"a beautiful film about the end of the world"
Melancholia is another Lars Von Trier's movie that opens to interpretation... why I like so much watching Trier's movies.
So my idea about this movie is related to Life and Death anthology.The film is splitted in two parts just to show two different important moments in someone's existence :LIFE-meaning the wedding, party, people around etc and DEATH- once Melancholia approaches.
Kirsten Dunst (Justine) character is the one that leads the movie flow as it starts by her being happy (scene in the car with Michael) then becoming strangely despressed.For me Justine was from the beginning the single one that knew what was going to happen...Melancholia hitting the Earth.
When she arrived- with 2 hours delay- at her wedding and all the people gathered were waiting for them she was more interested about the stars and the stable.It's when she realizes there is a new star on the sky- "a red one" and she starts feeling the connection with it.
Then she finds herself in a deep depression that she can't stand even for her wedding even if she hardly tries..during the wedding she says "sorry" to Claire claiming "but I tried.I really tried".
Justine was so depressed throught the first part of the film, she felt like she was dying - and she wanted to die, so when she finds out planet is heading toward Earth, she's fine with the fact she's going to die and embraces it..she's peacefull and calm because she already knew something was going to happen, is the moment when she receives the confirmation of her thoughts.There is a dialogue with her sister when she says " I just know some things..as the number of beans 674.I just know some things".
The scene with Justine lying naked bathed in the blue light from Melancholia and almost 'making love' with it.,, I took it as a metaphor of how severely depressed people sometimes embrace the thought of their own death with feelings of joy, calm and peace..because they know it;s "going to an end".
Once "Melancholia" gets closer Justine's condition improves while Claires becomes impacient quite lunatic.It's when Justine becomes the "normal" one and Claire the "lunatic"..and these are 2 different behaviours when facing Death: fear,anxiety,madness versus peacefull, assumed, calm and illuminated.
These are some ideas that passed through my mind just before I watched this movie..