Lars Von Trier’s “Melancholia” (2011) is a haunting depiction of the world’s end. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Kiefer Sutherland, von Trier examines families ‘trivial’ rituals in the last days of their existence. A wedding, a final glass of wine, dying with your loved ones, all of these moments seem utterly meaningless in the scheme of things according to the film’s main characters.  Although not as gruesome as his last picture “Antichrist” (2009), “Melancholia” still leaves the mind shaken, reeling and curious.

“Antichrist” (2009) shocked audiences with morbid visuals of self-mutilation and pornographic content, with “Melancholia”, von Trier makes another bold statement: earth is an evil place and we are alone in the universe.

The film is presented in two parts focusing on the story of two sisters, Justine (Dunst) and Claire (Gainsbourg). It is the eve of Justine’s wedding and she is a few hours late to her own reception. Claire and her husband John (Sutherland) have gone to great lengths and expense to organize the event with all of their eccentric family members finally in tow. Justine’s father (John Hurt) is a drunk; her mother (Charlotte Rampling) is a cold bitch who hates weddings and finally a diva-wedding planner played by (Udo Kier). The wedding serves as a great atmosphere to learn about these characters and the unique relationships they have with one another.

Part one focuses on the story of Justine (Dunst), a newly wed who suffers from severe depression. She comes to terms with the fact her marriage will not make her happy and she abandons her husband on their wedding night.

Part two reveals the story of Claire (Gainsbourg), the more stable of the sisters. Claire feels obligated to cure Justine from her depressive state, a storyline similar to that of “Antichrist”. The struggles Claire encounters are captivating and Gainsbourg’s ability to evoke both strength and vulnerability makes her performance a must see. She steals the show from Dunst.

The prologue of the film is a beautiful display of slow motion footage and poetic images. The visuals do not make linear sense at the beginning and seem very experimental and disorganized. However, they do send one clear message, the end is coming and there is nowhere to run. Captured on the phantom camera, von Trier summons a similar style to that of his last work “Antichrist”. “Melancholia’s” cinematography is masterfully striking, symmetrical, manic and confusing. Yet, in the end it makes sense. Lars boasts the confidence to edit with jump cuts whenever he wants and to show his audience a series of random images because he considers himself the best filmmaker on the planet. That self-proclaimed title is up for debate.