MovieChat Forums > Melancholia (2011) Discussion > On 2nd Viewing...9-21-12 (Not About Depr...

On 2nd Viewing...9-21-12 (Not About Depression)

posted 12 years ago by traveller007
55 replies | jump to latest

I still think that this is the deepest, most intellectually and visually artistic movie ever. There is the difficult first half and a number of people have defended the movie on the basis that it is about depression and should be understood on these terms.

And it is masterful in this regards...but I see this more now as the story of everyone's life; happiness, promises made, promises broken, despair and joy, friendship and all the bumps of family fellowship, but even more largely it is about faith, faith in science, faith in the self made shelter of the magic cave of religion...and all are helpless, useless in our intimate, ever so sensual and slow dance with ever approaching death.

People want a story? It is about everything; and a hard, unflinching message it is indeed.

Weep worthy, for ourselves.

Best Wishes, Traveller

[–] Diss 9 years ago

I don't think the film is about depression at all. Lars had a chance to make a serious film about depression, but he blew it. He took the easy way out. I don't blame him, I enjoyed this result better. A film about depression would be boring.

The thing is she has premonitions, it's why she was so depressed. It's why she didn't care about her job (even though presumably up until this point she was able to hold a high paying job). If you knew you were about to die, would you care about silly things like jobs and weddings? Although it is strange she had no love for her husband, but it appears she did love her sister in some way.