Melancholia 2011 | The Art Of Lars Von Trier · 12:28am Jun 29th, 2022
So I thought I would do something new, I wanted to make a review/analysis on one of my favorite moves of all time, Melancholia 2011, By Directer Lars Von Trier.
Many of you may or not of heard of him, or this movie. Some might know of him through his 2009 movie, Antichrist or his 2018 movie, The House That Jack Built. Or any other movies by him, Both are beautiful and entrancing movies. But here I don't want to talk about the whole movie, because this movie also has my favorite opening sequence in any movie. So I thought I would like to share my thoughts on it, so here we go.
Warning: This does contain some spoilers, including how it will end. So its best if you watch the movie first, then return back here. Or if you wish to read this first thats fine. Just a reminder, this does contain spoilers on how the movie will end and I will be including pictures of this opening sequence.
The movie opens with the main actress, Kristen Dunst (Many of you probably know her from the original Spiderman movies with Tobey Maguire, she plays Mary Jane) In Melancholia she plays Justine, The scene opens with her face with the orange sky in the background, the entire opening sequence is shot in slow motion. It fades from black as she opens her eyes. Suddenly birds start falling behind her, with the slow motion it makes it an eerie shot with the music in the background playing the part for making you entranced in the whole opening sequence.
The music is played by The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, and the song is Credits
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Multiple birds fall before the scene to a large overhead shot of the large backyard of the mansion the film is set in.
Justine is scene dancing right about in the middle of the yard, almost barely visible due to the distance. It stays on the shot for some seconds before it cuts to a shot of one of my favorite paintings of all time, The Hunters In The Snow by Pieter Bruegel.
The significance of the painting is up to interpretations, but from what I can tell let my analysis the painting in full. It was painting during the Renaissance period. The painting shows some hunters returning from their hunt in the deep snow with their dogs just behind them to there village. But they do not have anything to show, they don't seem to have hunted an animal on their day out on hunting. The only thing that seems to have been hunted is a dead rabbit that is hanging off one of the hunters backs. But its very small and it does give the sense of the stress of winter times during medieval times. And not just the hunters but the whole painting gives of that feeling of a harsh and frozen winter time. We can see that the village below is covered in snow, just to the side of the hunters you can see some villagers setting up a fire. In the village you can see the villagers playing around on the icy waters that have frozen over the lake. Back over in the hunters you can see the footprints that are put in the snow, due to there trudge through a possible very deep and snowy landscape that would be just behind them out of view. And in the foreground of the painting it also has that feeling of melancholy, the Hunters have that feeling of being tired and unsuccessful from their hunt. There heads are down and there backs are turned to the viewers looking at this painting. Including the dogs behind them also giving of that feeling. The reason for this painting appearing in the film is unknown, it shows up later in the film with Justine of going through books in a room. Its possible the painting might just be a reference to Andrei Tarkovsky's movie, Solaris 1972, where the painting appears. Lars Von Trier has said that he is a very big fan of his movies so this might just be a nod to him or something else, Before it cuts to the next shot the painting is seen being burned.
The scene cuts to a shot the planet Melancholia with the sun in the background as it moves to block out of the light of the sun.
The scene then cuts to the other actress in the film, Claire played by Charlotte Gainsbourg who appears in some of Von Trier's other works. She plays the wife to William DaFoe's actor in Antichrist. Back to the scene, she is seen trudging through the golf course that seems to be sinking her down in a way while she is carrying the child, Leo played by Cameron Sparr.
The scene is similar to The Hunters In The Snow that was shown just in the last shot. But this scene also appears later at the film near the end just shown differently. Most of the shots in the opening sequence come back at the very end of the film just shown differently but in a similar way.
The scene then cuts to a shot of the horse falling down to the ground.
The scene then cuts to one of my favorites shots in the sequence, where Justine is standing while a swarm of bugs are flying all around her.
The scene then cuts to her, Leo and Claire walking on the yard as Melancholia and the moon can be seen in the sky. Another great shot.
The scene then cuts to another shot in space of the planet showing how big it is compared to Earth, my first time watching I remember I almost had goosebumps appear.
Then it cuts to another great shot of Justine lifting her hands as electricity is seen appear from the tips of her fingers as she stares at them while in the background you can see some other electricity moving from the poles.
It then cuts to my second favorite shot in the sequence, a really great and surreal dreamlike scene where it shows Justine walking while weird branch like appendages are grabbing at/onto her feet, legs, hands and dress. And from I can tell it seems to be the wood from the trees latching onto her. The possible symbolism to this shot is most definitely her depression, that is present in this entire film.
It thens cuts to another shot the planet, really shows how huge it is from an angle where almost completely covering space edging closer to Earth.
It then cuts to a scene of inside the dark mansion with a tree burning/on fire through the window (I could not find a picture for this scene)
It then cuts to my favorite shot in the entire sequence where Justine is laying in the water with flowers clutched in her hands. Its a beautiful shot and it is also a direct reference to a painting by John Everett Millais.
Ophelia By John Everett Millais.
It then cuts to a shot of Leo sharping a stick in the woods with Justine in the background walking towards him. A shot that will appear later when they build the magic cave. (I could not find a picture for this scene) The boy looks forward before it cuts to the final shot in the sequence, where the planet collides with Earth and destroys it.
This film gave me Depression, it is one of the most, if not the saddest movie I have ever watched in my life. The movie is structured in a very dreamlike state, the movie is very surreal at times. The cinematography is beautiful, and the movie also reminds me of another really dreamlike movie that is also in my favorites of all time, Last Year at Marienbad 1961, by directer Alain Resnais. And the ending to Melancholia always makes me cry, because the Depression in the movie really hits to hard, and feels almost to real where I almost could not finish it when I first watched the movie. I recommend this movie for people who loves movies like me, it would be a hard watch for the casual viewer. But still I think its a great watch, Lars Von Trier is one of my favorite directors. And I hope you enjoyed my little review/analysis of Melancholia. Don't really have anything else to say expect thank you for having the time to read this and I guess I'll leave it at that note. 
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