The 2011 Lars Von Trier film ‘Melancholia’ is at times grinding and slow-burning, and starts off with an hour-long dysfunctional wedding scene featuring some truly dislikable characters.

It does not get any easier to watch beyond that point, as serious mental illness is a major theme throughout. However, this is somewhat balanced out by the spectacular visuals and locations, not to mention the intrigue surrounding the arrival of a rogue planet near Earth’s orbit.

Any film from Von Trier is an acquired taste, with his directing style not to everyone’s liking.

I would say ‘The House That Jack Built’ would be the only other of Von Trier’s projects considered anywhere near ‘mainstream’ – although it was extremely violent. On the other hand, I found his previous film ‘Nymphomaniac’ so offensive that I could barely make it half-way through.

‘Melancholia’ is worth a watch, if you’re looking for something to challenge your senses – with a little science-fiction added into the mix. It is neither violent, nor offensive – but does feature some nudity. The cast is solid too, with Kiefer Sutherland, Kirsten Dunst, and Alexander Skarsgard.

Von Trier may be an eccentric film-maker, but as you can see in the screenshots below, he is no mug when it comes to cinematography and creating fantastic visuals.

All photos courtesy of Zentropa Productions.