What does it take for a cult hero to suddenly grab the interest of
the mainstream? For legendary director Lars Von Trier, it had probably
had a lot to do with THOSE ill-advised, widely misinterpreted comments
about being “a bit of a Nazi” – but perhaps, with or
without such publicity, “Melancholia” could still have been
the film to take him to a wider audience.
All the trademarks of a proper blockbuster are present – a Hollywood
star at the centre (Kirsten Dunst in a momentous coming-of-age role)
and screen-dominating special effects. But this film is far from a “sell
out”, having a kind of artistic grace that mainstream Hollywood
can only dream of. This owes a lot to Von Trier’s truly sumptuous
long-lens style, allowing scope for vast landscapes in which the natural
becomes fantastical and the fantastical becomes natural. The openng
“prologue” is particularly breathtaking – as is its heart-stopping
final scene, on which I shall not elaborate any further due to the “spoiler”
syndrome.
The core theme of “Melancholia” is the end of the world, but
were other films of this theme take a hysterical, disaster-movie slant,
Von Trier keeps things subtle by shrinking the effects of this to a
pair of sisters, Justine and Claire (Dunst and an excellent Charlotte
Gainsbourg) – no government, no security, no rush from superior
figures to save the world, just the impact of these forthcoming events
on the two of them – Claire driven into a blind panic by what will
come, Justine to blighted by manic depression for anything outside of
her world to register, Camus’ “Outsider” for the apocalypse
nation.
Depression is a huge part of this film, with both its director Von Trier
and its star Dunst being noted sufferers. Some of the imagery linked
to Justine’s state of mind is beautiful – the influence of
John Everett Millais classic painting “Ophelia” never really
leaves the screen –but the condition is never sugar coated; Von
Trier has not felt the need to present a constantly sympathetic character
in order to reflect sympathy back on himself. Indeed, Justine can at
times be frustrating to watch, something which I heard a group of fellow
cinema-goers saying – clearly, Von Trier is not quite ready to
win over the masses.
The highest praise I can give “Melancholia”, though, is that
it is genuinely affecting; a film with themes so huge, handled so effectively,
that it stays with the viewer into the next day. I attended the 5:15
showing and it was a bright day when I entered the cinema – owing
to the lengthy nature of the film, when I stepped out into the open
air it was pitch-black, dominated by a glaring moon. The atmosphere
post-cinema has never felt so right in relation to the film.
If you are a blockbuster fan put off by the arthouse links of “Melancholia”,
or an arthouse fan concerned Von Trier is pandering to the blockbuster
market, worry not. The two different sides to this film ensure that
it is something acolytes of both can truly appreciate.
BUT…Nottingham Broadway cinema is an amazing cinema with wonderfully
reasonably priced tickets, but £3.15 for a Sailor Jerry? This
is the Midlands, not London!
