MovieChat Forums > Melancholia (2011) Discussion > Just watched this. A few questions i am ...

Just watched this. A few questions i am left with


1. What there the few scenes at the beginning about? Sinking into the 19th green etc

2 what was with Justine's boss and this 'tag line' and the way he insults Tim/intern?

3. When Justine's father left a note on the bed after leaving, he addressed it to Betty and not Justine. How come?

4. Did Michael and Justine actually love each other? They parted ways during their wedding, and she *beep* Tim who kept following her around on his boss' orders

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Forget about all of it. While your questions are valid, they mean nothing. There's lot of poor plot points.

Artsy people will answer Question 1 with it's the writer/director showing that the film is going to be slow. It's the prelude for what's about to come. Such as a prelude in music. It's setting you up for the next hour and a half of boredom.

I know this doesn't answer your questions. But, it's just as reliable as anyone else's answer.

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I interpitted this film so differently than those I have read about.
1. I think EVRYONE knows about the impending doom and the entire world is suffering from the increased electrical activity. everyone in the film is sick with depression, anxiety or melancholia.

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1. Don't know that one.

2. He's just a money grabbing self-centered jerk, as Justine noticed.

3. Don't know know either. Didn't even notice.

4. I don't think so. She only married him because she was going with the flow.

I have a question of my own:

If this movie is about different takes on impending doom, and how the depressed take it better because it means the end of their suffering, that still shows Justine as a major bitch. She hates everything and everybody, and the few things she does like she does without any regards of others. Ie when the planet is colliding in the end, Claire suggests sitting on the terrace drinking whine with candles, and Justine is like "nah, that's so stupid, let's do my thing, I wanna make a magic tent!". She *beep* who she wants, hurts other people's feelings etc. What gives?

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If this movie is about different takes on impending doom, and how the depressed take it better because it means the end of their suffering, that still shows Justine as a major bitch. She hates everything and everybody, and the few things she does like she does without any regards of others. Ie when the planet is colliding in the end, Claire suggests sitting on the terrace drinking whine with candles, and Justine is like "nah, that's so stupid, let's do my thing, I wanna make a magic tent!". She *beep* who she wants, hurts other people's feelings etc. What gives?
Re: Just watched this. A few questions

Justine wasn't a major bitch, she suffered from depression, which is a horrible illness. Of course this made her difficult to deal with, however she wasn't an intentionally selfish or horrible person. As far having drinks on terrace and listening to music as Melancholia hit, that is what Claire wanted, however that wasn't necessarily what was going make Leo feel safe and secure. Justine didn't build the "magic cave" for her, she built it with her nephew, to help him cope with and feel secure during the impending doom.

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2 what was with Justine's boss and this 'tag line' and the way he insults Tim/intern?

Justine worked in advertising. They had some photo which she was suppose to come up with a short sales slogan for. Justine's boss was trying to get it out of moody Justine by threatening the intern's job.

3. When Justine's father left a note on the bed after leaving, he addressed it to Betty and not Justine. How come?

Justine's father had been flirting with several woman at the party. I assumed he hooked up with someone and didn't want to hurt Justine's feelings with the reason he left. I actually hadn't seen that the note was to Betty, but it fits.


4. Did Michael and Justine actually love each other? They parted ways during their wedding, and she *beep* Tim who kept following her around on his boss' orders

I assumed they the marriage had been kind of pushed on Justine by her rich family to try to draw her out of her depression. I frankly, wondered why they just didn't get her into therapy.

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3. The note was meant for Justine. His father had trouble with the names earlier, and I am pretty sure he wrongly called someone else Betty as well. He did sit between two people called Betty though (at least that's the way he presents them (in fact I think he only ever refers to people as Betty)), and I believe it's all meant to show that he has become old and somewhat mentally weak, ultimately meaning that he can't be there for Justine, who is in need of speaking to him.

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Very perceptive and I agree.

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5. WTF does "Aunt Steelbreaker" mean?

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Google points to several "World of Warcraft" (a video game) sites, one of which says

Steelbreaker is an iron giant and fearsome general that leads the army of iron giants in Yogg-Saron's name. He is part of the Assembly of Iron encounter in Ulduar.
My interpretation is it means Justine is "hip, big, and bad-ass".

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Interesting theory. But somehow I doubt Lars Von Trier would use an obscure video game reference to describe his main character.

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Depending on where you are and what age you are, the reference may be fairly common. Although it seems obscure to folks like me that have no experience with any video game, I suspect it's pretty straightforward to some audiences.

And note Justine is not referred to as 'Steelbreaker' by anyone else besides Leo. It's not as if that's her main name, it's nothing more than Leo's "pet name" for her. Folks encourage kids Leo's age in their use of all kinds of idiosyncratic names; for example when my kids were that age we had conversations about the "gravity monster":-)

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Wikepedia says:

In entertainment, a tagline (or tag line[1][2]) is a small amount of text which serves to clarify a thought for, or designed with a form of, dramatic effect. Many tagline slogans are reiterated phrases associated with an individual, social group, or product. As a variant of a branding slogan, taglines can be used in marketing materials and advertising.

The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable dramatic phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a audio/visual product,[note 1] or to reinforce and strengthen the audience's memory of a literary product. Some taglines are successful enough to warrant inclusion in popular culture. Consulting companies which specialize in creating taglines may be hired to create a tagline for a brand or product.
It's a bit of technical jargon common around advertising firms (and possibly some other places where it has a slightly different meaning, but that doesn't matter here).

The implication in this movie is it's the bit of (memorable) text that goes on top of a photo to complete a print ad. The position of "copy writer" in the advertising firm (which happens to be Justine) is responsible for coming up with it.

The photo was done, and Justine had been given the assignment of coming up with an appropriate matching tagline earlier at work. But she hadn't delivered the result yet. Once a "tagline" as well as the photo was ready, that job would be essentially done, something her boss wanted very badly, badly enough to ask for the tagline again outside of work hours and even to hold someone else's job hostage over it.

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1. That's a bizarre one. Kiefer Sutherland keeps going on about how they have an 18-hole golf course and yet there's a 19th hole. Why? No idea.

2. Justine's boss at least knows her. It seems that she's a workaholic. She'd never have got her job if she wasn't good at it and he seems to realise that she's so uninterested in her everyday life that she'd be more interested in coming up with an advertising slogan than focussing on her own wedding. And, as she says herself, her boss is an utterly horrible person.

3. The dad keeps referring to everyone as Betty. Possibly he has a condition of his own. Or perhaps it's an inside joke.

4. She was feeling trapped and wanted a way out. Her mother's only advice to her was "get the hell out", so essentially that's what she did.

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19th hole is golf slang for drinking in the bar after a round of golf.

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Exactly!

I read/saw in a review somewhere that Lars referenced the 19th hole to mean Purgatory. Not sure of this though...


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Sic vis pacem para bellum.

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