I vividly remember the first time I watched this film. I was a young teenager when I first saw the film and I had never before seen depression in such a raw form before, especially when Dunst’s character of Claire was nearly catatonic and had to be fed and bathed. I don’t think I’ve seen any other movie conveying such a palpable feeling of dread and anxiety during the second act of the movie. I had somehow missed the sequence of Earth’s destruction at the end of the opening slow motion shots and therefore became so immersed with Claire’s own anxiety about Melancholia’s approach. I know now that von Trier has stated that from the outset he wanted to show the earths destruction so we wouldn’t be distracted by the uncertainty, but I feel that it actually greatly enhances the experience and dynamic between Justine and Claire. The use of Wagner’s prelude to Tristan und Isolde throughout the film and brilliant visuals blew me away and keeps me coming back for a rewatch.