The film Melancholia by Lars Von Trier The story talks to us and tells us about one of the evils of the modern world. Come with us and follow this analysis of the film.

Film Summary

Justine is on her way with her fiancé to the wedding party thrown by her sister, Claire, when she spots the planet Melancholia approaching Earth. From then on, new developments are shown and the way the sisters view this event is different.

As with all movies, for you to have the most complete experience, you need to watch the movie first.

Cast, Awards and Controversies

The film was released in 2011. The cast of Melancholia includes Kirsten Dunst (Justine), Charlotte Gainsbourg (Claire), Kiefer Sutherland (John) and Leo (Cameron Spurr).

At the time, the film went through the selection process at the Cannes Film Festival in France, with Kirsten Dunst winning the Best Actress category. At the time, the director, Lars Von Trier, received harsh criticism for anti-Semitic statements.

Von Trier claimed to make a joke - in very bad taste - saying that he thought for a long time that he was Jewish, until he met Susanne Bier, a Jewish Danish director. After that, he found out that he was a Nazi and that his family was German. For this reason, he "understood Hitler".

Because of this, after such controversy, the director received the title of "persona non grata" in Cannes. His film was not vetoed, but he could not participate in the ceremony. After the repercussion, he apologized and claimed that his intention was only to make a joke and attributed people's shock to the fact that he "speaks bad English".

About the film

The beginning of the film has a lot of symbolism. In this part we have scenes in very slow motion. Among them, we see Justine dressed as a bride, with difficulties to walk, due to roots stuck to her body. Claire fuge with her son, Leo. Justine "feels" the vibration from another place and, finally, one planet swallowing the other. These scenes are explained later.

Justine

The film is divided into two parts, both named after the sisters: Justine and Claire, respectively.

In the first part we see Justine and her husband, happily on their way to their wedding party. Claire has planned everything. All the guests are happy and pleased to be there, except Justine's mother, Gaby, and herself.

In the speeches of the bride and groom, the vows of love and complicity are mutual, but the reality is different. Justine takes several occasions to leave the mansion: be it to ride the electric cart, to take her nephew Leo to bed, or even to have sex with Tim, her boss's nephew.

Justine, at one point, confesses to Claire that she "can't walk straight" (scene of the roots stuck to you). This gives us an idea that marriage may even be her desire, but she can't follow through with it. It was her sister and her brother-in-law, John, who planned the whole thing, but no one asks Justine how she feels about the whole event.

In this way, there is no understanding of the groom, his parents, acquaintances, or his sister. The dream of marriage ends, leaving Justine to accept her condition.

Claire

The second part of the film focuses on Claire and how she and her husband come to deal with the possibility of the planet Melancholia colliding with Earth.

John is a scientist and, through some studies, tries to calm his wife by saying that the apocalypse will not happen and the planets will not collide. Just thinking of such chances, Claire is terrified, but at the same time, You try to control yourself and everything around you, so that things don't get out of hand.

Justine, on the other hand, is in a deplorable state of lethargy and total despondency. Her sister takes care of her, bathing her (or trying to), feeding her, among other things.

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At this point in the film, we see two points of view. We have Claire, who has a family, a mansion, and doesn't want to think about losing all this; and we have Justine, content with the way she is, admiring the beauty of Planet Melancholia and its imminent arrival.

So, what Lars Von Trier wants to tell us is something implacable: melancholy, that powerful inertia, is what will one day "collide" with our lives.

No matter how much we try to mask it with escape valves like weddings, parties, drugs, drinks, or whatever, it won't work. At some point, we will feel this energy. It is up to us to decide whether we will behave like Claire or like Justine.

More interpretations about the film

The meaning of the film Melancholia is something that is often talked about, but little understood. melancholy here shows itself as a planet, that is, a giant thing. Its coloring is blue, which in English is "blue", which also means "to be sad". In this way, melancholy is something big and symbolic that can hit us full in the face, taking over our being.

How often does someone come to us and advise us to push away negativity and be thankful for what we have? Or does this person even sell the relationship formula as the solution to our problems?

Daily motivational messages, throwing up the word "gratitude", emptying its contents are also ways of saying that sadness is a form of overkill. The current generation, the same one that has more technology, eats better (or should), and has more access to globalization tools, is also the one that suffers more from psychological disorders.

Even that daily question when we meet someone for the first time in the day, "Are you all right?" is no longer part of the context in which we expect an answer. We ask this way only as a formality, because we know that on the other side, the answer will come with a confirmation. In this way, we hope that the person does not come along with his or her couch, pouring out his or her misfortunes.

Therefore, to mask the problems, underestimating a possible pathology is dangerous. Not to feel empathy for someone who is going through a difficult time is to give the person the opportunity to understand that nobody cares about him. Therefore, knowing how to identify traces of melancholy or even depression is important as a way of welcoming.

Final thoughts about the film Melancholia

The film Melancholia by Lars Von Trier The director, for the most part, gives the viewer a negative message, but it is a reflective one.

If you are going through a difficult time and realize that no one can understand your state of mind, consider finding a therapist.

Finally, we cover melancholy and other feelings in our online course on Clinical Psychoanalysis, where you will get a complete overview of psychological disorders and how to treat them in the light of science and psychoanalysis.

I want information to enroll in the Psychoanalysis Course .