Melancholia

perhaps most of you have completely missed the point. melancholia is a mental disorder of periods of deep depression and fear and can come and go with no pattern. going from being happy to depressed with no warning.

The last scene was just amazing.

In any film involving the destruction of the globe, we know that, if it is not to be saved, there must be a "money shot" depicting the actual cataclysm. I doubt any could do better than von Trier does here. There are no tidal waves. No animals fleeing through burning forests. No skyscrapers falling. None of that easy stuff. No, there is simply a character standing on a hill and staring straight at the impending doom, as von Trier shows it happening in what logically must be slow motion, with a fearsome preliminary merging of planetary atmospheres.

It's the end. Excellent movie

Luckily I gathered some information before watching this movie. It helped me understand quite a lot. With this information I have to say that this is a really good movie. On first sight, it's a Sci-Fi thing with beautiful imagery, but as soon as you take a closer look it's all a big metaphor for describing the feeling of melancholia and depression.

The opposite reactions of two sisters facing the end of the world. Gainsbourg's character is relatively full of life and survival instincts, and understandably goes on an hysteric rampage. On the other hand, Dunst's character is a chronic depressive, facing the apocalypse with subdued resignation if not a sense of peace. Some scenes even suggest she may even have attracted the planet Melancholia towards Earth, much like how depression can engulf and destroy everything and everyone around you.

The first part is undeniably the most exhilarating, being both hilarious in its presentation of silly characters and heartbreakingly poignant in highlighting the protagonist's depression and instability in relation to the expectations of her peers. Healthy people impose happiness on her, continuously reprimanding her lack of appreciation of the luck in her life. On the other hand, equally depressed individuals tend to minimize her condition, claiming everyone has their own battles to fight and that it's time for her to snap out of it.

The second part slows down considerably, and given the fact that the gorgeous opening of the film has already spoiled the ending, we are kind of left there waiting for it to happen. Initially, the focus is on Gainsbourg's character taking care of Dunst's, transitioning from her critical tone in the first part to a more neutral and respectful approach. However, as the end approaches, the roles reverse, offering consolation to us depressives who have caused trouble to our friends and families all our lives. When the apocalypse arrives, because it will, it will be our time to comfort and lead our loved ones in the face of the inevitable.

The film itself feels somewhat disjointed, and if you didn't enjoy it, it probably means you are healthier than you thought. Good for you! Personally, I couldn't handle the numerous parallels to real-life situations, even with all the grotesque overtone added by Von Trier.

Unfortunately, all the visually stunning scenes are concentrated in the first gorgeous minutes of the film, leaving us a bit thirsty for more during the rest.

Sometimes a movie is a cerebral experience and sometimes it is an experience. This film was quite the latter. The film - especially the second of two parts - was visually and emotionally stunning. I felt like I was in the final scene, both full of emotion and emotionless at the same time.   A truly amazing experience. 

A lot of people found the first half of the movie unnecessary. I completely disagree. The title of the film is Melancholia after all and the first half of the film shows the state of mind of every character in the film and adds motive and explanation to the reason they do the things they do in the second half of the movie. Maybe I just feel this way having experienced this sort of crippling depression but I actually enjoyed the set up the first act took us through. The second half, as most people have already explained, is where the "action" takes place and certainly adds quite nicely to the tension and intricacies we saw in the beginning. Great movie that will have you thinking about it long after it ends.

The most disturbing shot of a woman’s body and the best depiction of the end of the world, that’s it.

First part is demanding if you are to sugarcoat it, second part is worth the wait though.