Bryan Baca 03/2014 Rebel Against Love: A Look at Lars Von Triers Nymphomaniac (2014) In 2009, Lars Von

Trier unleashed hell on the world of cinema. He created a film in which carried along a reputation from the beginning of being something that would be upsetting. Von Trier was very up front with what this movie was going to be; something that studied all aspects of misogyny without really making an opinionated statement on the matter either way. This film was Antichrist. When the movie was first screened in Cannes, the pre-determined controversy hit an all time high. People left the theater and details of scenes featuring detailed sexual mutilation became the talk of the film world. However, once the film was released talk silenced almost completely. Audiences seemed to hate the narrative style which required much work from them in order to decipher the complex themes buried deep within the narrative. Two years later, Von Trier released Melancholia. The apocalyptic film was received with much greater praise than Antichrist; and is also my personal favorite film within Von Triers cannon. One thing that immediately jumped out about both of the films was that the aesthetic Von Trier brought to them was similar; and yet much different from anything the director had done before. It would seem he was creating a stylistic, and thematic trilogy about the different emotional aspects of life that we deal with as a society. As stated previously, Antichrist was about misogyny, while Melancholia used its apocalyptic tone to make strong points about depression. Now Von Trier has completed the trilogy with a four hour epic about the most common of animalistic experiences; sex. Nymphomaniac is a films about sex in all its forms as seen through the eyes of one woman; within love, without love, as a weapon, as a vice, and as a game. In

order to fully understand not only Von Triers statements on love making, but how those statements tie into society as a whole, we must not only look at the film itself, but the cultural climate in which it exists. Nymphomaniac is a film that can be viewed in many different ways. The film opens with Jo, our protagonist lying face down in an alley where she is rescued by a man named Seligman. Seligman is one of the most, if not the most important character in understanding the thematic value of Jos story; but we will get to that later. We are then thrown back in time to Jos youth where her and a classmate first learn about sexual please by innocently rubbing their genitals back and forth on the floor. The scene has an interesting effect in the sense that there is really nothing going on here that should be deemed as wrong, but because the subject is so taboo in America it is seen as uncomfortable to watch. This is the first big thematic statement made by Von Trier. The primary reason any of Jos future action will be frowned upon is not because the deserve to be, but because society has been trained to view it that way. It turns something that is completely innocent and natural, into a rebellious. Jo subconsciously tying pleasure in with rebellion could be seen as the instigating factor in her nymphomania. We then jump ahead five or so years to Jo losing her virginity to a young man named Jerome, played by Shia Lebouf. It is quick, it is pleasureless, and it is very obvious that to Jo this is more of something she wants to get out of the way than the special event that society would like everyone to believe their first time is. Another example of how Jos sexual nature makes her different from the people that surround her, and will eventually lead her to unwarranted shunning. In a film called Nymphomaniac, the loss of virginity is the only logical inciting incident.

Once Jo is sexually active, Von Trier begins to unleash the arsenal. As Jo tells her story to Segilman (again, we will get to this later) we are shown how each event she describes brings her one step closer to that alley. Jo is an addict, and Von Trier makes it very clear that in any form of addiction, whether it be to heroine or sex, begins with pleasure, and ends with desperation. As teenagers, Jo and her close friend B make a bet to see who can have sex with more men on a train. At the end of the exhausting sequence, B leads by three, but says she will secede the victory to Jo if she can successfully seduce an illusive married man. When Jo attempts the man pleads for her to stop, but does not make her. At the end of the scene Jo looks the man in the eyes, and realizes the power that she holds by simply not attaching a moral compass to the activity of sex. In my opinion, this is the moment Jo truly becomes a Nymphomaniac. Like any addiction, the pleasure is much more short lived than the eventual devastation, and Von Trier is a filmmaker that does not censor himself in this statement. In a matter of no time Jo has placed herself in a position in which a man is willing to leave his wife to be with her. This is one of the most hard hitting moments in the film, and one I believe to be a career best for Von Trier. The mans soon to be ex-wife (Uma Thurman) shows up at Jos apartment with the mans children and gives them a tour of what she refers to as the whoring bed. The scene shows that although Jo does not view sex as a big deal, her actions have devastating effects on those around

her. This is the emotional climax of the film, and it comes barely halfway into the running time. By putting this beat where it is, Von Trier makes it clear that while this is the moment that is felt most by an audience that lives within the moral code put in place by society, that it is a personal devastation. If Thurmans character were the center of the story, then this would be the climax. The film would end with her taking her children and living out her life in a miserable state; the film would be Antichrist. But this is Jos story, and to Jo the occurrence means nothing more than another night, with another man that she will soon grow bored of. So who is Seligman, and what is the significance of him hearing Jos story? In order to understand Seligman, we must look within another character; Jerome. Jerome is the man who first took Jos virginity, and continues to pop up in her life whenever she questions her actions. At a certain point, Jo relates her actions to rebelling against love. Every time Jerome comes into her life he gives her the temptation of settling down, and becoming just another forgettable face in the world. Every time she does this she falls into a deep misery. Essentially, Jerome is the devil, and is constantly tempting her with the idea of giving up what she truly loves in favor of what society wants her to be. Seligman on the other hand is the opposite. He is presented as asexual, and willing to accept anything Jo confesses to him with an open mind. Seligman is the representation of God. He rescues her from the alley we soon find out Jerome put her in by beating her half to death, and

letting his manipulative mistress, P, urinate on her. Seligman restores faith in Jo that she is on the right path, and that while society may say she is disgusting, that she is more free than all of them. Seligman shows Jo how to find true love not with another person, but with herself. In the conclusion of the film, Von Trier shatters the entire universe that he has created. Up until this point it is very black and white that Seligman is helping Jo, while Jerome is hindering her; in the final scene of the film this is all made grey. Once Jo is asleep, Seligman sneaks into her room and attempts to fornicate with her, breaking his vow of chastity. Jo awakens, grabs a gun, and shoots him as the film cuts to black. What is all of this supposed to mean? I think it can be interpreted many different ways, but I feel that this was Jo no longer needing sex to feel pleasure. She has stopped regretting her actions, and has completely taken control of her life. By leading her life as a nymphomaniac, she has given into the temptations that people spend so much time fighting in order to fit into societal standards. Jo states to Seligman that she no longer needs sex, and that by giving into temptation she has released herself into having the experiences that she wants to have for the rest of her life. When Seligman sneaks into her room and attempts to have sex with her, it appears that even God cannot resist his temptation and it causes his demise. Jo has gained the power to thrive within the world, and having eliminated her temptation can re-enter truly at peace, no longer needing God to guide her way. Nymphomaniac is a film that can be read in numerous ways. Lars Von Trier has constructed something that works on a universal level, while at the same time allows audiences to bring in interpretations based on their personal experiences whether they are celibate, or have led a life as a nymphomaniac. With Antichrist, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac, Von trier has crafted a trilogy of films (all starring Charlotte Gainsbourg) that tell the arc of humankind. While

Antichrist depicts the hatred women receive and its impact on the psyche, while Nymphomaniac is a statement on feminine power, how strong it is, and how fearful our society is of it getting out.