Monday 27 February 2012

Travels With My Film-Life: Outer Space & "Melancholia"

Well is it Outer Space I ask myself?

We's here at a posh wedding reception in Lars von Trier's film "Melancholia". And the bride (Kirsten Dunst) be going loopy... but who would wonder at that... given the mad parents what she has got (played by Charlotte Rampling and John Hurt) and the controlling sister (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and rich as Croesus brother-in-law (Keifer Sutherland).
She be marrying Michael (Alexander Skarsgard... who at other times be vampire Eric in "True Blood") but seems to be going off the idea...

It becomes clear that a planet has popped out from behind the sun and is on collision course with the earth.... The rational characters explain that it will miss and not be the end of all things. But there is of course an element of doubt. Anyway the plot progresses with large helpings of Wagner's "Tristan" theme...

And I do sit there somewhat stunned at the end of the film but... you know what? Next day it's still with me. So although it's got maybe a mixed reception... I do indeed think it is a good film. But then I am a bit of a von Trier fan.

But also I do see it described as science fiction and....
of course it ain't.

I think it is in fact a study of melancholia, depression, whatever... that darned old rogue planet that pops out from behind the sun in order to smash everything to bits....

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