NEWS
EVENTS
Nymphomaniac Volumes I & II: Review
Other | Monday 3rd March 2014 | Michael
The most controversial film of the year had been dismissed, applauded, despised and adored before it had even come near the few screens it has been allowed to grace. Lars Von Trier's new two-part shocker takes sex, lust and fetishism as its impetus, approaching these sensitive topics with devastating honesty, ground-breaking maturity and incredible beauty - no matter how explicit they come.
Nymphomaniac tells the story of Joe as she recounts her troubled life as a sex addict, along with all the disasters, ecstasies and relationships she encounters along the way. Charlotte Gainsbourg portrays the titular protagonist with great subtlety, detailing the events that have defined her as a “terrible human being” to her new friend and saviour, Seligman, played by the captivating Stellan Skarsgård. Eight chapters encapsulate Joe’s character; from her erotic awakenings as a child to the extreme lengths she will go to achieve sexual satisfaction as an adult, Joe may be the most tragic, most enchanting and most complete character that Lars Von Trier has created to date. As a powerful female character in modern film, she is unmatched.
Indeed, almost every character in Nymphomaniac is memorable due to their deadly combination of perversity, mystery and charm. Stacy Martin’s debut performance as Young Joe is simple but captivating, and especially courageous considering the film’s content. The now infamous Shia LaBeouf, whose accent ranges from the curious to the completely bizarre, is predictably dreamy, but also incredibly touching in the film’s more poignant moments, whilst Jamie Bell’s appearance as a BDSM dominator in Volume II is enthralling, yet sickeningly frightening due to his formulaic approach to his job.
It is this characteristic that reflects the overriding nature of Nymphomaniac; the lives and events of the characters are devastating and brutal, yet as a viewer it is impossible to stop watching. Von Trier manages to find beauty and humanity in the darkest corners of his script, whether the film touches on paedophilia, motherhood, addiction or pain. The open-mindedness of his approach is undeniable and the opinions explored are diverse. There are, of course, moments of his writing and film-making that become pretentious and unnecessary, as metaphorical and poetic summaries of art, love and religion float above the stronger core of the film, but thankfully these moments are taken with a pinch of salt, and this awareness allows humour to surface amongst the shock.
It will be interesting to witness the articles and debates that emerge on the film, interrogating its expressions of feminism, sexual politics and violence in our ‘forward-thinking’ society. Experiencing Nymphomaniac in the cinema has already revealed moments of conflicting response to the more uncomfortable moments of the film, quite noticeably in Uma Thurman’s short but brilliant scene which drew gasps, laughter and disapproving silence from different corners of the auditorium. The film’s greatest achievement is this ability to surprise viewers by their own reactions, whether it is through excitement at acts of sexual fetish or amusement at familial devastation, Nymphomaniac challenges its audience to understand the unexpected emotions they experience throughout.
Whilst Lars Von Trier’s reputation and the rumours surrounding this film may have overshadowed its release, nobody should feel deterred from viewing it. Providing you have the stomach to sit through four hours of explicit sex and violent desire, this film will blow you away and stick with you forever.
Mike Pickering
