The continuation of Joe's sexually dictated life delves into the darker aspects of her adulthood, obsessions and what led to her being in Seligman's care.
A grieving couple retreat to their cabin in the woods, hoping to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage, but nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse.
Director:
Lars von Trier
Stars:
Willem Dafoe,
Charlotte Gainsbourg,
Storm Acheche Sahlstrøm
A woman on the run from the mob is reluctantly accepted in a small Colorado town. In exchange, she agrees to work for them. As a search visits the town, she finds out that their support has a price. Yet her dangerous secret is never far away.
The story follows Jack, a highly intelligent serial killer, over the course of twelve years, and depicts the murders that really develop his inner madman.
Murphy is an American living in Paris who enters a highly sexually and emotionally charged relationship with the unstable Electra. Unaware of the effect it will have on their relationship, they invite their pretty neighbor into their bed.
Joe continues to tell to Seligman the story of her life. Joe lives with Jerôme and their son Marcel and out of the blue, she loses sexual sensation in intercourse. Joe seeks kinky sex, perversions and sadomasochism expecting to retrieve her sex drive. Jerôme leaves home with Marcel and gives his son to a foster house for adoption. Then Joe is sent to therapy by her gynecologist but she does not admit that she is addicted to sex. Meanwhile Seligman tells Joe that he is virgin and helps her to understand her actions. Joe believes that Seligman is her friend, but is he?Written by
Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
At the beginning of the final chapter, the Molotov cocktail Joe throws at the car envelops the entire vehicle. When the shot cuts to Joe walking away, the car behind her is only partially aflame. The scene ends with a closeup of the car burning exactly as it was in the first shot. See more »
Quotes
Joe's Father:
I've found my tree. My soul tree. And no, it's not that one, okay, 'cause then I would be dead.
[shows Joe a large oak tree]
Joe's Father:
This is my tree.
Joe - 10 Years:
It's not an ash tree.
Joe's Father:
No, it's an oak tree.
Joe - 10 Years:
It has two trunks.
Joe's Father:
Yeah, isn't it great? It shows itself to both sides, the lake and the forest.
Joe - 10 Years:
But, dad, how does a tree get two trunks?
Joe's Father:
The most common reason is that the top broke when it was very young.
Joe - 10 Years:
That means that you've been broken once. Have you, dad?
[...] See more »
Crazy Credits
Near the very end of the credits there is this disclaimer: "None of the professional actors had penetrative sexual intercourse and all such scenes were performed by body doubles." See more »
Alternate Versions
The director's cut adds roughly 57 minutes of footage, expanding some of the subplots. See more »
There are war movies and there are anti-war movies; similarly despite having lots of nudity , graphic sex and X rated content which one can only find in porn movies ; this is remarkably anti-sexual movie ; which may belong to some genre called as "anti-erotica" !!. There is of course nothing wrong in director making a statement against something and showing a disturbing view of sex ; but at times it gets gory , filthy and disgusting and that's what unfortunately keeps floating in your mind after you are finished watching the movie . This reminded me of "Salo 120 days of sodomy" - another sick flick , though this is much serious movie. There are scenes of group sex , bondage , as* whipping and you name it. It seems director wanted to outdo Catherine of "Romance" in how much viewer can tolerate but where "Romance" had a central theme this movie is lost midway just like its characters. So anyone looking to enjoy nudity then this movie is not for you as it will make you feel sick rather than excited (unless you are some pervert!) . But then this claims an art film and not a porn and unfortunately it fails to become a movie and ends up something like a documentary on nymphomania. The story doesn't touch you because its so contrived , long , confusing and self contradictory. At the end you end up with nothing and you don't feel anything for main character either.
The Nymphomaniac vol I and II are essentially one movie but if one were to only watch first part probably they will have a better exp. This is a story a depressed girl who becomes sex addict. But like any other addiction , despite having too much of it , one can never get enough of it; so despite having sex 10 times a day she remains unsatisfied and sad. This movie chronicles her sexual experiences and life . It is juxtaposed quite abruptly with philosophy , history and some religious innuendos . The director must be commanded for taking a very difficult subject like depression. You surely cant create a melodrama on such a subject; and he pushed an envelope of viewer at times. But then it seems director loses track of himself and takes it too far like justifying the use of word "Ne*ro" and even sympathizing with pedophiles. This is totally unacceptable and at best shameful for director. It is understandably any movie about depression will have a darker tone and disturbing visuals or stroppy but it will have at least some of its moments; coz only then depression is visible as a contrast to something good; this movie completely fails to create any moments between its characters even though its tries hard. The only memorable scene in the movie is claimed not by lead actors but by Uma Thurman in guest appearance.
The worse part of movie must be its ending. In fact the whole movie could have been salvaged with a better ending since it had good performances of lead actors and impressive background score . But the ending is stupid , incoherent and incompressible. It ruins whatever is left of it.
Despite all this I think this movie can be watched once for trying to understand a very difficult subject of depression. How the depressed person often chooses an easy thing vs tough one i.e. controlling desires vs indulging in desires and then walks down the spiral of destruction and ends up into abyss of self pity and pain. This is acted beautifully and some sequences have amazing cinematography and drives the point of how not to let depression destroy you.
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There are war movies and there are anti-war movies; similarly despite having lots of nudity , graphic sex and X rated content which one can only find in porn movies ; this is remarkably anti-sexual movie ; which may belong to some genre called as "anti-erotica" !!. There is of course nothing wrong in director making a statement against something and showing a disturbing view of sex ; but at times it gets gory , filthy and disgusting and that's what unfortunately keeps floating in your mind after you are finished watching the movie . This reminded me of "Salo 120 days of sodomy" - another sick flick , though this is much serious movie. There are scenes of group sex , bondage , as* whipping and you name it. It seems director wanted to outdo Catherine of "Romance" in how much viewer can tolerate but where "Romance" had a central theme this movie is lost midway just like its characters. So anyone looking to enjoy nudity then this movie is not for you as it will make you feel sick rather than excited (unless you are some pervert!) . But then this claims an art film and not a porn and unfortunately it fails to become a movie and ends up something like a documentary on nymphomania. The story doesn't touch you because its so contrived , long , confusing and self contradictory. At the end you end up with nothing and you don't feel anything for main character either.
The Nymphomaniac vol I and II are essentially one movie but if one were to only watch first part probably they will have a better exp. This is a story a depressed girl who becomes sex addict. But like any other addiction , despite having too much of it , one can never get enough of it; so despite having sex 10 times a day she remains unsatisfied and sad. This movie chronicles her sexual experiences and life . It is juxtaposed quite abruptly with philosophy , history and some religious innuendos . The director must be commanded for taking a very difficult subject like depression. You surely cant create a melodrama on such a subject; and he pushed an envelope of viewer at times. But then it seems director loses track of himself and takes it too far like justifying the use of word "Ne*ro" and even sympathizing with pedophiles. This is totally unacceptable and at best shameful for director. It is understandably any movie about depression will have a darker tone and disturbing visuals or stroppy but it will have at least some of its moments; coz only then depression is visible as a contrast to something good; this movie completely fails to create any moments between its characters even though its tries hard. The only memorable scene in the movie is claimed not by lead actors but by Uma Thurman in guest appearance.
The worse part of movie must be its ending. In fact the whole movie could have been salvaged with a better ending since it had good performances of lead actors and impressive background score . But the ending is stupid , incoherent and incompressible. It ruins whatever is left of it.
Despite all this I think this movie can be watched once for trying to understand a very difficult subject of depression. How the depressed person often chooses an easy thing vs tough one i.e. controlling desires vs indulging in desires and then walks down the spiral of destruction and ends up into abyss of self pity and pain. This is acted beautifully and some sequences have amazing cinematography and drives the point of how not to let depression destroy you.