Personally, watching Dunst's performance made me feel empowered.

I don't want to get into a full analysis but this right here is part of the problem. Depression is not empowering, and thinking of it that way is insulting to people suffer the affliction. Sure there are some people who use the hardships of depression to learn and grow and accomplish more than they otherwise could of if they didn't have the malady. People use cancer similarly. It's still a disease that left untreated can fucking kill you slowly and painfully.

Now I still think "Melancholia" is a great film that deals with depression and helplessness and a host of other things but it's not a good description of what depression is like most of the time, not at it's most insidious. It's the sanitized pretty rich white girl version, similar to that "Hyperbole and a Half" comic. The main problem with depression is not failing to feel emotions or being detached, that's a side issue. Depression is being trapped in misery and bad feelings a great majority of the time.