Nyff 2011

[Chris Knipp]

Lars von Trier: Melancholia (2011)

Part I is a very expensive and disastrous wedding. Part II is the end of the world. Kirsten Dunst won Best Actress at Cannes for her performance as Justine. As her sister, Claire, von Trier again features Charlotte Gainsbourg, who was central to Antichrist (NYFF 2009). Their obnoxious mother, Charlotte Rampling; father, John Hurt. Stellan Skarsgård and Alexander Skarsgård, father and son actors, play father and son in the wedding. Alexander is the groom. Kiefer Sutherland is the husband of Charlottes Gainsbourg. Wagner's Tristan und Isolde also plays a key role. This was my second time watching the film. This time seeing it at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center, I coulld appreciate just how awesome the soundtrack of this epic film is. The Walter Reade is a great place to watch -- and hear -- a film. Some of us agreed that Part I outweighs Part II, but that's not to say Part II isn't gorgeous and terrifying.

The end of Peter De Bruge's review in VARIETY:

For all the tyrannical disdain he's shown other filmmakers over the years, von Trier once again demonstrates a mastery of classical technique, extracting incredibly strong performances from his cast while serving up a sturdy blend of fly-on-the-wall naturalism and jaw-dropping visual effects. Given the film's high-concept premise, things could have been a lot different in the hands of another director, but with von Trier, it's just as Justine tells her exasperated spouse at the end of their chapter together: "What did you expect?"

My learned friend said I should have mentioned Tarkovsky. Yes, he is an influence too.


MELANCHOLIA: FROM THE PROLOGUE