Luckily I gathered some information before watching this movie. It helped me understand quite a lot. With this information I have to say that this is a really good movie. On first sight, it's a Sci-Fi thing with beautiful imagery, but as soon as you take a closer look it's all a big metaphor for describing the feeling of melancholia and depression.

Painful to watch, attempting to be smart but just light & sound for god-knows-how-long-this-film-was.

The opposite reactions of two sisters facing the end of the world. Gainsbourg's character is relatively full of life and survival instincts, and understandably goes on an hysteric rampage. On the other hand, Dunst's character is a chronic depressive, facing the apocalypse with subdued resignation if not a sense of peace. Some scenes even suggest she may even have attracted the planet Melancholia towards Earth, much like how depression can engulf and destroy everything and everyone around you. The first part is undeniably the most exhilarating, being both hilarious in its presentation of silly characters and heartbreakingly poignant in highlighting the protagonist's depression and instability in relation to the expectations of her peers. Healthy people impose happiness on her, continuously reprimanding her lack of appreciation of the luck in her life. On the other hand, equally depressed individuals tend to minimize her condition, claiming everyone has their own battles to fight and that it's time for her to snap out of it. The second part slows down considerably, and given the fact that the gorgeous opening of the film has already spoiled the ending, we are kind of left there waiting for it to happen. Initially, the focus is on Gainsbourg's character taking care of Dunst's, transitioning from her critical tone in the first part to a more neutral and respectful approach. However, as the end approaches, the roles reverse, offering consolation to us depressives who have caused trouble to our friends and families all our lives. When the apocalypse arrives, because it will, it will be our time to comfort and lead our loved ones in the face of the inevitable. The film itself feels somewhat disjointed, and if you didn't enjoy it, it probably means you are healthier than you thought. Good for you! Personally, I couldn't handle the numerous parallels to real-life situations, even with all the grotesque overtone added by Von Trier. Unfortunately, all the visually stunning scenes are concentrated in the first gorgeous minutes of the film, leaving us a bit thirsty for more during the rest.

geeky_herman - You pretty much summed up that film in an excellent way. It pretty much sucked.