Melancholia (2011) (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Silverman]

The first half then plays as a character study of all of the people important to Justine. We see her husband is only concerned about the wedding night sex

On the contrary, I think the key to the husband is the orange grove (at least, I think it was an orange grove). He wanted to save her from herself, and put all his resources into that. Remember how he explained that in a few years it would make her feel better. I think her wedding night coldness was simply the moment of realization (for him) that things wouldn't work out the way that he'd planned -- he was maybe in denial until that point. Another possibility regarding the photo is that she didn't want to think about the future plans that he'd made for them since she knew (if we're buying the psychic angle) that it was not to be. That land -- symbolically and literally, perhaps -- was the cure for her depression, and it would soon cease to exist.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Ron, remember that Claire says to Justine, early in the film before any weirdness, "you promised you wouldn't make a scene?" I think it's pretty clear that her depression is well known and that everyone around her is hoping against hope that the wedding (and, hopefully, the marriage) will survive it. As for the sex scene, I guess for Justine, that emotional connection is impossible. Thus the cold, meaningless sex with a stranger after avoiding her husband. I think she might've done it to get back at her boss, who had been toying with his nephew. That whole subplot was kind of weird, though.

 

[Jeremiah]

I also have mixed feeling about this movie, the second half was amazing and had me totally engaged but the first half was odd. I'm not sure what to make of her depession, I thought she was so depressed because she knew the world was going to end but then a little later she got her appetite back and was devouring that peanut butter(?) like she was reborn. It's been awhile since I have seen it so not sure what she was eating or details of her life. She had a good job and a good husband it seems so I don't get how someone so depressed could actually be successful. I would still recomend it.