I didn’t see a thread on this movie so I thought I’d start one.
Saw this movie 2 nights ago. Still haunting me. Maybe Lars von Trier movies are like that. Anyway, IMHO it was intense and moving and comforting all rolled into one. But then again, like Kirsten Dunst’s character Justine, I am very sick right now (bipolar out of control). I loved the way three very different characters dealt with a situation in three very different ways. Mr. dw8 (video geek) says it looked like it was done on video with a hand held camera. It sure felt like I was there, in the thick of it. Strong imagery. Great performance by Dunst (she won the female award at Cannes).
If, every once in awhile, you want to see something different, then give it a shot. But be patient. Not a huge amount of action, that’s for sure. But very thought-provoking and meaningful. Dunst’s moments of clarity were luminous (for me, at least).
Go. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
von Trier’s movies do have a way of sticking with you, even if you don’t care for them. Really, try to forget Antichrist. :eek:
I did like Melancholia though.
I think it’s ok (per the rules) to bring back this half a zombie?
I just watched this earlier this week and I just can’t quit thinking about it. I’ve never been a huge fan of Kirsten Dunst, but she was magnificent. Of course I was furious with her in the beginning over her treatment of my future ex-husband Alexander Skarsgard but I got over it and got into the movie.
It’s definitely not for everyone and like the OP states, it’s not exactly action packed but it is deeply character driven. I really liked that it stayed with this one family and didn’t fall into the “let’s see how the entire world is dealing with this and revel in mass panic!” that so many end of the world type movies spiral into.
Definitely worth a watch IMHO.
While watching Melancholia, all my usual BS-detector alarm bells were going off: pretentious, overindulgent, over-dramatic music, forced aura of depth/incommunicability. A lot of the things that get me with Darren Aronofsky movies. That said, I also can’t erase the movie from my mind. I think I loved it.
Good movie. I’m glad they didn’t screw it up at the end by…you know what I mean.
And the opening sequence with the extreme slo-mo images is fantastic.
‘It sticks with you’ seems to be a common refrain among people who’ve seen “Melancholia”. Same with me. I was still doing some serious reflecting on it days after seeing it.
I love this thread, thank you all. Melancholia is a beautiful, delicate, fragile movie, magnificent and intimate at the same time. Its images and ideas are haunting and worm their way into your psyche.
I saw it twice in the theater and the 2nd time was even more emotional, because I understood more of what was happening, especially with Dunst’s character. As someone who suffered from depression in the 90’s, to the extent where I too would disappear at parties and sit in a dark room, I got what was going on with her. To cheer up after learning the world is ending is perfectly understandable too. She was often a bitch, but I liked her anyway. Look at the mom they had to deal with! No wonder she was messed up.
I also think the beginning is one of the most beautiful sequences in film.
I wasn’t as pleased with the flick, and expressed as much here =)
Did Kiefer Sutherland’s character kill himself with pills in the stable when he realized (or maybe he knew all along) that Melancholia was going to destroy Earth?
Yes. It seemed to me that he didn’t know all along, though. When Claire came out in the morning and he was looking through the telescope his entire mood had changed. He checked a couple more times and then sat down and looked stunned. The next thing we know, he’s gone.
I’m honestly not trying to talk you into liking it and I get why you feel the way you do, but a few of your points are what I like to call “Doper Nitpickery” IMHO.
Thoughts on some of your negatives:
[ul]
[li]I don’t understand the need to have the sisters both have the same accent. I think we often think we need every single thing spelled out in movies which is a pet peeve of mine. There seems to be an age difference between the sisters and Justine seems to be demanding Daddy’s attention a lot. Perhaps they were not raised together? I guess I don’t understand why it’s any more of an issue than the fact that they look absolutely nothing alike. IMHO it detracts nothing from the characters.[/li][li]Although they don’t spell it out for us, I think we’re supposed to understand that Justine has some variety of mental illness which would be the logic and or reason for her wedding oddness instead of just plain ol’ impulse control. You even say that she is a “total nut job” so I’m not sure why that’s not logical? There are small conversations between characters during the wedding that lend themselves to her issues without getting specific about what her issues are. Also, in the second half of the movie we clearly see her in full breakdown form.[/li][li]Also, as an audience I think we’re supposed to see the wedding taking place before the planet hits, but the characters don’t seem to be feeling that way. Only later do we find out that Claire is nervous about the planet while nobody mentions it at all during the wedding.[/li][li]Why would a smallish bed & breakfast have generators for light? I’m glad they didn’t have them turn on a radio so that we could have those mass hysteria scenes designed to draw us away from this family and their tragedy. I don’t need to hear how the rest of the world is dealing with it. Those are better left for movies like Armageddon and Independence Day. Also, what difference would it make to turn on the radio? Claire found a site saying it definitely would hit. Her husband was following scientists who said it would not. As he mentioned after the first pass of the planet there is always a margin of error. Turning on the radio won’t solve the issue, just let you know it’s coming. I was fine with how they figured it out.[/li][/ul]
Just my two cents.