Melancholia (2011)

Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.

Director:

Lars von Trier

Writer:

Lars von Trier

Stars:

Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland

32 wins & 85 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kirsten Dunst	...	Justine
Charlotte Gainsbourg	...	Claire
Alexander Skarsgård	...	Michael
Brady Corbet	...	Tim
Cameron Spurr	...	Leo
Charlotte Rampling	...	Gaby
Jesper Christensen	...	Little Father
John Hurt	...	Dexter
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Jack
Udo Kier	...	Wedding Planner
Kiefer Sutherland	...	John

Storyline

On the night of her wedding, Justine is struggling to be happy even though it should be the happiest day of her life. It was an extravagant wedding paid for by her sister and brother-in-law who are trying to keep the bride and all the guests in-line. Meanwhile, Melancholia, a blue planet, is hurtling towards the Earth. Claire, Justine's sister, is struggling to maintain composure with fear of the impending disaster.

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Plot Keywords:

depression | outdoor sex | breasts | art director | riding a horse | 

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Taglines:

It will change everything.

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some graphic nudity,sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Denmark Sweden France Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 October 2011 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Melancolía

Filming Locations:

Tjolöholm Castle, Fjärås, Sweden

Box Office

Budget:

$7,400,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$257,174 (USA) (11 November 2011)

Gross:

$3,029,870 (USA) (24 February 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zentropa Entertainments, Memfis Film, Zentropa International Sweden

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stellan Skarsgård and Alexander Skarsgård are real life father and son

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Goofs

Melancholia is said to have "hidden behind the sun", then turn "from black to blue". There are many reasons because of which a close-by celestial object can remain undetected for a long time, but this isn't one of them. An object coming out from behind the sun would have been in full solar light, bright and clearly visible to the naked eye at either dusk or dawn.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Michael: Sir. Eh...
[looking backward]
Michael: Yeah, you're good. You can back up a little more, if you want. I think you need the... I think you need that extra...
Justine: [laughing] I don't think he can hear you.
Michael: Sir. Sir, can you hear me up there?
[fiddling with controls]
Michael: Do you copy, sailor? He's in a different county, I think that's...
Justine: [laughing]

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Connections

Referenced in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.18 (2011)

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Soundtracks

LA BAMBA
(TRADITIONAL)
(P) ZENTROPA MUIS ApS

User Reviews

Visually spectacular, beautifully acted, compelling dialogue, strong direction.

Trier takes us for a ride. It's a slow ride, taking in the beauty of the cinematography. It is at once a beautiful movie, while at the same time focusing on the absence of real love between the characters - and in the world. The movie hints at a correlation between the lack of love, and the threat of impending doom that's present throughout.

I speculate that every viewer will take something slightly different away from the picture, because the movie is designed to make you think about us humans and our behaviors toward each other, as well as enjoy the work of wonder that the movie is. What you end up with is dependent of what you take to the movie in the first place. Trier's movies are usually adept at making you feel. In this movie you are left to your own devices. There is no inherently good person to root or feel for. There is only the state of the world. And the future of the human kind. Can you be bothered to feel for us?

Truly Trier-esque (10/10).