NYMPH()MANIAC - Vol II

NYMPH()MANIAC Volume II is the conclusion to Lars Von Triers Depression Trilogy and the final part of his two part opus, NYMPH()MANIAC. The film stars Charlotte Gainsborough as Joe, a self diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her erotic history. The film also stars Stellan Skarsgard as Seligman, Shia LaBeouf as Jerome, Jamie Bell as K and Willem Dafoe as L. The film also introduces Mia Goth as P and Stacy Martin as the young Joe.

NYMPH()MANIAC is an opus which deserves to be seen in its entirety, and i found that it was only upon viewing the entire piece that i was truly able to understand it's themes and concepts, it is perhaps worth noting that the film was written and directed in one part, and was later edited and censored to its current length and form. Thus the film was never intended to be in two parts, and despite being split for commercial reasons, the film must be analyzed as a whole. I find that i am now able to understand Lars Von Triers intentions, and his ideas on female sexuality.

The film starts exactly where the previous volume left off, Joe is now in a relationship with Jerome, after meeting him in the park, and they now have a child, Joe finds herself with a voracious sexual appetite which Jerome is unable to keep up with, so he tells her to have sex with other++ men, and then becomes supremely jealous. Joe finds herself visiting K, a doctor like man who whips and punishes women at their request. Finally Joe becomes a debt collector, using her sexuality to torture and extort men.

The performances in this film are strong, and Charlotte Gainsborough is fantastic in this film, she shines as the fragile yet defiant Joe, a woman who takes charge of her own sexuality and who is unafraid to be judged. for the choices she has made. The film also features strong performances by Jamie Bell and Shia LaBeouf, each of whom manage to be neither overtly menacing nor entirely comforting, and who manage to act out well rounded character who seem to have neither pasts nor futures, and who don't even have names.

The film is significantly darker than volume one, the film deals with themes of depression, violence, pedophilia and sadomasochism. The theme of violence and sadomasochism is perhaps the most intriguing and well explored theme in the entire opus, Joes interest in punishment and torture often seems without payoff, and her motives are often bizarre for the audience to understand, the acts in which she partakes, suck as being slapped across the face with a glove full of coins, being whipped with a cat whip and being fisted, giving name to the subtitle, The Silent Duck. These actions often seem highly unsexual in nature, and K resists all advantages Joe makes, yet it is this relationship that brings Joe's sexuality back to life.

The film also addresses the hypocrisy between male and female sexuality, Seligman says to Joe that if she was a man, her actions would be seen as acceptable, even admirable, yet because she is a woman, she is despised and looked down on as a slut or a whore. Joe is a woman who loves her sexuality and loves who she it, although she is a nymphomaniac, and has had to deal with the outcome that her lifestyle has had on her body, she loves herself for it, and she has no apologies. Joe has started to believe what society says about her, and the way society has rejected her, and Seligman helps her to see past this external vision she has.

The other theme explored is choice. Throughout her past Joe has made choices, she wasn't abused, she wasn't raped, she made the choice to have sex and she made the choice to stop. At the end of the movie, Seligman attempts to rape Joe, assuming that she wouldn't mide, saying to her that she has been with hundreds of men, and can be with one more, Joe reacts badly to this. The film explores the idea that Joe's actions are excusable, because she made choices, and also didn't make a choice. Let me explain, when Joe is talking to Seligman about the pedophile she says that it must be impossible to live with a forbidden sexual desire, and that her nymphomania is something she was born with, and that she cannot control, it also says that she made a choice to sleep with the men, and that acting upon her sexuality was a choice she made, that society shouldn't judge her for.

I found Nymphomaniac in its entirety to be a deeply moving and powerful drama, which has some interesting things to say about female sexuality, and the relationship we have with our own sexuality. Nymphomaniac is perhaps Lars Von Trier's most intriguing and well formed film, in addition to having an original structure and format, and being a visually stunning, well acted opus. Volume II of this is perhaps significantly less thrilling and full than volume I, but nonetheless, it remains one of the most intriguing films i have seen for a very long time. Rating: B+

K: That's not how this goes. Most people don't scream until I hit them.

Trash and Our Planet

WALL-E is a PIXAR film released in 2008 during the studio's much publicized golden era. The film was PIXAR's first (and only) real foray into the world of science fiction. WALL-E is the story of a robot, whose sole job is to clear up the garbage that now litters much of the world's surface. Mass consumerism has left piles of waste, and as the last remnants of humanity leave for a new life in space, the government decides to use robots to clean up the mess, it is quickly realized that this plan will not work, and the government shuts down the WALL-E program, however one robot remains, and he alone clears up all the rubbish, in the years since the humans leaving, WALL-E has developed a personality, and is immensely lonely. EVE is a robot charged to find vegetation on earth, and as soon as WALL-E sees her, he falls in love.

What makes WALL-E so unique is that the characters do not speak, and only communicate using grunts and sounds, which at times sound almost human. The first half of the movie takes place on earth, where WALL-E and EVE are alone, save for the cockroach. Thus during the whole first portion of the film, there is no dialogue, it is impressive that PIXAR manage to allow real communication between these robots. The robots have so much personality, EVE has a LED screen instead of a face, and the shape of the eyes changes depending on the emotion she is feeling. The head will also tilt depending on feeling, such as leaning to the side when she is confused. WALL-E is also hugely expressive, the eyes here will also move depending on emotion, such as blinking to indicate sadness. It is phenomenal that characters who do not speak, and who do not have real faces can be so expressive and have such character.

The film also looks amazing, the first part of the film takes place on earth, which has turned into a dusty rubbish dump. The whole first part of the film has a sepia tint, and legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins was hired as a consultant on the film. The second half of the film is in direct contrast to this, as it takes place on a space ship, it has a cold industrial feel, using mainly whites greys and blues. What is interesting about this film is how it has been treated like a live action movie, the film features almost photo-realistic animation and manages to successfully blur the line between animation and live action.

The film itself is a critique of industrialism and mass commercialism, the film depicts a world which our planet is vastly in danger of becoming. Purchases are not made to last, and everything is disposable, T-Shirts at Primark that are designed to be worn once and thrown away, and cars that are only intended to be used for a few years before they are exchanged for a newer, better, shinier model. Most the stuff that we buy comes in packaging, which is basically trash, and even the things that we buy themselves are mostly trash, designed to be used a handful of times and then thrown away, WALL-E opens our eyes to the fact that when we throw something in the trash, it doesn't simply disappear, and it has to go somewhere.

WALL-E also critiques the way in which we use technology, and since watching the film, i have tried to modify the amount of technology that i use, on the spaceship Axiom, humans have become so attached to technology that the barely see the world around them, to the point that one of the characters didn't even know that the ship had a pool, and that characters have become unable to walk due to mobile chairs carrying them around. (Segway anyone?) Due to technology taking over their lives, humans have become less and less human to the point where it is difficult to tell them apart, and the robots have become more human than the humans, knowing how to love and gaining personality.

The film also contains many charming references to other science fiction films, most notably '2001, A Space Odyssey'. WALL-E mirrors 2001's themes of technology and power, and the idea of technology becoming more charismatic, and having more personality than humans. AUTO, the intelligent computer system in WALL-E resembles HAL 9000 from 2001, both in appearance and in personality.

The film can also be seen as a biblical allegory, EVE resembles the eponymous character from genesis, and the beginning of the film mirrors the Adam and Eve story, with WALL-E representing the lonely Adam, and EVE being the woman who comes to keep him company, and with whom he subsequently falls in love. EVE also resembles the white dove that Moses sent forth from the arc, only to return with the olive branch, in style and in story.

Overall, WALL-E is a fantastic complex story, which proves that animated films do not have to resort to silly cartoonish gags in order to appeal to children. WALL-E contains numerous biblical, science-fiction and environment allegories, and serves as a warning that humanity needs to change it's course if we want to survive. It's not bird flu, or homosexuality that will lead to the end of the human race, but our own actions, and since the release of WALL-E in 2008, the situation has only gotten worse. Rating: A+

Captain: Wait, that doesn't look like Earth. Where's the blue sky? Where's the-the grass?