‎Melancholia (2011) directed by Lars von Trier • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

Melancholia

2011 Directed by Lars von Trier

Enjoy it while it lasts

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

Kirsten Dunst Charlotte Gainsbourg Kiefer Sutherland Charlotte Rampling John Hurt Alexander Skarsgård Stellan Skarsgård Brady Corbet Udo Kier Jesper Christensen Cameron Spurr Deborah Fronko

136 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Grooveman ★★★★★ 6

The feel bad movie of the year! I think Von Trier's next movie should be about puppies.
Review by Scott Anderson ★★★★ 13

Typically I can find the words to describe how I feel regarding a film as the credits are still rolling on the screen. My mind builds up various thoughts throughout and I cannot wait to unleash them as soon as possible, but I had to sleep on Melancholia before typing up this review. In fact, I'm still not quite sure if I am ready.

A graceful and fascinating look at a subject like depression, I found moments within the film that were utterly spellbinding, and in those moments I was sure I was in love with this work by Von Trier. However, every so often I was forced to question whether the nature of the storytelling and the pacing of…
Review by Edgar Cochran ★★★★ 18

"The film needs to be slower and duller at the start so that the viewers who walked into the wrong theatre have time to leave before the main action starts."
-Andrei Tarkovsky

An enigmatic feature with wannabe Tarkovskian cinematography, planetary imagery, a classical score and a high-budget-looking Dogme style? Trier must be out of his mind!

Not quite.

Melancholia's two very first shots are references to cinematic influences:

- The first pays respect to L'année dernière à Marienbad (1961).
- The second shot displays the famous painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder entitled Jagers in de Sneeuw (The Hunters in the Snow), previously featured in two Tarkovsky masterpieces.

The film feels, above all, as an attempt to fix the evident…
Review by Kairit ★★★★½

i'm kirsten dunst and the planet is 2016
Review by Anna ★★★★

Kirsten Dunst representing depression and not being bothered by the upcoming end of the world? relatable.

Charlotte Gainsbourg representing anxiety and freaking out because of the upcoming end of the world? also relatable.
Review by Evan ★★★★ 6

Finally, a Von Trier film that didn't totally disgust me. There's no event for the sake of trying to shock the viewers (Yay to no dick mutilation!) Lars, you should make more legitimate films like this.

Recent reviews

Review by Chase Hilton ★★★½

Bride-to-be Justine (playing with astonishing force by Kirsten Dunst) suffers from depression. That is made clear in Melancholia's meticulous, and at time, tedious first half. The film then examines the end of the world in its latter half. Naturally.

Lars von Trier is known for being ballsy and over-revved, and Melancholia is both. But despite its tricks, it's also a stirring piece of vibrant, often genius visual storytelling that left me reeling for days after. The aptly titled film is not an easy ride – it's harrowing to watch an almost lifeless Justine be bathed by her sister (Charlotte Gainsbourg) – but it's a picture that haunts, that stirs, and examines the culmination of all things right up to its apocalyptic final frame.
Review by tectactoe ★★½ 2

48/100

There’s a compelling case to be made for Melancholia with its cinematography alone; the gorgeous bookends, of course, but even the less ethereal middle-section of the film is appropriately staged and captured in an almost voyeuristic manner, working to put us right in the thick of it. Not a lot of depth here, though, once you get past the surface beauty; the metaphor that Von Trier is working with is pretty obvious (depression) but it does very little to explore those themes with any substantial gusto. That is to say, watching someone be depressed for two hours doesn’t ACTUALLY say as much about depression as you’d think. Despite spending so much time with these people (e.g. an entire hour…
Review by cole howell ★★★★

I find Lars Von Trier to be awfully lofty and pretentious, but the portrayal of depression in this film is spot-on accurate. At a certain point in the film, everything is viewed through the hazy looking glass of depression. The way characters think and act, the colors, the shot compositions.
Each scene feels like it was only shot once, which adds to the realism of the wonderful acting.
The 2-part reversal of lead roles wasn't my favorite, but this film is still really solid and good and weird.
Review by ingoldjr ★★★★½

Melancholia is an amazing film. A well-written script, dynamic characters, breathtaking imagery, and a meaningful message all come together in this genre-defying drama. At the center, however, is Kirsten Dunst’s fearless portrayal of a woman overcome with depression. While packaged as a science-fiction movie, it becomes clear that Lars Von Trier is not interested in exploring the clichés of the genre. Rather, all the usual science-fiction fare is merely used as a background; a stage in which the characters can interact in a manner that is both illuminating and painfully human.

In other words...

I hear the 19th hole is really hard.
Review by lefilmfatale ★★★½

emotionless kirsten dunst not feeling troubled by the end of the world is me
Review by Leon Brill 👽 ★★★½ 2

I'm very conflicted about this film. Part 2 and the opening montage are both incredible but part 1 is so fucking boring. Personally, I'd recommend saving an hour and just skipping part 1 entirely.
Review by lazarotao ★★★½

Some beutifuland interesting shots and scenes
Review by Callie ★★★

What depression looks like
Review by Creep in a T-Shirt ★★★★ 9

FACT: I have never gotten an erection quicker than when Udo said: "I'm at the end of my rope" in his beautiful stone cold erotic accent.

Oh and yes, by the way, I am officially substituting this in over Forbidden Room, which probably has for some reason to do with unlocking a room with a key too. I know my whole schtick is to get all cynical or whatever about movies I don't like, but it's kind of like the Louis C.K. bit about blowjobs, I've tried to put myself there in my mind, and I just can't do it.

Imagine if Lars Von Trier directed Michael Bays indie masterpiece: Armageddon, and you've got Melancholia???

Well, at least chapter 2…