the wild transgressions of Antichrist are not present here - where they would be entirely inappropriate - and that the imagery is so beautiful that this is a film that you could clearly cut one hell of a trailer for.

I'm not going to go too much into specifics but the promo makes it very clear that Kirsten Dunst's character will be the focal point here with the likes of John Hurt, Alexander Skarsgard and Charlotte Gainsbourg filling secondary roles. The premise is simply enough - a planet hidden behind the sun emerges on a collision course with the Earth - and a family must come to terms with the inevitability of what is to come. Though firmly grounded in reality there are a lot of special effects in this and they are integrated seamlessly, shots of static electricity arcing off skin and dead birds falling from the sky in super slow motion being particularly effective.

Also, looks like his next film will be entitled Nymphomaniac and will revolve around a "woman who discovers her eroticism". Von Trier's past depictions of women coupled with the fact that his production company Zentropa now produces hardcore porn makes this seem like it could be pretty nuts.

[Ravenna]

any word if this is premiering at Cannes? if so, with this and The Tree of Life, could be one of the strongest years in a while.

[DickfaceChillah]

any word if this is premiering at Cannes? if so, with this and The Tree of Life, could be one of the strongest years in a while.

And don't forget rumored films like Alexander Payne's The Descendants and Pedro fuckin' Almodovar's revenge picture The Skin I Inhabit.

If all four of these films play, I'd kill to go.

[Ravenna]

And don't forget rumored films like Alexander Payne's The Descendants and Pedro fuckin' Almodovar's revenge picture The Skin I Inhabit.

If all four of these films play, I'd kill to go.
Almodovar doesn't really float my boat, but either way its looking like its going to be a far better year than last year's festival.

[Smash Adams]

trailer
22072654

Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) are celebrating their marriage at a sumptuous party in the home of her sister (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and brother-in-law (Kiefer Sutherland). Meanwhile, the planet, Melancholia, is heading towards Earth… MELANCHOLIA is a psychological disaster movie from director Lars von Trier.

[projectmayhem16]

It has my interest..

[Ravenna]

wasn't quite what I was expecting, but still looks great.

[Gaugzilla]

This looks absolutely ridiculous.

[SlappedActor]

Trailer made me lol, although I doubt that was the intention.

[Shakriel]

Not sure what to think after seeing that trailer, except the music is generic as hell.

[DickfaceChillah]

My God, Von Trier's visual style has been improving dramatically within the past few years. I love this bizarre cast. I love this trailer. Gahhh.

[terrycw89]

I can't wait for this. Hopefully von Trier was able to pull good performances from the cast (especially Dunst).

[x1onexwo1fx]

i want to see this.

also, all i've seen of his so far is Dancer in the Dark. where should i go next?

[IAmNietzche]

i want to see this.

also, all i've seen of his so far is Dancer in the Dark. where should i go next?
Antichrist

[Ravenna]

haha. I might say Antichrist should be last, but Lars isn't really a director you can prepare for. I'd go for anything he's made post Europa.

[danielineffigy]

Saw the trailer for the first time today on IMDB. My interest is peaked but it's not what I was expecting at all after Antichrist.

[stayillogical]

i want to see this.

also, all i've seen of his so far is Dancer in the Dark. where should i go next?

Serious answer: watch Dogville. The best.

[stayillogical]

No? Must be the only von Trier you've seen, yeah?

I'm confused as to how no one has been able to reset your account. I saw you tell Drew about it on twitter, what's the hold up?!

[DickfaceChillah]

Serious answer: watch Dogville. The best.

I always recommend this film when people tell me how terrible they think Kidman is. It doesn't help my cause, but it's fantastic.

[Thomas Balkcom]

http://i2.blogs.indiewire.com/images/blogs/theplaylist/archives/Melancholia_poster.jpg

[DickfaceChillah]

That poster is fucking gorgeous.

[terrycw89]

I love that it resembles a wedding invitation, but I think they could have come up with a better design.

[terrycw89]

Trying to avoid most of the reactions, but the few that I've seen insist that this is one of the better films in competition.

[Ismael182]

Here's a reaction.

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/05/18/cannes-film-festival-lars-von-trier-melancholia-terrence-malick/

Movie is gonna be sooo good.

[Gaugzilla]

That poster looks terrible.

[jbaseball44]

interesting reviews so far, apparently he (von trier) made some comments about being a nazi that irked a lot of people. haven't actually seen/read the comments though.

[Smash Adams]

At a news conference for his new film "Melancholia," starring Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg as sisters, he said that he at one point "really wanted to be a Jew, and then I found out that I was really a Nazi, because, you know, my family was German. Which also gave me some pleasure."
He added: "What can I say? I understand Hitler, but I think he did some wrong things, yes, absolutely. But I can see him sitting in his bunker in the end. ... He's not what you would call a good guy, but I understand much about him, and I sympathize with him a little bit. But come on, I'm not for the Second World War, and I'm not against Jews...I am very much for Jews. No, not too much, because Israel is a pain in the butt."


then he retracted with:
“If I have hurt someone this morning by the words I said at the press conference, I sincerely apologize,” Von Trier said in a statement. “I am not antisemitic or racially prejudiced in any way, nor am I a Nazi.”

[projectmayhem16]

Here's an article on it: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lars-von-trier-admits-being-189747

[jbaseball44]

apparently he's now officially banned from cannes

[Smash Adams]

LayW8aq4GLw
and a video, Kirsten looks so confused

[stayillogical]

LOL. It's so clearly a joke he can't get out of the entire time. The guy just can't tell a joke, the run on sentence reminded me of Michael Scott.

[deadkidsean]

I don't understand why anyone is surprised by his antics anymore.

[jbaseball44]

that was rough to watch

[Mitch]

LOL. It's so clearly a joke he can't get out of the entire time. The guy just can't tell a joke, the run on sentence reminded me of Michael Scott.

Hahaha seriously.

[terrycw89]

Dunst won best actress at Cannes. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1389774/Kirsten-Dunst-conquers-Cannes-Film-Festival-takes-best-actress-award-despite-Nazi-comments-director.html?ito=feeds-newsxml)

[Smash Adams]

Which is a phrase I never thought I'd read

[terrycw89]

This is the third time LVT has directed someone to a best actress win at Cannes.

[Smash Adams]

http://thefilmstage.com/trailer/lars-von-triers-melancholia-uk-trailer/
new UK trailer

[Gaugzilla]

Will see it because it's supposed to be great, will stay for the boobs.

[Bloodsucker II]

not sure if this one was posted

JCUdy1nUqrg

[thesafeword]

This just needs to be released already, can't wait.

[terrycw89]

This just needs to be released already, can't wait.

I'm pretty sure it'll be on demand October 7th or somewhere near there.

[terrycw89]

Tragic and beautiful. I had such an uneasy, tense feeling throughout the second half. Partly due to Charlotte Gainsbourg and Kirsten Dunst, who was so much better than I could have ever imagined. The entire movie was gorgeous, from the surreal 8 minute opening to the very end. I feel like I had fairly high expectations, but this was still much better than I thought it would be.

[thesafeword]

How/where did you see this?

[terrycw89]

Screener leaked.

[ominousfog]

Well Antichrist is my second favorite movie, and yeah, boobs, so I'll be seeing this.

[RealRocker]

It is your second favourite movie? Do you have a list, like a league table? Hmm, I wonder what your first is.

[ominousfog]

It is your second favourite movie? Do you have a list, like a league table? Hmm, I wonder what your first is.
What exactly is a league table? And Jurassic Park.

[NKYVox]

Can't believe a screener of this already leaked a month and a half before release...huge blow for a hyped indie movie.

[terrycw89]

Can't believe a screener of this already leaked a month and a half before release...huge blow for a hyped indie movie.

It's going to be on demand in 2 weeks.

[NKYVox]

Studios need to wise up and stop doing that...it just adds to easier piracy.

[irthesteve]

so what's the general consensus on von Trier's other films? I haven't seen any, but was reading about them on wiki. All seem very interesting, but very weird and intense... opinions?

[deadkidsean]

There is no general consensus on him.

[jbaseball44]

so what's the general consensus on von Trier's other films? I haven't seen any, but was reading about them on wiki. All seem very interesting, but very weird and intense... opinions?
dogville is the one you want to watch next (his best in my opinion)

[CstSnow]

Don't want to give anything at all away so spoiler it is..

Didn't love part 1, except for the intro which was stunning. But part 2 was so so good. Dunst seemingly is getting all of the praise, and she was good enough I guess, but Gainsbourg was amazing, her heartbreak when she realized that they weren't actually safe was so intense, so palpable. Probably even more so contrasted with how well she played the relief when she thought that they were safe. So damn good.

[CstSnow]

dogville is the one you want to watch next (his best in my opinion)

Agreed, Dogville is brilliant.

[aolsux]

just finished watching.... spellbinding

better than Tree of Life

ATTN CstSnow: I liked part 1 more than 2, but that impact at the end was just breathtaking and I agree about the second Claire realizes with the wire tool that she's doomed is one of the most cinematically frantic moments ever captured

[CstSnow]

just finished watching.... spellbinding

better than Tree of Life

ATTN CstSnow: I liked part 1 more than 2, but that impact at the end was just breathtaking and I agree about the second Claire realizes with the wire tool that she's doomed is one of the most cinematically frantic moments ever captured

I think I will enjoy part 1 a lot more upon second viewing. I had heard that part 2 was where all the planet colliding/more sci fi elements came into play so I was probably a little impatient waiting for that to start.

[aolsux]

I think I will enjoy part 1 a lot more upon second viewing. I had heard that part 2 was where all the planet colliding/more sci fi elements came into play so I was probably a little impatient waiting for that to start.

but I also loved how it wasn't even an element of the story for the the wedding. How varying levels of melancholy played a part in the first part - like, and maybe it's a stretch but - like the planet should do, Michael comes so close to being in Justines life, but as she says to him "what did you expect?" when he leaves and deflects him away. In part 2, the planet should follow the same format, but instead collides.

[terrycw89]

but I also loved how it wasn't even an element of the story for the the wedding. How varying levels of melancholy played a part in the first part - like, and maybe it's a stretch but - like the planet should do, Michael comes so close to being in Justines life, but as she says to him "what did you expect?" when he leaves and deflects him away. In part 2, the planet should follow the same format, but instead collides.

Throughout the second half, I couldn't stop thinking about how Melancholia/Earth was mirroring what happened with Justine/Michael. But, I couldn't decide if, like you said, the endings differed or if the collision of the planets represented the destruction of their marriage.

[chrislauren]

Watching right now. Is this going to fuck with me as much as Antichrist did?

[Vincewithouthee]

Liked Dogville, hated Anti-Christ for the most part. We'll see how this is.

[Shakriel]

Hope to watch this tomorrow or Thursday.

[chrislauren]

Holy shit is all i have to say. That was amazing and horrifying.

[dash64]

Just finished it. Wow, the last scene. The whole film was just beautiful in every way.

[domotime2]

better than Drive, better than Tree of Life.....

I CANT BELIEVE THAT WAS AVAILABLE ON DEMAND!!!!!!!! WHAT A STEAL!!!!!!!!!!

the last image alone was worth it.

[Wake Up]

silly. grating. "pretty" for all of 10 minutes. thanks trier.

[I am Mick]

FINALLY got around to seeing this, didn't like it as much as I had hoped to. First ten minutes are gorgeous, last forty minutes are intense...the rest didn't do anything for me.

And don't really get all the praise for Dunst, liked Gainsbourg more.

[Poptones]

Anyone else notice the "19" on the golf course? How many times did Kiefer Sutherland say that there were only 18 holes on the golf course? It's a symbol of how everything he said in the film about Melancholia had no validity.

I think the entire message of the film was the pointlessness of life on Earth. The first half of the film had so many symbols-from the car not going down the path properly. That symbolized Kirsten Dunst's mindset. She would never be able to drive down the straight and narrow of life. The wedding disaster, again, a tradition that at the core of it meant nothing. It was about how celebrating anything in this life is worthless because in the end, we lose everything.

[Stephen Chamberlain]

Anyone else notice the continuity error where Kiefer Sutherland dumps his mother-in-law's luggage in front of the house and then when the servant picks the stuff up it's in another place?

[irthesteve]

That ending was the best part of the movie, definitely

[Stephen Chamberlain]

Good but third-tier von Trier.

[irthesteve]

i didn't quite understand why the horses/car couldn't cross that bridge...

[RuckerPark]

the fuck did i just watch?

i think i may add it to the category of "Great movies to never see" or "Great movies to watch with a handful of xanax"
other movies in said category:
Blue Valentine
21 Grams
Revolutionary Road.

[Ravenna]

on second viewing, might be my second or third favourite von Trier film. there really wasn't anything that didn't work for me.

[jawstheme]

the fuck did i just watch?

i think i may add it to the category of "Great movies to never see" or "Great movies to watch with a handful of xanax"
other movies in said category:
Blue Valentine
21 Grams
Revolutionary Road.

I like all of those movies, especially Blue Valentine.

I'm really looking forward to this. I love von Trier.

[Poptones]

i didn't quite understand why the horses/car couldn't cross that bridge...

Animal instincts. The Kirsten Dunst character also had animal instincts (she knew the planet was coming soon).

I love films like this with all kinds of symbolism.

[narcoleptic953]

the fuck did i just watch?

i think i may add it to the category of "Great movies to never see" or "Great movies to watch with a handful of xanax"
other movies in said category:
Blue Valentine
21 Grams
Revolutionary Road.

Is the general opinion that Revolutionary Road and Blue Valentine are similar movies? In my mind, I think the latter was everything that Revolutionary Road wasn't.

[IceAge/HeatWave]

god this movie was fucking abysmal. the characters were barely human, the dialogue was a joke, the science of the apocalypse was fumbled (even if you suspend a huge amount of disbelief), and the fucking planet that was going to fucking end the goddamned earth was fucking called 'melancholia'. this was something taken our of a 14 year old's creative writing class journal. utter shit. there is absolutely nothing positive that i took away from this film.

and yeah, the effects were pretty cool. but we have Tree of Life for that.

[aolsux]

god this movie was fucking abysmal. the characters were barely human, the dialogue was a joke, the science of the apocalypse was fumbled (even if you suspend a huge amount of disbelief), and the fucking planet that was going to fucking end the goddamned earth was fucking called 'melancholia'. this was something taken our of a 14 year old's creative writing class journal. utter shit. there is absolutely nothing positive that i took away from this film.

and yeah, the effects were pretty cool. but we have Tree of Life for that.
Uh, no. The characters had complete depth. In the sense that I felt that the Claire/Justine relationship felt natural, not forced at all. The dialogue was perfect, completely spot-on. The science behind it made enough sense to me and I really don't know too much about astrophysics, but they did a decent job explaining it. Granted it is a science fiction, so some suspended disbelief in required. Melancholia was the perfect title for the planet. Are you familiar with the four temperaments?

I cannot believe this got completely snubbed. It was my favorite of the year.

[narcoleptic953]

Uh, no. The characters had complete depth. In the sense that I felt that the Claire/Justine relationship felt natural, not forced at all. The dialogue was perfect, completely spot-on. The science behind it made enough sense to me and I really don't know too much about astrophysics, but they did a decent job explaining it. Granted it is a science fiction, so some suspended disbelief in required. Melancholia was the perfect title for the planet. Are you familiar with the four temperaments?

I cannot believe this got completely snubbed. It was my favorite of the year.

Really, you can't believe that? When has the Academy ever gone for Von Trier?

[brandon_260]

I should watch this again. Didn't care for Part 1, but I loved Part 2.

[jawstheme]

Just got back from this. Liked it a lot.

[aolsux]

Go buy it today on Blu-ray

[I am Mick]

The more I think about it, the more I hate this.

[aolsux]

The more I think about it, the more I hate this.
damn, tough criticism based in no explanation, care to elaborate?

[aolsux]

for everyone else:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Melancholia-Blu-ray/35089/#Review
if you need more convincing that you need to own this

[PAPER R1VAL]

the fuck did i just watch?

i think i may add it to the category of "Great movies to never see" or "Great movies to watch with a handful of xanax"
other movies in said category:
Blue Valentine
21 Grams
Revolutionary Road.

This.

And I'd like to add another Lars von Trier movie to that list: Anti-Christ.

[XEmoBoyShandorX]

the fuck did i just watch?

i think i may add it to the category of "Great movies to never see" or "Great movies to watch with a handful of xanax"
other movies in said category:
Blue Valentine
21 Grams
Revolutionary Road.
Just watched this thanks to Netflix and this was basically my reaction after it. The last five minutes to me was terrifying, especially as the planet got closer and the rumblings got louder. Then when you see the planet as its impacting with Earth. Chilling.

[brandon_260]

I really want to watch this again.

[Tetragrammaton]

I always think of Melancholia as a child's version of Take Shelter, unable to deal with the deeper themes or true emotions.

[x1onexwo1fx]

I always think of Melancholia as a child's version of Take Shelter, unable to deal with the deeper themes or true emotions.

YES, that's exactly it. Melancholia is great, but Take Shelter is fantastic for those reasons.

[jawstheme]

I need to see Take Shelter. I did like Melancholia a lot.

[IceAge/HeatWave]

i still think this movie was completely trite. i really hated it.

[Tetragrammaton]

i still think this movie was completely trite. i really hated it.

There is really nothing good about it except the nudity.

[jawstheme]

Now you just sound dumb.

[domotime2]

love the movie. top 3 of 2011 without a doubt. never saw "take shelter"

[Tetragrammaton]

Now you just sound dumb.

What value is there in the film, then?

[jawstheme]

What value is there in the film, then?

Acting and photography stood out as very good. Much of the rest is subjective.

[Tetragrammaton]

Acting and photography stood out as very good. Much of the rest is subjective.

It is all subjective. I thought most of the acting was terrible and over-the-top and the von Trier shaky cam gets old.

It is just two-plus hours of Lars von Trier telling us how horrible the world is, calling it evil at one point, and rubbing our noses in misery, as he has for decades. No insight into the human condition or anyone that acts like a recognizable human being.

[jawstheme]

It is all subjective. I thought most of the acting was terrible and over-the-top and the von Trier shaky cam gets old.

It is just two-plus hours of Lars von Trier telling us how horrible the world is, calling it evil at one point, and rubbing our noses in misery, as he has for decades. No insight into the human condition or anyone that acts like a recognizable human being.

Why did you even bother seeing it? Did you think Von Trier had a change of heart? Saying the acting is terrible is just wrong. Its not wholly subjective. Some of us think the insight to the human condition is strangely accurate. Believe it or not, not everybody is like you.

[FullCollaspe]

The more I think about it, the more I hate it [2]

[Tetragrammaton]

Why did you even bother seeing it? Did you think Von Trier had a change of heart? Saying the acting is terrible is just wrong. Its not wholly subjective. Some of us think the insight to the human condition is strangely accurate. Believe it or not, not everybody is like you.

You kind of give it away when you try to chastise me that not everyone is like me then you insist that the acting is objectively good.

I saw Melancholia because Dunst won Best Actress at Cannes and Lars von Trier is a very talented director, albeit one who misuses his skills. He made Dogville, though, so there is hope for the man.

Who acts the way the characters do? How did Dunst get so far as a wedding, her husband played by a man of no personality, if she always acts like that? Since she and her mother are so easily identifiable by mental illness, why would someone act so shocked that they act that way? Lars von Trier's critiques of capitalism are well known, but does anyone believe in the soulless corporate man who hounds her for work on her wedding day? Has there ever been a less sympathetic or personable man than Sutherland's character? If Trier's argument is that depression helps in times of trouble, what good is it if he blows up the world at the end? Why are these people so weirdly closed off from the outside world, anyway? If the world is ending, why does it matter that a depressed person handles an inevitability better?

In the year of The Tree of Life, whose cosmic ambitions and human understanding far outweighed Melancholia, and Take Shelter, which gave us a fascinating insight into the intersection of mental illness and the apocalypse, Melancholia looks even sillier by comparison.

[domotime2]

You kind of give it away when you try to chastise me that not everyone is like me then you insist that the acting is objectively good.

I saw Melancholia because Dunst won Best Actress at Cannes and Lars von Trier is a very talented director, albeit one who misuses his skills. He made Dogville, though, so there is hope for the man.

Who acts the way the characters do? How did Dunst get so far as a wedding, her husband played by a man of no personality, if she always acts like that? Since she and her mother are so easily identifiable by mental illness, why would someone act so shocked that they act that way? Lars von Trier's critiques of capitalism are well known, but does anyone believe in the soulless corporate man who hounds her for work on her wedding day? Has there ever been a less sympathetic or personable man than Sutherland's character? If Trier's argument is that depression helps in times of trouble, what good is it if he blows up the world at the end? Why are these people so weirdly closed off from the outside world, anyway? If the world is ending, why does it matter that a depressed person handles an inevitability better?

In the year of The Tree of Life, whose cosmic ambitions and human understanding far outweighed Melancholia, and Take Shelter, which gave us a fascinating insight into the intersection of mental illness and the apocalypse, Melancholia looks even sillier by comparison.

well i dont think we can make any judgment on the characters because we are only the audience to 2 particular days of their entire lives. We have no idea how Dunst acts on a day to day basis, I mean, she did just get a promotion for a respectable job at the wedding, so clearly she's not completely lost. We definitely do not know if "she always acts like that", in fact, I think it's the contrary, and that these sort of actions are limited in her life. And who says anyone was shocked by the way they acted?

Your critiques are all personal disagreements about how realistic or unrealistic certain characters are. I didn't find Sutherlands character to be un-personable...i found him to be completely realistic to the events that were happening before him.

I thought the movie was eery and beautiful at the same time. Dunst did a terrific job. And it really does sound like you had a bad-impression going into the movie as well, since you stated how you dont care for Von Trier's work.

[jawstheme]

You kind of give it away when you try to chastise me that not everyone is like me then you insist that the acting is objectively good.

I saw Melancholia because Dunst won Best Actress at Cannes and Lars von Trier is a very talented director, albeit one who misuses his skills. He made Dogville, though, so there is hope for the man.

Who acts the way the characters do? How did Dunst get so far as a wedding, her husband played by a man of no personality, if she always acts like that? Since she and her mother are so easily identifiable by mental illness, why would someone act so shocked that they act that way? Lars von Trier's critiques of capitalism are well known, but does anyone believe in the soulless corporate man who hounds her for work on her wedding day? Has there ever been a less sympathetic or personable man than Sutherland's character? If Trier's argument is that depression helps in times of trouble, what good is it if he blows up the world at the end? Why are these people so weirdly closed off from the outside world, anyway? If the world is ending, why does it matter that a depressed person handles an inevitability better?

In the year of The Tree of Life, whose cosmic ambitions and human understanding far outweighed Melancholia, and Take Shelter, which gave us a fascinating insight into the intersection of mental illness and the apocalypse, Melancholia looks even sillier by comparison.

The main difference between our viewpoints of the movie (besides the acting) is that I think these are questions we are left with, and I love that. I can definitely see why this is a polarizing movie, and I can definitely see how someone could hate it. But the acting is not bad, you could argue that the characters are bad.

[Tetragrammaton]

well i dont think we can make any judgment on the characters because we are only the audience to 2 particular days of their entire lives. We have no idea how Dunst acts on a day to day basis, I mean, she did just get a promotion for a respectable job at the wedding, so clearly she's not completely lost. We definitely do not know if "she always acts like that", in fact, I think it's the contrary, and that these sort of actions are limited in her life. And who says anyone was shocked by the way they acted?

Your critiques are all personal disagreements about how realistic or unrealistic certain characters are. I didn't find Sutherlands character to be un-personable...i found him to be completely realistic to the events that were happening before him.

I thought the movie was eery and beautiful at the same time. Dunst did a terrific job. And it really does sound like you had a bad-impression going into the movie as well, since you stated how you dont care for Von Trier's work.

If I recall correctly, Gainsbourg's character pulls Dunst aside and warns her about not acting like she usually does, and Sutherland complains about how she is always like this. Maybe it doesn't go exactly that way, but it was pretty well established she had a history of that kind of behavior. When her husband leaves her, she asks him what he expected to happen.

I give every movie I see a fair shake. Dogville was the first Lars von Trier film I saw, so if anything, I come at his work remembering the good.

[Tetragrammaton]

The difference between our viewpoints of the movie (besides the acting) is that I think these are questions we are left with, and I love that. I can definitely see why this is a polarizing movie, and I can definitely see how someone could hate it. But the acting is not bad, you could argue that the characters are bad.

What questions can be left if the entire human civilization is destroyed, other than science-fiction-y questions about Melancholia the planet.

[jawstheme]

What questions can be left if the entire human civilization is destroyed, other than science-fiction-y questions about Melancholia the planet.

The main question of 'does it matter or not to accept, or be prepared for death before you die?' is tied up in your question. I can't answer your question without answering that impossible question. What does it matter to a single person whether they die or the entire planet gets destroyed?

[Tetragrammaton]

The main question of 'does it matter or not to accept, or be prepared for death before you die?' is tied up in your question. I can't answer your question without answering that impossible question. What does it matter to a single person whether they die or the entire planet gets destroyed?

I didn't see that at all, and I don't know if Lars von Trier is smart enough to ask it. If it was his ideal, his enemy Susanne Bier did it a lot better in After the Wedding. As far as I can tell, Trier's goal was to show human misery and suffering on a larger scale than he did in his previous films. One woman in Dancer in the Dark, a town in Dogville, a race in Manderlay, a gender in Antichrist, and so on. Maybe he will discover alien life in his next film to broaden the scale.

[jawstheme]

I didn't see that at all, and I don't know if Lars von Trier is smart enough to ask it. If it was his ideal, his enemy Susanne Bier did it a lot better in After the Wedding. As far as I can tell, Trier's goal was to show human misery and suffering on a larger scale than he did in his previous films. One woman in Dancer in the Dark, a town in Dogville, a race in Manderlay, a gender in Antichrist, and so on. Maybe he will discover alien life in his next film to broaden the scale.

Except the camera never left one plot of land and a few characters. Seems like a pretty small scale to me. You're seeing what you want to see. And yes, maybe I am too.

[Zee-Brah!]

gayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyy

[Stephen Chamberlain]

-Take Shelter is nothing special, other than the acting.
-Melancholia has more to offer but is not particularly good either.
-Dogville is not von Trier at his best, and is overrated.
-Tetragrammaton, why are you acting as if Dancer in the Dark is where von Trier begins?
-Also, your interpretations of the film -- e.g. "why are these people so weirdly closed off from the outside world" -- are way too literal. You're gonna close yourself off from a lot of the film's thematic/philosophical/metaphorical/whatever offerings if you come at it that way.

[Tetragrammaton]

-Take Shelter is nothing special, other than the acting.
-Melancholia has more to offer but is not particularly good either.
-Dogville is not von Trier at his best, and is overrated.
-Tetragrammaton, why are you acting as if Dancer in the Dark is where von Trier begins?
-Also, your interpretations of the film -- e.g. "why are these people so weirdly closed off from the outside world" -- are way too literal. You're gonna close yourself off from a lot of the film's thematic/philosophical/metaphorical/whatever offerings if you come at it that way.

I chose Dancer in the Dark to keep things recent and show what I feel to be a pattern.

As to closing myself off from a lot of films, I am not too worried about that. I have an extensive base to draw on. I will always have problems where human beings in movies don't act like human beings, however.