MDA1800 Adam Amini M00347480 Write an analysis of a film using terms utilized in weeks 7-11 Does Melancholia (Lars

von Trier, 2011)1 use elements of the well-made play? Which elements and to what effect? The well-made play is a term used to describe a play which has the elements developed by Eugene Scribe in his 40 year career.2 These elements can also be applied to other forms of narrative, including Film. I will now be discussing the implementation of some of these elements in Lars von Triers Melancholia and their effect within the film. The first of these points in Melancholia is the fact that a major piece of plot information is known by some characters and the audience, but not others. The film opens with an extravagant montage sequence, in which the audience are shown the resolution of the film: the rogue planet Melancholia collides with Earth, ending all life. Throughout the film, a protagonist, Claire, presumes and deals with the fact that this will happen, while her sister Justine is constantly in denial, meaning that a turning point in the film happens when she finds out, and reacts to this knowledge. The effect of the audience knowing this fact, means that unlike in most disaster films, in which people are occupied with if the disaster will happen, the audience do not have the suspense and can learn about the characters, engaging with how they each cope with the disaster.3 There is a late point of attack, as a lot has happened when the audience are introduced to the characters. The film opens at Claires wedding, meaning they already established a relationship. We then find out about many parts of the characters lives, such as the fact that Claire has a long history with depression, her parents regularly argue after a divorce, and that Justine has a lot of anxiety relating to the rogue planet, and her husband has tried to regularly put her mind off it. These facts are revealed through exposition, another element of the wellmade play. Conversations the characters have with and about each other reveal what has happened between them in the past. For example, when he leaves at the end of the wedding scene, Claires now ex-husband reveals through the conversation that her depression has been a major problem for him. It is also through snide remarks that we learn about Claires and Justines parents divorce. There are many plot revelations and turning points throughout the story relating to the characters lives. For example, the revelation that Claire suffers with depression was unexpected and a definite major plot point, as is when her husband leaves her at the end of the first part of the film. Throughout the film the many revelations revealed to audiences such as the presence of the rogue planet are all important turning points in the plot, as they affect the characters, their actions and how they are perceived by the audiences. The most major turning point towards the end of the film is when Justine finds out that the planet is

definitely going to collide with the Earth (she was the only person not prepared to believe it prior to her revelation), and she then finds out that her husband has killed himself, abandoning his family as the science he lived by (which said the planets would not collide) has failed him. This is a major turning point in the film, as it marks the moment that all of the characters realise the world will definitely end. Justine was the only character who was determined to believe the planets would not collide, (due to her depression Claire was already resigned to and coping with the fact that all life will end), and this is the moment in which Justine loses all hope. Ironically, this turning point leads to Claire being the stronger one, and keeping the family (Claire, Justine and Justines son) together, helping Justine cope, when at the start of the film it was Justine who helped Claire cope with her depression. The final element of the film from the well-made play is the Scne Faire. This is the final sequence of the film, in which, as audiences have known it would happen from the opening montage, they fully expected and as the dramatic climax of the film, probably desired. This obviously holds a lot of effect over the audiences and significance as it is the one scene which the whole film has been building up to; audiences have known about it from the start, the characters have found out about it overtime and the film has chronicled how they have dealt with what they know; it was as dramatic and vital as a scne faire should be. Overall, Melancholia incorporates many aspects of the well-made play: a late point of attack, important turning points and exposition of characters lives before the film. I also think that the aspects of the well-made play which have not been included in this films plot still hold significance. For example, there is no denoument (summing up of the story after the climax,) as the climax of the film marks the definite end. This leaves no possibility for a continuation of the story, tying in with the idea that as the planet it the Earth, all life and all futures (of the world and the characters) was extinguished. Filmography 1. Melancholia, dir. Lars von Trier, Zentropa, Denmark/France, 2012 Bibliography 2. Eugene Scribe and the Well Made Play, Wayne S. Turney, Date Written: Unknown Date Accessed: 21/01/12 http://www.wayneturney.20m.com/scribe.htm 3. The Only Redeeming Factor is the World Ending, Per Juul Carlsen, Date Written: 04/05/11 Date Accessed: 21/01/12 http://www.dfi.dk/Service/English/News-and-publications/FILMMagazine/Artikler-fra-tidsskriftet-FILM/72/The-Only-Redeeming-Factor-is-theWorld-Ending.aspx