The merits of "Melancholia"

When Lars Von Trier released into his infamous tirade in Cannes, marketers who had the privileges to his latest pic, "Melancholia," might have despaired -- however, the film does good business. Now you ask ,: Could it did better? Lengthy-time students of the self-announced anarchist and mischievous provocateur, who now demands he isn't a real Nazi and was just kidding, could have been justified in exclaiming, along with Kirsten Dunst's character within the film, "What have you expect?"Anybody who thought Von Trier's distribution partners, a lot of whom have was through the director since his breakout hit "Smashing the Waves" in 1996, would turn against him, is going to be disappointed. Cannes might have declared Von Trier to become "persona non grata," but his film, which opened up within the U.S. November. 11 and made $257,174 from 19 screens over its opening weekend, continues to be given a warm welcome by many people film experts, fellow professionals and cinemagoers. Some of the movie's distribs have previously registered release a Von Trier's next film, erotic drama "Nymphomaniac," and a week ago the ecu Film Academy compensated "Melancholia" with eight nominations in the annual honours. The film's box office gross stands at $14.4 million through November. 13, a figure that's prone to rise substantially because the pic continues to be running in theaters in a number of areas, and it has yet to spread out in lots of others. With video and TV sales put into the pot, production company Zentropa will probably easily recoup its investment around the film.But nonetheless the idea remains: It might have been a lot better if he'd just stored his mouth shut."After I saw the film, I believed it was fantastic really effective. I had been so impressed which i thought it might win a significant prize in Cannes possibly not the Palme d'Or, however the Grand Prix," recalls Regine Vial, mind of distribution at French indie L'ensemble des Films du Losange. Because it was, the film needed to get by using the actress award for Dunst.Vial opened up the film in August and it is glad she did. Although a lot of folks France visit the beach for many of this month, there is little competition within the arthouse market, which gave the film a obvious run within the press, and time for you to build its audience through person to person. Vial being asked to look on radio shows to discuss the scandal, which gave her the chance to change the main focus to the film.Within the two several weeks between Cannes and also the opening, she'd intensely marketed the film through preview tests at locations in which the chattering classes gather. These incorporated a theater festival in Avignon along with a film festival in Corsica."We desired to show the film straightaway in as numerous place as you possibly can to allow people this would be a fantastic bit of filmmaking, and permit word to spread," Vial states. "Melancholia" has had $3.4 million in Gaul by November. 13 -- a lot more than every other territory -- which is still playing in theaters there, but Vial thinks it might have been much more popular if Von Trier had not have run his mouth, and also the film had won among the top awards in Cannes. Prior to the festival, Vial had wished the film would acquire a box office close to $4.two million she now needs it to finish on about $3.8 million. Antonio Medici, general director at Italy's BIM Distribuzione, can also be dismayed concerning the fallout from Von Trier's rant in Cannes. He states some theater proprietors rejected to accept film, and although others required their place, he feels the episode distracted in the film's unquestionable quality, and brought many people to prevent it. "Melancholia" were built with a poor opening weekend in Italia on March. 21, but has retrieved slightly since. Medici estimations the box office, which now stands at $638,164 by November. 13, will finish up between $676,000 and $744,000, that is about 30% underneath the company's estimate within the run-as much as Cannes. Medici places blame the shortfall around the debate, that was covered in primetime news shows on all of the primary Television channels in Italia."Some several weeks had passed, however i believe there have been still people who did not wish to watch a film from the guy who made this type of statement," Medici states.Ivo Andrle, purchases mind at Aerofilms, the film's Czech distributor, were built with a better experience. He opened up the "Melancholia" soon after Cannes, and it has banked $192,000 and handle its run this really is 57% a lot more than the $109,000 he forecast prior to the festival. He states the debate produced an appetite in media for news about Von Trier, that they then given with information concerning the film itself."The media attention began using the scandal, and increased quickly, however they just spoken concerning the scandal and never concerning the film. Therefore we attempted to follow-up and provide them further subjects to incorporate in their coverage," he states.So, how can you solve an issue like Von Trier? Well, the director may curently have provided the solution themself, when he declared recently he'd sworn a vow of silence. His pics' marketers hope that later on he'll allow his films to talk on their own. n Contact Leo Barraclough at leo.barraclough@variety.com