Blog Assignment #5: Melancholia & Mourning: the Death of Cinema

Blog Assignment #5: Melancholia & Mourning: the Death of Cinema

Melancholia opens like a masterpiece. I would be captivated by this montage as a standalone short film, but it also serves as an incredible introduction to the Lars von Trier's narrative.

In an extended sequence, von Trier summarizes his entire film with a Kubrick/2001: A Space Oddysey flair. The music is uncannily similar to "Blue Danube". It reinforces the notion that this film is an "epic" and seeks shake up the world of science fiction cinema.

The idea of emulating other directors to advance film seems contradictory, but it is a great commentary on what many academics would call "the death of cinema". In Melancholia I can see a longing for the filmmaking of previous generations. The "slow" transitions in the montage allow the spectator to really scrutinize each shot and utilize a cinephiliac  approach. Other elements, such as the CGI are cutting edge and embrace the digital age.

Cinema hasn't died, but finding "films" in the "movie" business has become increasingly difficult. Lars von Trier is trying to attract the cinephiles and the average movie-goer in Melancholia. The foreshadowing through the initial scene neatly summarizes what would have been considered too "avant-garde" for Hollywood. Major casting (Kirsten Dunst, Kiefer Sutherland, etc.) engages the everyday moviegoer and television watcher. CGI does not carry the film, but it provides an intriguing aesthetic.

On the other hand, the sheer darkness, subdued acting, and slow pace give Melancholia a greater purpose than the box office charts. Lars von Trier has an uncanny ability to extend a film's content without actually making it longer. The initial sequence was 8 minutes, but felt like 30. Each half could have stood alone as a narrative. 

In Melancholia film became an immersive experience again. Even though it felt long, I watched every frame and was not ever compelled to pull out my cell phone or take a bathroom break, something that modern movies have tended to bring out in the audience. Even with technology, film can't die as there will always be "purists" of the cinematic experience and cinephiles to appreciate them.