Trivia / Melancholia

• Actor-Shared Background: Kirsten Dunst had personal experiences with depression before playing Justine, although she stated that they didn't inform every aspect of her performance.
• Career Resurrection: Kirsten Dunst, who made a successful transition from a child star in The '90s to an adult actress early in the 2000s, had dropped off the radar later in the decade due to depression. Her critically hailed performance in this film won her numerous accolades, such as the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress. Further acclaimed roles came her way afterwards, including an Emmy Award-nominated role in Fargo and an Academy Award-nominated role in The Power of the Dog.
• Creator Breakdown: Of all of von Trier's films, this one is perhaps the one born most directly out of his own struggles with depression. It definitely shows.
• Dueling Movies: With The Tree of Life. Also with Another Earth, plot-wise.
• Referenced by...:
  • Charlotte Gainsbourg inserted a shot of Claire holding her son in the music video for "Rest" as a Call-Back to her role in this film.
  • The Swans song "Kirsten Supine" is directly based on the scene where Justine lays on the lawn and bathes in Melancholia's light.
• What Could Have Been: Kirsten Dunst's role was originally going to be played by Penélope Cruz, but she dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. The role had also been heavily influenced by Cruz, as an exchange of letters she had with von Trier inspired him to base the dynamic of the film's sister protagonists off of Jean Genet's play The Maids, which she spoke about enthusiastically in writing. She had also wanted to work with von Trier, and the role started out as him trying to write a role for her.
• Write What You Know: von Trier got the idea for the movie while being treated for depression. Kirsten Dunst had also suffered from depression prior to the movie.

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