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Lars Von Trier Will Bring The End Of The Earth With Melancholia

Is there any other way to start a Lars Von Trier (Antichrist,  Europa)  sci-fi film than having it kick off with the Earth being destroyed?

According to Politiken (via The Playlist), that’s exactly the case when it comes to his upcoming film MELANCHOLIA.   The film, set to follow two sisters who must come to terms with the fact that a planet is heading directly towards the Earth, will star Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Alexander Skarsgaard, and will ‘start with the end.’

Here’s how the filmmaker describes it, from a new book entitled Genius penned by Politiken writer Nils Thorsen:

‘In ‘˜Melancholia’ I start with the end. Because what is interesting is not what happens but how it happens! So we begin by seeing the world being crushed, then we can tell the story afterwards,’ he said. ‘In this way you don’t have to sit and form theories about what will happen, but can delve down into some other levels and become interested in the pictures and the universe ‘“ that’s what I imagine.’

Sounds good to me.

He goes on to discuss how the two sisters will take differing points of view on the planet’s impending doom, with one sister accepting the fact that the world will end, while the other ‘becomes increasingly panicky.’ Personally, this is the most interesting aspect about the film at this point.   I love this cast, sure, but the idea of Von Trier doing a sci-fi film looking at how humans differ in their views on death is more than compelling.

The film has shot, and is most likely set for a Cannes 2011 debut, making this far and away one of my most anticipated films for 2011.

What do you think?

Source: Politiken / The Playlist

Joshua Brunsting

Josh is a critic, a member of the Online Film Critics Society, a wrestling nerd, a hip-hop head, a father, a cinephile and a man looking to make his stamp on the world, one word at a time.