Lars von Trier’s Trilogy of Depression: Overview
While stuck under quarantine, and very much inspired by this Thomas Flight video essay, we’ve made a final decision to experience as many films as possible. But not chaotically; rather, as personal projects. So we begin with Lars von Trier.
As Thomas Flight argues, it’s best to set a specific genre/creator/country for yourselves and start consuming based on that specificity. We all have hundreds of features on our watchlists — this is a logical way to move through those.
And so Lars von Trier it is.
Granted, this began months ago when we first exposed ourselves to The House That Jack Built and immediately fell hooked. Lars von Trier isn’t for everyone; in fact, he isn’t for most. We argue that this is cinema you should progress to; it’s very philosophical, somewhat meta, and composed of so many different aspects that require analysis. So don’t go off jumping to Lars von Trier’s filmography unless you feel ready; it’s best to experience it later and get the most than go at it now and miss a lot.
Lars von Trier became known to the public eye mainly through his Trilogy of Depression. This is a short overview of that; what we liked, what we didn’t like, and whether we recommend the specific features in the Trilogy.
Antichrist
The first of the three, Antichrist came out in 2009 and starred Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg. The story resolves around a couple moving to a secluded cabin to try and deal with past trauma and loss. The film is marketed as a horror.
As one can expect, the surface plot (a.k.a. a couple moves to a secluded cabin) is just a cover for the true story behind Antichrist. More accurately, the film is about inherited human nature — who are we, on a basic level, and what makes us that.
There is a lot to get out of Antichrist. It’s deeply philosophical, perhaps most of the whole trilogy, and makes some very bold and transgressive points. It will make your head hurt, your heart ache, and fill your soul with doubt. It’s brutal, at times, and brave in regards to its claims.
It’s weirdly paced, and tonally strange, but never gets boring. In fact, if you have the strength to trust and follow it throughout, you will start noticing some brilliant sublayer twists and ideas revealed. It’s truly a journey, but you have to find it within yourselves to trust the path.
We do recommend Antichrist. It’s perhaps the most philosophical and exploratory of the three, but it’s worth it.
Melancholia
Melancholia came out in 2011 and starred Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsburg. The story resolves around two sisters coping with the end of the world.
Out of the three features in the Trilogy of Depression, Melancholia is definitely the one that connects most to the theme of mental illness. In fact, the main theme of the film is exploring the strength that comes with depression and the idea that some folk lack this strength — again, a bold claim to make.
Melancholia itself lacks a lot. Its narrative is wildly original, practically making it two different films, but unfortunately it doesn’t really work. It’s confusing and often displeasing.
But what’s more disappointing is the simplicity of Melancholia. While the Antichrist allows you no time to breathe and requires constant thought and analysis, this feature is blatantly different. In fact, it’s quite straight-forward; the theme, and the ideas that follow it, are very obvious. And so very often, the film becomes boring.
We would not recommend Melancholia as a stand-alone feature, but if you’re on the Lars von Trier train, we do recommend you take a quick look. While the themes are not perhaps explored as much as expected, Melancholia does give out a unique perspective on mental illness that doesn’t come often.
Nymphomaniac
Nymphomaniac was released in 2013 in two parts, logically names Nymphomaniac Vol. 1 and Nymphomaniac Vol. 2. It stars Stacy Martin, Stellan Scarsgard, and, surprise, surprise, Charlotte Gainsburg.
Nymphomaniac definitely falls in a similar category as Antichrist where all important ideas and themes stand on a different layer and require analysis. And Nymphomaniac probably even exceeds the first feature in that aspect.
Antichrist is less than two hours long and it becomes relatively clear relatively fast what the core theme of the film is. While Nymphomaniac, at least the director’s cut we saw, is five and a half hours long and keeps you on edge much longer; keeps you wondering much longer; keeps you wanting to understand, coherently, what the hell this film is really about.
What it’s really about is lust, love, and the ever-changing relationship between the two — in a much more complicated sense. But it’s coherent and interesting and presents a unique and brutal perspective on different realities many haven’t experienced. The film does go off at times — Lars’ voice becomes very clear as he tries, through the characters, to justify and understand his own thoughts — but it’s clear, connects to the story, and pushes it forward, even.
Out of the three, we love Nymphomaniac the most. Pacing-wise, it’s undoubtedly the best; and it also holds a great level of complication: while Antichrist doesn’t let you breathe from thinking and Melancholia let’s you breathe too much, Nymphomaniac is the perfect combination of the two. It tells a story and let’s you connect to the story, but doesn’t allow you to rest for too long before requiring understanding and analysis.
Or to sum up everything: we recommend all three.
Lars von Trier’s filmography is complicated and brutal, but he’s nothing short of a genius. His films are contextualized philosophy — and they own up to it. It’s unique and it’s worth your time. It will make you think, deepen your own perspectives on taboo topics, and probably make you more knowledgeable — both as a film consumer and as a person. So go binge.
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An interesting analysis piece here.
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