‘Melancholia’ and the infinite sadness

Experimental and controversial Danish director Lars von Trier’s latest drama Melancholia is new on DVD this week and with it comes the threat of the end of the world. Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg star as sisters whose relationship crumbles as a mysterious and newly discovered planet approaches dangerously close to Earth. Borrowing equally from Shakespeare and the long lineage of disaster movies, Melancholia is a dark exploration of depression, the bonds of family and the meaning of life. Stellan Skarsgard and Keifer Sutherland co-star. Rated R.