Kirsten Dunst rises out of “Melancholia”

Kirsten Dunst

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Kirsten Dunst steps out of  her comfort zone and deep into a paralyzing depression in her  latest film “Melancholia.”

Better known for light fare like “Spider-Man” and romantic  comedies, Dunst plays the lead in the part science-fiction,  part family drama from Danish director Lars von Trier, which  opens in select U.S. cities on Friday.

The actress, 29, found herself challenged with intense  emotional scenes and nudity while portraying Justine — a  complex bride who deteriorates into a melancholic depression  after getting married and immediately regretting it. “It’s a very vulnerable part and there are very difficult  scenes, but the environment was very comfortable,” said Dunst.

Kirsten Dunst

“Anything I had to do, which I may not have felt  comfortable with in a different setting, felt protected so I  could let loose and be open,” the actress added.

Complicated female characters and visually arresting images  have become a trademark for von Trier, who cast Nicole Kidman  in the 2003 thriller “Dogville” and Charlotte Gainsbourg in the  2009 supernatural movie “Antichrist”. Dunst called von Trier “one of the great directors of our  time.” He, in turn, drew a performance from Dunst that won her  the best actress award at the Cannes film festival and is now  earning talk of a possible first Oscar nomination.

It is the best critical acclaim Dunst has experienced since  her performance as a 12-year-old in the 1994 drama “Interview  With the Vampire” alongside Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.

New York Times movie reviewer A.O. Scott said the actress  “is remarkably effective at conveying both the acute anguish  and the paralyzing hollowness of depression.”

 END OF THE WORLD    
“Melancholia” is an apocalyptic tale of sisters Justine  (Dunst) and Claire (Gainsbourg) set against an epic backdrop,  when Earth’s existence is threatened by the approach of the  planet Melancholia. Alexander Skarsgard and Keifer Sutherland  co-star.

The film is divided into two sections named after the  sisters, and moves from light, celebratory scenes of Justine’s  wedding to darker anxieties, accompanied by arresting  cinematography and Richard Wagner’s dramatic operatic score of  “Tristan and Isolde.”

Justine’s depression and mental decline make her reliant on  the strength of her sister Claire. But as the mysterious planet  Melancholia slowly edges its way on a collision course with  Earth, Justine finds herself becoming stronger while her sister  crumbles.