tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post3278080855264230212..comments2023-10-29T16:01:01.077-07:00Comments on Just Another Movie Blog: Melancholia: Review and AnalysisSteve Kimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-80824791663355990992016-04-28T20:16:29.611-07:002016-04-28T20:16:29.611-07:00This movie has the best last 10 minutes. I watched...This movie has the best last 10 minutes. I watched this late at night, when the movie ended, I was impacted. Wow! I woke up thinking about the effect the collision had on these people. How the most troubled, at the end, was most stable.<br />I understood her foreboding, her descent into numbness. And then, there is no God. But her nephew, she made him as safe as she could. She became sane. She understood.<br />Bravo...Deborahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11638285532669553484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-67712277211634015542016-04-08T12:23:10.659-07:002016-04-08T12:23:10.659-07:00Kind of late to the discussion but I think it’s in...Kind of late to the discussion but I think it’s interesting that each character in the second part of the film is associated with a planet, as depicted in one of the shots of the opening sequence where Claire is standing directly under Melancholia, Leo is under the moon, and Claire is under the sun. John cannot be seen, though I'm assuming he's earth. <br /><br />I also believe that each character represents one of the four elements as well (water, fire, air, and earth). In the film, Melancholia is said to be part of the Scorpio (water element) constellation, which ties back to Justine. Leo is fire (In astrology, Leo is a fire sign). Claire is air ("Claire” even rhymes with “air”) and John, again, is earth.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-15655928057382459062015-10-23T04:08:36.459-07:002015-10-23T04:08:36.459-07:00Yes, really nice analysis.
About the conception a...Yes, really nice analysis.<br /><br />About the conception and metaphor of LVT about “Melancholia is melancholy” : the answer is in the last picture.<br />Justine's looking at the spectator. Claire's, as a rabbit in the roadlights, is staring at the eventual disaster. The fear of the disaster simply put her in a catatonic state of no move, no reaction… and make suddenly her useless.<br />Melancholia is coming to the spectator, thru Justine's head, which is at the center of the planet.<br />One interpretiation of this film is that it is about the projection of Justine's melancholy on her whole world.<br />One other interpretation is that her melancholy is caused by his knowledge of the eventualty. She becames mad because she knows.<br />But in the hard time, she will be the only one able to look at you with no fear, just a human stare. As in this last scene under the magical cave, and as the photo taken from her dreams, lying dead alive in the pond, but eyes wide open. As Ophelia, in Millais's painting.ASRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07741840797311760493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-27499922474403160362014-06-29T14:22:33.927-07:002014-06-29T14:22:33.927-07:00It's one of the most beautifully haunting film...It's one of the most beautifully haunting films I've ever had the honour of experiencing.<br /><br />Personally, I fully understood how validating the end of the world felt. How satisfying and purposeful it was. I admit that I had hoped for our world to prophetically end in 2012. Every listless cell within me would make sense if it did. Everything was winding down to this demise, so suddenly my sadness wasn't pointless after all. I was very disappointed when I woke up alive on December 23rd 2012. I had nothing to live for, no ambitions, no hope. There are a few people who do love me. So they truly are my only reasons to keep going. I wouldn't end my own life, partly because of them. And largely because death will come to all men and stars eventually. So I welcome the end of my life, or our Earth, with open arms.<br /><br />Perhaps Justine felt the same.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-12367415225906163402014-04-04T20:54:07.261-07:002014-04-04T20:54:07.261-07:00Think of the scenes of them identifying the Scorpi...Think of the scenes of them identifying the Scorpio Constellation.<br /> "Scorpio is a water sign; the element that symbolizes emotion. They possess a certain intuitive nature for reading others' emotions... aspects of the sign can be summarized as psychic and enveloping." wiki<br /><br /><br />G!ngerpo0chhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12754021303869001098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-68365819959799358782013-11-30T02:59:23.695-08:002013-11-30T02:59:23.695-08:00Hello Steve Kimes, thanx for sharing your thougts,...Hello Steve Kimes, thanx for sharing your thougts, at first. Most of your writing i do underscribe, share with you. But now i have the disire to share a thougt with you, in my experience watching Melancholia, yes wich i did yesterdag 29 november 2013, this is what you write;<br /><br />"But happiness is not in her nature, and frankly, such a social event with so much planning and detail is a clear trigger for a depressive event, demanding more energy than a melancholic has. Everyone is disappointed with her, but she has no reserves to meet everyone’s demands."<br /><br />Well steve in my experience Justine was aunty steelbreaker, and aunty steelbreaker she was. Would it be Stupid to put that Melancholica was in her prime? anyway, iam going to read further from this alinia, now that i have shared a reaction,<br /><br />thanxjaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17347416753010613324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-53387582369306250312013-11-07T10:14:10.891-08:002013-11-07T10:14:10.891-08:00I love reading all of the different interpretation...I love reading all of the different interpretations of this film! I really do agree with a lot that has been said, really thoughtful and thought provoking comments! However, I had a different interpretation of Claire as the sister to Justine representing the sister of depression, anxiety.As anyone who has suffered from depression knows,anxiety often proceeds or follows a bout with depression.Also, when one you love and care for is depressed, it often puts you in the role of caregiver, causing you great anxiety and stress,forcing you to try to control the situation, as you see Claire trying to do in the entire film. You then see John trying to control Claire's anxiety.I wondered if the planet Melancholia destroying the world and the futility of trying to control the end of the world mirrors the futility of Claire trying to control Justine's Depression?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-3158160372614670102013-07-01T06:46:55.651-07:002013-07-01T06:46:55.651-07:00Thank you very much for such a review. I just want...Thank you very much for such a review. I just wanted to add some of my impressions of the film. First of all, I think it´s a masterpiece of the using of symbols, which is very important for artistic production. Of course the metaphor of Melancholia is very clear but there are lots of hidden things that make the spectator want to find more and more about the meaning of the movie. I just wanted to mention the references to astronomy and astrology that called my attention. Im not an expert about that but I found Antares is the main star of the Scorpio constellation and the fact that Justine feels so strongly attracted to it gives the clue to think that she´s an scorpion, a sign very related to spirituality and creative potential but also to self destruction and sadness, mainly due to their special sensitivity. In fact, she says "I know things", but only after the pressence of Melancholia is evident, which in my opinion is the director´s way of giving aspect about her melancholic state: in spite of suffering she had achieved a better understanding of herself and life itself that not only made her confident about her inner "powers" but also gave her the chance to have a more patient and subtle attitude towards the upcoming disaster than that of her sister and John. In fact, paradoxically, John, the rich and apparently optimistic character who despiced Justine´s illness is the one who finally commits suicide. <br />I think that Von Trier, in an anti American mood, states in this film that Melancholia is the menace to nowadays society. We are all vulnerable to it, even kids; but in this film we can see different attitudes towards that situation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-21848760586058033352013-05-17T15:21:16.288-07:002013-05-17T15:21:16.288-07:00At the end of the film, when the planet is crushin...At the end of the film, when the planet is crushing the earth, for a moment you cant really tell apart Melancholia from earth and the surface of melancholia sort of becomes one with the sky. So I would say that that is why the planet is called Melancholia, because when you see it coming towards the earth and it looks like it actually is the sky, the director sort of conveys the message that the world is melancholia, melancholia is reality, it is all around us. Another message that i think the film conveys is that everyone is alone. And although Clare, Leo and Justin are all together when the catastrophy happens they all face it in a different way.Just my opinionAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-77901657576272353612013-04-14T13:18:46.609-07:002013-04-14T13:18:46.609-07:00Arkons: I thought along the same lines as you conc...Arkons: I thought along the same lines as you concerning Justine. I find myself watching this movie again and again... It's just a beautiful piece of work. And one line just brings me to tears each time... "It tastes like ashes." It's like her last major bout with depression was her way of dealing with the impending doom? <br /><br />There are just so many amazing layers... I enjoy reading all of the different interpretations.... I read a blog that aligned each character with someone from the Bible... THIS is an amazing, accessible interpretation, great job! <br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09947645279723876200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-84954070709196381312013-03-24T15:26:30.227-07:002013-03-24T15:26:30.227-07:00Justine ends up being right about the end of the w...Justine ends up being right about the end of the world, and her preparation for it (living her life in the gloom of her depression) seems justifiable. Fortunately, this is fiction and our planet is not currently doomed to a rendezvous that will end our existence (at least not yet). In the real world the terms of our life are not preordained. This film starts with a wedding, an event in which Justine is constantly reminded that she should be having fun and enjoying. How many people facing depression hear the same thing time and again? In a world without the specter of ultimate finality, such words of advice make perfect sense. We should not dwell on the inevitable end, lest it deny us the ability to enjoy our lives. What this movie did was remove the ambiguity of a lifetime. Given an unavoidable expiration date, everybody in the film is forced to face the facts and terms that Justine has been dealing with her entire life. It levels the field and suddenly Justine's viewpoint is empowered and given relevance. In the end, I believe this was the point of the entire exercise. It removed people from their comfortable norm and put them into the shoes of the dread and gloom filled depressive, placing on these characters all of the weight that comes with such thoughts and feelings. People with depression are often cast as selfish and self-centered. In the end, Claire and John, the practical and the optimist are not there for their son, it is Justine who has the mindset needed to soften the blow.<br /><br />Honestly, I almost turned the film off in the first five minutes, it seemed pretentious and overdone... glad I stuck it out. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543506337676652862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-49963280406900672532012-11-28T16:56:44.914-08:002012-11-28T16:56:44.914-08:00I would very much enjoy it if you did. You seem t...I would very much enjoy it if you did. You seem to have a happy talent for reviews, and if there's any movie I can claim knowledge about, it's "Eternal Sunshine"; so I'd feel entitled to begin a friendly "analysis-war" if it is so called for, and I'd be interested to see if you come up with similar interpretations that I have. Happy writing!Joel Zuehlkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13511107317165846095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-38203107924723710982012-11-28T07:13:01.860-08:002012-11-28T07:13:01.860-08:00Thank you.
I have seen Eternal Sunshine, but I ha...Thank you.<br /><br />I have seen Eternal Sunshine, but I have not written my thoughts on it. I would really need to watch it again (for a fourth time) to gather my thoughts. Perhaps I will do that.Steve Kimeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-5053533741048690312012-11-27T21:05:49.580-08:002012-11-27T21:05:49.580-08:00I appreciated your review. You write well and it&...I appreciated your review. You write well and it's apparent you take pride in your work. Thinker films, like "Melancholia", demand in-depth analyses in order to mine their otherwise hidden value. <br /><br />I agree with your analysis in almost every respect. I won't begin an analysis-fight, but just thought I would share that. <br /><br />I've written a little about a movie or two when inspiration is sufficient. My all time favorite movie is "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". Have you written a review of this film? If not, would you consider doing so? I promise, at least, it's a film worth watching, and worth mining. Joel Zuehlkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13511107317165846095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-89605797129515092082012-11-03T09:07:45.642-07:002012-11-03T09:07:45.642-07:00In regards to the tool-----it is a primitive looki...In regards to the tool-----it is a primitive looking instrument. Maybe, perhaps, it is a symbolism that as human beings we often resort to our primitive views of life, reality , in order to see more clearly. I don't know.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-62391012126279264312012-09-01T00:18:17.370-07:002012-09-01T00:18:17.370-07:00The movie is excellent, keeping the movie aside Me...The movie is excellent, keeping the movie aside Melancholia is actually the most discussed paintings of Albrecht Durer. He got very good paintings and the symbols in those paintings are one of the major research topics. You can go through this blog to know more about Melancholia, Albrecht Durer and his paintings.VYhttp://www.albrechtdurerblog.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-28207346296759129072012-08-24T02:19:56.570-07:002012-08-24T02:19:56.570-07:00"Reality is harsh"
"...is every so..."Reality is harsh"<br /><br />"...is every soul that longs to be free, yet bound to our earthly duties."<br /><br />Perfection.<br /><br />Thank you for your beautiful words.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-89087734452043811602012-08-18T14:25:10.906-07:002012-08-18T14:25:10.906-07:00Thanks, arkons. All the comments have been great....Thanks, arkons. All the comments have been great.<br /><br />I just want to let everyone know that I read all the comments and approve their posting-- this keeps spam out. Steve Kimeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14187112520269562190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-11057136449907468592012-08-18T10:38:07.853-07:002012-08-18T10:38:07.853-07:00Let' not forget that Justine at times was clai...Let' not forget that Justine at times was clairvoyant. She tells her sister, "I just know things". She tells her that the earth will end, and soon. She tells her the number of beans in the bottle. It is then that Claire realizes she is telling the truth. How can one go through life knowing the earth is going to end and not be melancholy? In the final scene,the reversal of roles is phenomena. Justine takes charge and is calm and strong. She comforts the child and the look in her eyes when gazing at her sister is a look of love and resignation. She is content that her struggles are over. Claire has lost her ability to control everything and she falls apart. Well done, Lars.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15265538532240995535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-30085850981441054742012-08-01T19:59:22.479-07:002012-08-01T19:59:22.479-07:00WOW what a great, in depth and inspiring analysis....WOW what a great, in depth and inspiring analysis. Thank you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-48807034575069980152012-07-24T09:49:55.010-07:002012-07-24T09:49:55.010-07:00Thanks for writing this analysis! It helped me org...Thanks for writing this analysis! It helped me organize my thoughts after watching the movie. I also think Wagner's Tristan und Isolde was a great choice by Trier.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-32233495731984051502012-07-15T10:31:54.434-07:002012-07-15T10:31:54.434-07:00An incredible movie, and a very absorbing analysis...An incredible movie, and a very absorbing analysis and thread. I watched the ending repeatedly, rewinding it back to the last few moments where the three small bodies, encased in their ridiculously flimsy cave of sticks, are overshadowed by the massive (and, at this point, decidedly "unfriendly") planet--what a beautiful and sad and terrifying image. I haven't repeatedly rewound a scene like that in a long time. <br /><br />Like one of the commentators above, I also appreciated Trier's decision to actually destroy the planet at the end, as well as his decision to focus on four individuals, in comparison to most other end-of-world films, where the highways are clogged with car stampedes (where are those people always trying to get to anyways?) and where the planet is inevitably saved by a (usually unassuming and ordinary male) hero. Is it the first movie to actually end with the destruction of our planet? It is one of the few, at the very least. An excellent antithesis to Hollywood's apocalypse narrative in that respect. And I'm not making a judgment here necessarily on Hollywood apocalypses: they just serve a different purpose than a movie like Melancholia, but it is really nice to get a glimpse of the other side of the 'Apocalypse coin.'<br /><br />Also the first part of the movie, 'Justine'...wow. Never have I seen a movie or read a book where the reality of depression/melancholy is so honestly portrayed with such mundane and subtle details: the constant disappearing acts, (like the 'bath time' during her wedding party, so brilliant and beautiful); the long stony stares; the erratic mood swings etc. Justine so desperately wants to feel 'normal' and 'happy', to please everyone, but as the night progresses and she realizes that she cannot hold onto the reigns, that she can never be how others want her to be or how she herself would like to be, she slowly begins a slow dive into herself, into surrender, into isolation, culminating with her sexual encounter on the golf course for all to see: a suicide of the 'character' Justine that she tried to perform for the audience that night. <br /><br />I watched the movie right before going to bed and woke up the following morning with its images still haunting me...it has left me unsettled, for sure. I am feeling alone and small today, and slightly disturbed so, obviously something powerful was accomplished with this movie, for me. <br /><br />I really enjoyed reading all of the comments here, and thank you to Steve for posting the initial response to the film.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-91863858505967552182012-07-03T22:57:02.289-07:002012-07-03T22:57:02.289-07:00This is a great analysis.
One thing that strikes...This is a great analysis. <br /><br />One thing that strikes me is the metaphor of people as planets. Before Melancholia hits earth, it whizzes by all the other planetary bodies but never touches or interacts with them. In a sense, the planet Melancholia is Justine.<br /><br />The "Justine" section is full of moments when Justine tries to reach out for help or engage her family and fiance. When she reaches out to her father, he runs away. When she approaches her mother, she cruelly pushes her away. Justine's conversation at the reception with Michael ends in his giving her a trite gift which clearly is meaningless to her and meant to cure clinical depression with a photo. When after the reception she asks Michael to sit with her and presumably talk, he tries to aggressively seduce her. She is unable to make meaningful connections with the people in her life, both due to internal blocks and the behavior of those around her. Her resulting isolation is both a cause and effect of her deep depression and is mirrored in the isolated castle setting.<br /><br />As you note, she becomes more energetic and content as the end of the world draws near. My interpretation was that the collision of earth and Melancholia represents the fruition of the human contact she has been craving.Amandanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-3910482756797328322012-06-04T08:35:45.715-07:002012-06-04T08:35:45.715-07:00Great piece - and great comments! I've been sc...Great piece - and great comments! I've been scouring the web looking to see if it impacted anyone else as hard as it did me. The range of responses is interesting - some identical to mine, others not so much. It brings to mind one of my favorite quotes - "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin<br />I can't stop watching this film; I've seen it 3 times in the last 2 days and am on my way out to buy the Blu-ray. It has replaced "On the Beach" as my favorite "apocalypse" film (an interesting comparison), and "One from the Heart" as my all-time favorite, and will probably "Avatar" as my most times watched.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318433114559203724.post-3210802758977108772012-06-01T00:54:35.529-07:002012-06-01T00:54:35.529-07:00When you stare into the abyss, and it stares back ...When you stare into the abyss, and it stares back into you, while the first several moments are certainly awkward and uncomfortable, like everything - you acclimate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com