Melancholia (Lars Von Trier) [159 points/17 votes]
"A troubled female protagonist... a claustrophobic setting representing a microcosm of the outside, civilized world... an eclectic cast of international actors portraying an ensemble of characters who demonstrate examples of self-interested and short-sighted behaviors... an intricate story told in an misanthropic and endearingly satirical tone.
These identifiers could refer to any one of several Lars Von Trier films. There's Breaking the Waves, in which a simple, God-fearing, young woman, Bess, is shunned by the residents of a stern religious community in a small, coastal Scottish town. Then there's Dogville, in which Grace, a mysterious woman on the lam, seeks refuge in the eponymous Rocky Mountain town only to have its seemingly sympathetic residents slowly reveal their true colors and turn on her after initially offering their acceptance and friendship. Melancholia, about a disillusioned bride who sabotages her own wedding in reaction against her self-involved family and the tired rituals imposed upon her, also fits within this familiar paradigm and, under Von Trier's bold and inspired direction, still manages to be a completely original and stirring work of art.
For me, the self-assuredness and formality of Melancholia is what puts it right up there with Von Trier's other important works. The ceremonial quality of the opening prologue, set to the strains of Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde," referencing the paintings of Pieter Breugel and John Everett Millais and then finally concluding with a vision of a rogue planet colliding with Earth is both deliberate and evocative. What are we watching? Are these images the apocalyptic visions of our heroine, Justine, which might inform her erratic behavior at her own wedding reception and eventual breakdown? If nothing else, this prologue is a beautifully aesthetic rendering of hopelessness.
The imagery of one planet colliding with another reveals itself to be an extremely effective metaphor of the relationship between the impulsive, unstable Justine and her practical-minded, by-the-book sister, Claire. Justine's serene detachment contrasted with the gradual anxiety and pathos of Claire is where Melancholia is at its most chilling. And that ending! I have heard some people say that they were oddly comforted by the last few minutes, an observation I agree with. A lot of it has to do with the expression we see on Justine's face. So many emotions can be interpreted from it: acceptance mixed with apprehension, curiosity, even love. It is this mystery found in these final frames before the end credits that add to the power and force of Melancholia, a film both grand and intimate in the same breath." - Kevin Dufresne
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