Nymphomaniac (2013)

Nymphomaniac / Nymph()maniac (2013) is a two-part film directed by Lars von Trier, originally intended as one film but divided into two parts by von Trier due to its length. Nymphomaniac Parts I and II comprise the third act of Von Trier's 'Depression Trilogy', the other two films being Melancholia (2011) and Antichrist (2009).


Dutch postcard by Four Corners. Photo: Wild Bunch. Charlotte Gainsbourg in Nymphomaniac / Nymph()maniac (Lars von Trier, 2013). Caption: Forget about love.


Chinese postcard. Charlotte Gainsbourg in Nymphomaniac / Nymph()maniac (Lars von Trier, 2013).

A brilliantly constructed, modern Scheherazade tale

Nymphomaniac / Nymph()maniac (2013) takes place on a cold winter night. An old, charming bachelor named Seligman (Stellan Skarsgård) finds a fainted, wounded woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg), slumped in an alley. He brings her to his flat.

As he tends to her wounds, she tells him that her name is Joe and that she is a nymphomaniac. While she recounts her life and sexual experiences with hundreds of men since she was a young teenager, the asexual Seligman tells about his hobbies, such as fly fishing, reading about Fibonacci numbers or listening to organ music.

Lars Von Trier brilliantly constructed a modern Scheherazade tale. The chapters in which Joe's life is told are separated by the intermezzos with dialogues between the erudite, shy Seligman and the intelligent Joe, whose life is overshadowed by all-pervasive guilt feelings.

Nymphomaniac / Nymph()maniac was the third part of Von Trier's 'Depression Trilogy', which came about as a result of his own experience with a major depressive episode and the psychological insights he gained of the depressed psyche.

Nymphomania (or excessive sexual drive) is a legitimate psychological disorder that is recognised by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) of the World Health Organisation. Sufferers are often apathetic, their behaviour is reckless and impetuous, with little regard for consequences. Von Trier plays in his film with religion, with the concepts of purity and sin and confronts us with our obsession with sex and human bodies. He also makes fun of the hypocrites who reject his film.


Dutch postcard by Four Corners. Photo: Wild Bunch. Shia Labeouf in Nymphomaniac / Nymph()maniac (Lars von Trier, 2013). Caption: Forget about love.


Dutch postcard by Four Corners. Photo: Wild Bunch. Christian Slater in Nymphomaniac / Nymph()maniac (Lars von Trier, 2013). Caption: Forget about love.

Porn actors were used for the explicit sex scenes

Lars von Trier featured many of his regular actors in Nymphomaniac / Nymph()maniac (2013). It was his third consecutive collaboration with Charlotte Gainsbourg after Antichrist (2009) and Melancholia (2011), as well as with Willem Dafoe, his fifth with Stellan Skarsgård, his seventh with Jean-Marc Barr and his eighth with Udo Kier.

On the other hand, several actors are taking part in a Lars von Trier film for the first time, including Shia LaBeouf and Jamie Bell. Porn actors were used for the explicit sex scenes, after which their bodies were digitally placed on the film actors.

The graphic film created a scandal and was cut in 2013, also because of its length. The uncut version of ‘Volume I’ premiered in 2014 at the Berlin International Film Festival, and the uncut version of ‘Volume II’ premiered that year at the Venice Film Festival.

The complete 5.5-hour Director's Cut version had its world premiere in 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Charlotte Gainsbourg won the Danish Bodil for Best Actress in a Leading Role for both films in 2014. Several nominations for the European Film Awards followed in the same year (Best Film, Best Actress - Charlotte Gainsbourg, Best Actor - Stellan Skarsgård, Audience Award).

The director's cut version was honoured at the 2015 Danish Film Awards Robert in eight categories, including Best Danish Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.


Dutch postcard by Four Corners. Photo: Wild Bunch. Uma Thurman in Nymphomaniac / Nymph()maniac (Lars von Trier, 2013). Caption: Forget about love.


Dutch postcard by Four Corners. Photo: Wild Bunch. Willem Dafoe in Nymphomaniac / Nymph()maniac (Lars von Trier, 2013). Caption: Forget about love.


French postcard by Cartcom. Photo: Derek Hudson / Télérama. Lars von Trier.

Sources: Wikipedia (Dutch, German and French) and IMDb.