Enter the Void (2009)

Director:

Gaspar Noé

Writers:

Gaspar Noé (writer)
Lucile Hadzihalilovic (with the help of)

Release Date:

5 May 2010 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

An American drug dealer living in Tokyo is betrayed by his best friend and killed in a drug deal gone bad. His soul, observing the repercussions of his death, seeks resurrection.

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Hallucination | Afterlife | Night | Love Hotel

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Paz de la Huerta	...	Linda
Nathaniel Brown	...	Oscar
Cyril Roy	...	Alex
Olly Alexander	...	Victor
Masato Tanno	...	Mario
Ed Spear	...	Bruno
Emily Alyn Lind	...	Little Linda
Jesse Kuhn	...	Little Oscar
Nobu Imai	...	Tito
Sakiko Fukuhara	...	Saki
Janice Béliveau-Sicotte	...	Mother (as Janice Sicotte-Béliveau)
Sara Stockbridge	...	Suzy (as Sarah Stockbridge)
Stuart Miller	...	Victor's Father
Emi Takeuchi	...	Carol (as Yemi)
Rumiko Kimishima	...	Rumi
Akira Kuzuki	...	Techno Club Girl
Sayuki Nakamura	...	Techno Club Girl
Kaori Nakamura	...	Techno Club Girl
Naoko Hirosawa	...	Techno Club Girl
Kenji Isomura	...	Strip Club Manager
Akira	...	Stripper
Anna	...	Stripper
Marie	...	Stripper
Rico	...	Stripper
Risa	...	Stripper
Ryo	...	Stripper
Yuri	...	Stripper
Sandra	...	Stripper
Milton James	...	Strip Club Bouncer
Hideomi Nagahama	...	Bilingual Officer
Takaharu Hachiya	...	Bilingual Officer
Toshio Hanaoka	...	Bilingual Officer
Kazuhiro Nakanishi	...	Bilingual Officer
Adrien Ledanois	...	Bruno's Friend
Keiji Suzuki	...	Bruno's Friend
Simon Chamberland	...	Father
Joan Heithfield	...	Grandmother
Kenneth Heathfield	...	Grandfather
Jessica De Marco	...	Social Worker
Lucas Sirois	...	Oscar - 2 years old
Ewan Widgeinton	...	Oscar - 2 years old
Alexandre Bergeron	...	Oscar - Baby
Mackenzie Falcombridge	...	Linda - Baby
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Federico Aletta	...	Club Customer (uncredited)
Sayuki Matsumoto	...	(uncredited)
Gaspar Noé	...	Man in nightclub (uncredited)
Edward L. Papazian	...	Customer in Dance Club (uncredited)

Directed by
Gaspar Noé

Writing credits
Gaspar Noé		(writer)
Lucile Hadzihalilovic		(with the help of)

Produced by
Philippe Bober	....	associate producer
Pierre Buffin	....	producer
Brahim Chioua	....	producer
Valerio De Paolis	....	associate producer
Olivier Delbosc	....	producer
Suzanne Girard	....	line producer
Peter Hermann	....	producer: Germany, Essential Filmproduktion
Nicolas Leclercq	....	associate producer
Vincent Maraval	....	producer
Susanne Marian	....	producer: Germany, Essential Filmproduktion
Marc Missonnier	....	producer
Gaspar Noé	....	associate producer
Georgina Pope	....	line producer
Olivier Théry-Lapiney	....	line producer

Original Music by
Thomas Bangalter

Cinematography by
Benoît Debie		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Marc Boucrot
Gaspar Noé
Jérôme Pesnel		(as Jerome Peznel)

Casting by
Lisa Mae Fincannon		(casting director: USA, Fincannon Agency) (as Lisa Mae)
Des Hamilton		(casting director: UK)
Barbara Pfister		(casting director: USA)
Kathryn Taylor		(casting director: USA, Taylor Casting) (as Katie Taylor)

Production Design by
Jean-Andre Carriere		(as Jean Carrière)
Kikuo Ohta

Costume Design by
Nicoletta Massone

Makeup Department
Linda Gordon	....	makeup artist: Canada
Tomomi Higuchi	....	makeup artist: Japan
Félix Larivière	....	makeup artist: Canada

Production Management
Susana Antunes	....	post-production supervisor: Fidelite
Maurine Boutin	....	unit manager: Canada
Yannick Bouverot	....	post-production supervisor assistant: Fidelite
Chantal Desgagné	....	assistant unit manager: Canada (as Chantal Desgagne)
Jos ée Lacelle	....	production manager
Sarah Nagel	....	production manager: Germany
Olivier Théry-Lapiney	....	post-production supervisor: Fidelite (as Olivier Thery-Lapiney)
Isabell Wiegand	....	production manager: Germany
Shin Yamaguchi	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marielou Bélisle-Pierre	....	second assistant director: Canada
Genevieve Courcy	....	third assistant director: Canada
Toshio Hanaoka	....	assistant director
Hideaki Jimbo	....	assistant director
Michael Williams	....	assistant director
Masaaki Yoshimura	....	second assistant director: Japan

Art Department
Genevieve Allard	....	swing gang: Canada
Marie-Eve Berube	....	swing gang: Canada
Veronique Bouchard-Blondeau	....	swing gang: Canada
Marc Caro	....	art supervisor
Catherina Chamberland	....	set dresser: Canada (as Caterina Chamberland)
Luis Felipe	....	artist: Alex paintings
Yves Fontigny	....	set props: Canada
Yoko Fukao	....	assistant props: Japan
Joseph Gagné	....	assistant art director: Canada (as Joseph Gagne)
Martin Gelineau	....	swing gang: Canada
Hideyuki Handa	....	assistant set decorator: Japan
Genevieve Herbert	....	assistant set dresser: Canada
Tamotsu Hoshikawa	....	diorama maker: Japan
Andrew Houston	....	swing gang: Japan
Ayako Imoto	....	property master: Japan
Tom Kan	....	typography designer
Hiromi Kasuya	....	art assistant: Japan
Shunji Kubota	....	assistant set decorator: Japan
Susan C. MacQuarrie	....	set decorator: Canada (as Susan MacQuarriue)
Michel-Pierre Morin	....	swing gang: Canada
Gaspar Noé	....	artist: Alex paintings
Keisuke Sakurai	....	assistant set decorator: Japan
Louisa Schabas	....	set decorator assistant: Canada
Asuka Sugiyama	....	art department coordinator: Canada
Hiromi Takeda	....	art assistant: Japan
Masanori Takeuchi	....	set decorator: Japan
Ryoko Ushikoshi	....	art assistant: Japan
Daichi Watanabe	....	swing gang: Japan

Sound Department
Emeline Aldeguer	....	sound mixer: studio, JacksOn
Hortense Bailly	....	sound mixer: studio, JacksOn
Thomas Bangalter	....	sound effects director
Gina Barbier	....	sound mixer: studio,: JacksOn
Nicolas Becker	....	foley artist
Gael Blondet	....	sound mixer: studio, JacksOn
Laurent Boudaud	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nicolas Bourgeois	....	sound editing assistant
André Cappello	....	sound mixer: studio, JacksOn (as Andre Capello)
Capucine Courau	....	sound editing assistant
Valérie Deloof	....	sound editor: second unit
Alexis Durand	....	sound editing assistant
Lars Ginzel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ryotaro Harada	....	sound mixer
Frederic Henrio	....	sound mixer: studio, JacksOn
Claude La Haye	....	sound mixer
Gwennolé Le Borgne	....	sound editor: second unit (as Gwenole LeBorgne)
Christophe Massie	....	sound mixer: studio, JacksOn
Alix Ploquin	....	sound mixer: studio, JacksOn
Francis Péloquin	....	boom operator: Canada (as Francis Peloquin)
Dominique Schmit	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Boris Schoene	....	sound mixer: studio, JacksOn
Rin Takada	....	boom operator: Japan
Ken Yasumoto	....	sound designer

Special Effects by
Franck Bonetto	....	special effects
Olivier Gleyze	....	special effects
Les Versaillais	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Xavier Allard	....	lead cg artist
Pierre Alran	....	digital artist: BUF
François-Xavier Aubague	....	production team: BUF (as Francois-Xavier Aubague)
Julien Aullas	....	lead cg artist
Frederic Bajou	....	digital artist: BUF
Vincent Batoufflet	....	system administrator: BUF
Xavier Bec	....	research and development: BUF
Christophe Bernard	....	visual effects video operator: BUF
Anne-Sophie Bertrand	....	lead cg artist
Jonathan Bonte	....	digital artist: BUF
Stephane Bourdageau	....	digital artist: BUF
Pierre Buffin	....	visual effects art director: BUF
Julien Buisseret	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Isabelle Capgras	....	visual effects editor: BUF
Jean Carlier	....	digital artist: BUF
Fabien Charbonnier	....	system administrator: BUF
Florent Chedreau	....	visual effects video operator: BUF
Jonathan Cohen	....	digital artist: BUF
Sebastien Corne	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Yann De Cadoudal	....	assistant to visual effects supervisor
Yann De Cadoudal	....	on set visual effects supervisor: BUF
Damien Delaunay	....	digital artist: BUF
Damien Delrue	....	digital artist: BUF
Nicolas Delval	....	visual effects producer
Thomas Devorsine	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Lionel Di Scala	....	digital artist: BUF
Carla Diamond	....	visual effects coordinator: BUF
Pierre Fauquembergue	....	system administrator: BUF
Nicolas Gauthier	....	digital artist: BUF
Sylvain Germain	....	research and development: BUF
Yoel Godo	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Stephanie Goix	....	research and development: BUF
Arnaud Grelaud	....	digital artist: BUF
Florian Grolier	....	in-out/render technician: BUF
Maxime Guillet	....	system administrator: BUF
Rami Hage	....	digital artist: BUF (as Ramy Hage)
Michael Haussmann	....	digital artist: BUF
Michael Havart	....	digital artist: BUF
Glenn Jacobsen	....	psychedelic effects on tv (as Glennwiz)
Anne-Gaelle Jolly	....	research and development: BUF
Jean-Louis Kalifa	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Thien Co Pham Ke	....	digital artist: BUF
Nicolas Labbe	....	in-out/render technician: BUF
Anaïs Lacoste	....	digital artist: BUF
Jonathan Lagache	....	flame artist: BUF
Fabrice Lagayette	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Marc Lamorille	....	digital artist: BUF
Delphine Lasserre	....	visual effects coordinator: BUF
Bastien Laurent	....	lead cg artist
Joachim Loubeau	....	in-out/render technician: BUF
Olivier Lourry	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Denis Marco	....	digital artist: BUF
Christophe Moreau	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Mélanie Moulin	....	visual effects editor assistant: BUF
Jean-Louis Nikiema	....	in-out/render technician: BUF (as Jean Louis Nikiema)
Geoffrey Niquet	....	visual effects supervisor
Marie-Catherine Osmy	....	digital artist: BUF
Loris Paillier	....	lead cg artist
Loris Paillier	....	on set visual effects supervisor: BUF
Guillaume Palegie	....	digital artist: BUF
Jerome Pesnel	....	digital artist: editing team
Laurent Pierrat	....	in-out/render technician: BUF
Rémi Pierre	....	digital artist: BUF (as Remi Pierre)
Louis-Daniel Poulin	....	digital artist: BUF
Olivier Prigent	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Alice Pépujol	....	digital artist: BUF (as Alice Pepujol)
Clement Rambach	....	research and development: BUF
Julien Rancoeur	....	digital artist: editing team
Katharine Ratnoff	....	production team: BUF
Martin Reneleau	....	digital artist: BUF
Nolwenn Rimbault	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Jeremy Robert	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Kenny Rosset	....	digital artist: BUF
Hélène Saint-Riquier	....	visual effects coordinator: BUF (as Helene Saint-Riquier)
Jerome Samson	....	in-out/render lead technician: BUF
Julien Tagodoe	....	in-out/render technician: BUF
Julien Taton	....	digital artist: BUF
David Tomaszewski	....	digital artist: editing team
Arnaud Trouvé	....	software development: BUF
Edouard Valton	....	production team: BUF
Fabien Vantroys	....	digital artist: editing team
Christophe Vazquez	....	digital artist: BUF
David Verbeke	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Christophe Verspieren	....	research and development: BUF
Julie Verweij	....	visual effects coordinator: BUF
Dominique Vidal	....	lead cg artist: BUF
Jocelyn Vincent	....	in-out/render technician: BUF
Stephane Vogel	....	digital artist: BUF
Ramy Zaouai	....	in-out/render technician: BUF
Murielle Chevalley	....	digital effects artist: BUF (uncredited)
Mickael Girod	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)
Cedric Le Dru	....	digital artist: BUF (uncredited)
Arthur Lemaitre	....	digital artist: BUF (uncredited)
Simon Magnan	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Pierrick Mahieu	....	visual effects artist (uncredited)
Damien Stumpf	....	digital artist: BUF (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Osamu Akaoka	....	best boy grip: Japan
Charles Beetz	....	gaffer: Canada
Jacques F. Bernier	....	camera assistant (as Jacques Bernier)
Alec Comtois	....	best boy lighting: Canada
David Dinel	....	best boy grip: Canada
Yuka Eto	....	film loader: Japan
Martin Gagnon	....	grip: Canada
Katsuyuki Hashimoto	....	lighting assistant: Japan
Koshi Hayakawa	....	grip assistant: Japan
Tsukasa Itami	....	lighting assistant: Japan
Tsuyoshi Kage	....	best boy lighting: Japan
Akira Kanno	....	head grip
Takuro Kase	....	lighting assistant: Japan
Takaya Kato	....	best boy lighting: Japan
Takayuki Kawabe	....	gaffer: Japan
Tomohiro Kawana	....	lighting assistant: Japan
Maxime Langlois	....	lighting assistant: Canada
Bernard Larivière	....	grip: Canada (as Bernard Lariviere)
Jean-François Larivière	....	grip: Canada (as Jean-Francois Lariviere)
Peter Mathys	....	best boy lighting: Canada
Yasushi Miyata	....	first assistant camera
Daniel Moise	....	technocrane operator: Canada
Josée Mongeau	....	second assistant camera: Canada (as Josee Mongeau)
Eric Morin	....	electrician: groupman, Canada
Jeff Nichol	....	key grip: Canada
Gaspar Noé	....	camera operator
Michael Ohayon	....	lighting assistant: canada
Serge Raymond	....	lighting assistant: Canada
Kiyotaka Takahashi	....	lighting assistant: Japan
Tomohiro Takahashi	....	grip assistant: Japan
Jitsu Toyoda	....	camera operator: "b" camera, Japan
Jitsu Toyoda	....	second assistant camera: Japan
Yui Toyooka	....	lighting assistant: Japan
Satoshi Tsuyuki	....	grip assistant: Japan
Yuji Wada	....	gaffer: Tokyo
Sean Walker	....	camera department production assistant: Japan
Takuya Watanabe	....	grip assistant: Japan
Takahiro Yamaguchi	....	lighting assistant: Japan
Bruce Yamakawa	....	still photographer: Japan
Gen Ito	....	assistant camera: re-shoots (uncredited)
Philip Lozano	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Yoichiro Hase	....	casting director: Japan
Hil	....	extras casting: Japan
Raymon	....	extras casting: Japan
Helene Rousse	....	casting: Canada
Moe Sugawara	....	extras casting: Japan
Tomoko Yamazaki	....	casting assistant: Japan

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julie Chenard	....	assistant costume designer: Canada
Azuna Saito	....	assistant wardrobe: Japan

Editorial Department
Aziz Abil	....	film processing
Denis Bedlow	....	assistant editor
Florence Bonnet-Rivet	....	negative editing and scanning
Michel Caffa	....	film department manager
Camille Chaine	....	film transfer conformation and mastering
Camille Chaine	....	negative editing and scanning
Ibrahim Dabo	....	assistant editor
Thomas Fernandez	....	assistant editor
Remi Gualino	....	film grader and printer
Keita Ideno	....	editor assistant: Japan
Yves Le Peillet	....	digital colorist
Olivier Renier	....	assistant editor
Romain Richard	....	post-production production assistant

Music Department
Veronique Hassid	....	music business and legal affairs: Atha Consulting
Geraldine Lamamy	....	music business and legal affairs: Atha Consulting

Transportation Department
Jocelyn Bourcier	....	assistant picture car: Canada
Louis-Etienne Herbert-Racine	....	driver: office, Canada
Toru Honda	....	driver: Japan
Nobuaki Hoshino	....	driver: Japan
Taichi Iwasaki	....	driver: Japan
Michel Perreault	....	picture car coordinator: Canada
Philippe Perreault	....	assistant picture car: Canada
Manon Rufer	....	set driver: Canada
Yukiko Suzuki	....	driver: Japan
Wataru Wakita	....	driver: Japan

Other crew
Viva Artero	....	accountants assistant: Fidelite
Deena Aziz	....	location manager assistant: Canada
Daniel Borenstein	....	laboratory technical director: B-Mac
Hubert Caillard	....	legal: BUF
Nathalie Cecyre	....	production coordinator: Canada
Laurence Clerc	....	chief executive officer
Marilia De Lorgeril	....	production assistant: Fidelite
Karine Dhont	....	production coordinator (as Karine D'Hont)
Claude-Andrée Du Mesnil	....	location manager: Canada (as Claude-Andree Du Mesnil)
Carl Emond	....	production accountant: Canada
Miho Enomoto	....	accountant: Japan
Thorsten Fleisch	....	researcher: Kirlian effects
Clemence Forestier	....	business affairs: Fidelite
Hodetoshi Fushimi	....	caterer: Japan
Jocelyne Gagné	....	assistant production accountant: Canada (as Jocelyne Gagne)
Sandrine Girbal	....	production assistant: Fidelite
Tommy Guenette	....	production assistant: Canada
Hiroshi Harada	....	assistant location manager: Japan
Yosuke Harada	....	location coordinator: Japan
Marie-José Harel	....	legal counsel: Canada (as Marie-Jose Harel)
Masahiro Hondo	....	location manager
Sadami Hwang	....	production secretary: Japan
Nobu Imai	....	production assistant: bilingual, Japan
Pamela Juteau	....	production secretary: Canada
Saeko Kawamura	....	accountant: Japan
Yasuhiro Koide	....	production runner: Japan
Masa Kokubo	....	production coordinator
Marion Koob	....	production accountant: Germany
Virginie Lacaze	....	distribution manager: Fidelite
Bruno Lemire	....	set production assistant: Canada
Louise Lussier	....	post production accountant: Canada
Ana Maria Lyro	....	craft service: Canada
Kôtarô Miyata	....	location manager assistant: Japan (as Kotaro Miyata)
Shuzo Miyori	....	unit coordinator: Japan
Ryota Mizuguchi	....	caterer: Japan
Frederic Moreau	....	production assistant: Canada
India Osborne	....	production advisor: BUF
Nadjib Otmani	....	production accountant
Natasha Paris	....	production secretary: Canada
David Pearson	....	location manager assistant: Canada
Francois Pouget	....	legal advisor: Gaspar Noe and Les Cinemas de la Zone
Isabelle Sauvanon	....	publicity: France, Yelena Communication
Thomas Schober	....	laboratory general manager: B-Mac
Pierre Selinger	....	lawyer: Wild Bunch
Fumiyoshi Shimada	....	location coordinator: Japan
Vanesse Simon	....	business affairs: BUF (as Simon Vanesse)
Chiharu Soma	....	production runner: Japan
Ikumi Taguchi	....	location manager assistant: Japan
Sho Takeda	....	unit coordinator: Japan
Itsuka Toda	....	assistant to artists: Japan
Lucio Tomaro	....	location manager
Sylvie Trepanier	....	assistant craft service: Canada
Pascal Vallart	....	accountant: Fidelite
Thomas Vaudour	....	legal person in charge: Fidelite
Kanna Wasserman	....	assistant to artists: Japan
Yannick Yammann	....	production assistant: Canada (as Yannick Ammann)
Melanie Bergeron	....	key medic (uncredited)
Nicholas Frank	....	legal affairs assistant (uncredited)
Mathieu Gayet	....	legal affairs assistant (uncredited)
André Nicholas Malouf	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Vanesse Simon	....	business affairs (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Fidélité Films (co-production)
• Wild Bunch (co-production)
• BUF (co-production)
• Les Cinémas de la Zone (associate production)
• Essential Filmproduktion GmbH (associate production)
• BIM Distribuzione (associate production)
• Paranoid Films (associate production)
• Eurimages (support)
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) (support)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Orange Cinéma Séries (participation)
• Filmarto (executive production)
• Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (support)

Distributors

• Boid (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2010) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2010) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Comstock Group (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• E1 Films Canada (2010) (Canada) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Magyarhangya (2010) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Njutafilms (2011) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Tornado Film (2010) (Japan) (theatrical) (in association with)
• Trinity Filmed Entertainment (2010) (UK) (theatrical)
• Wild Bunch Distribution (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• BIM Distribuzione (2009) (Italy) (all media)
• Frenetic Films (2010) (Switzerland) (all media)
• Lanterna de Pedra Filmes (2012) (Portugal) (all media)
• MPI Media Group (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• MPI Media Group (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Shoval Film Production (2012) (Israel) (all media)
• Transmission Films (2011) (Australia) (DVD)

Special Effects

• BUF (digital visual effects)
• Ohira Tokusho Koka (special effects: Japan)
• Griffith (special effects: Japan)
• Big Shot (special effects: Japan)
• Make-Up Dimensions (special body maker)

Other Companies

• Atha Consulting  business and legal affairs: music
• B-MAC  color grading
• B-MAC  laboratory services
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Fincannon Agency  casting director: USA
• Inoue Kogei  props: Japan
• Jackson  sound mix studio (as JacksOn)
• Japan Airlines  travel agency
• Kodak Japan  film stock: Japan
• MTO  production vehicles: Japan
• Mass Espress  customs broker: Japan
• Rome Voyages  travel agency
• Rubini & Associés  insurance (as Rubini & Associes)
• Sonetrans  conveyor
• TSF  camera equipment
• Takatsu Soshoku  props: Japan
• Taylor Casting  casting director: USA
• The Tanabe Agency  insurance: Japan (as Tanabe Agency)
• Thibodeau & Latendresse  auditors: Canada
• Toho Built  construction: Japan
• Toho Built  studio: Japan
• Toho Eizo Bijutsu  construction: Japan
• Toho Studios  studio: Japan (as Toho Studio)
• Total Casting  casting: Canada
• Yelema Communication  publicity: France (as Yelena Communication)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

161 min | UK:142 min

Country:

France | Germany | Italy | Canada

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Hong Kong:III | Japan:R18+ | France:-16 | Switzerland:18 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:18 (canton of Vaud) | New Zealand:R18 | UK:18 | Germany:18 | Netherlands:16 | USA:Not Rated | Canada:R (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Québec) | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Italy:VM18 | Chile:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:18

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Fidélité Films

Trivia:

Gaspar Noé was inspired by the famous "star gate" sequence in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). For creating the special trippy atmosphere, the Norwegian VJ artist Glennwiz (Glenn Jacobsen) was contacted for use of one of his videos.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the first sequence in the "Sex, Money, Power" strip club, the camera and jib/crane are visible in the reflection of the platform the dancers are on.

Quotes:

Oscar:Do you remember that pact we made? We promised to never leave each other.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Viande d'origine française (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Psychedelic Guru

Relentlessly Nauseating Modern Art

Enter the Void is exactly the kind of polarizing film that cinema needs right now. Too many films these days play it safe, being concerned with keeping the audience comfortable, safe and happy. Enter Gaspar Noe, who clearly has no regard either for the well-being of either the audience or his actors. We have antagonistically long (but brilliant) takes, beginning in an apartment and ending in a bar, several blocks over. We are given characters and are exposed to their darkest moments, but are never given a real reason to care for them, or to perceive them as anything but wretched. We are also shown some sexually discomforting things that we never really wanted to see on the silver screen (if you've seen it you probably know what I'm talking about). Also, the film is almost completely in first-person viewpoint, so you're constantly feeling confined to what Oscar is looking at, which are mostly psychedelic images. In effect, the feel and tone of the story are immediately off-putting for the viewer, but since you've already bought a ticket, what can you do but follow it through?

This is definitely the kind of film that can be approached in the wrong way, both with the medium that you view it through, and with your state of mind. Enter the Void is meant to be a transportive film (i.e. you living directly in the viewpoint of another, and feeling how that person feels, and perhaps even thinking how that person thinks). To technically maximize the experience, the film should really be experienced on the big screen. I'd imagine an IMAX screen to be ideal.

I also think a film like Enter the Void really needs to be approached with a separate set of goals than that of a normal film. First of all, chuck any notions of entertainment, or even enjoyment, out the window. While you're at it, remove any notions of positivity that you can think of. The only reactions that Enter the Void will draw from you are negative ones. Personally, the only emotion I consistently felt was a slight nausea, tinted with the occasional horror, or perhaps a shameful arousal, as there is excessive sexual content that is all wretched in one way or another.

The film is shot with a certain frame of mind, and sticks to it with remarkable faith. It's in the point of view of a small group of friends who are confined to the drug and clubbing scenes in Tokyo. He then films them in the most abrasive ways possible, showering the viewer in infinite neon lights, and fish-eyed close-ups, and then Noe lets his frames linger on these unsightly images for uncomfortably long. Even with his tracking shots moving from one location to another, when the viewer is normally given a moments rest, he rapidly cuts across hallways, stairs, and streets, and never gives the viewer a free moment to settle down.

Despite the film's antagonistic feel, and despite the physical and psychological discomforts that the film drew from me, I still found Enter the Void to be a worthwhile and even inspirational experience. More to the point, Enter the Void may not be a friendly experience, but this exact kind of experimentation and determined expression are just what cinema needs in order to be taken seriously as an artistic medium, when so many other directors air on the side of caution and safety. It might be a difficult ride, but just watch it once and you'll carry it with you forever.