''Nymphomaniac'' (stylised as ''NYMPH()MANIAC'' onscreen and in advertising) is a 2013 European two-part
erotic
Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, scul ...
art film
An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...
written and directed by
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier (''né'' Trier; 30 April 1956) is a Danish filmmaker, actor, and lyricist. Having garnered a reputation as a highly ambitious, polarizing filmmaker, he has been the subject of several controversies: Cannes, in addition to nominat ...
. The film stars
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (; born 21 July 1971) is a British-French actress and singer. She is the daughter of English actress Jane Birkin and French musician Serge Gainsbourg. After making her musical debut with her father on the song "Lemon I ...
,
Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), ''Dogville'' (2007), ''Melancholia'' (2011 ...
,
Stacy Martin
Stacy Martin (born 20 March 1990) is a French actress. Her breakthrough role was playing Joe as a young woman in Lars von Trier's 2013 drama film ''Nymphomaniac''.
Early life
Martin was born in Paris, where she spent her early childhood. She m ...
,
Shia LaBeouf
Shia Saide LaBeouf (; born June 11, 1986) is an American actor, performance artist, and filmmaker. He played Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series ''Even Stevens'', a role for which he received Young Artist Award nominations in 2001 and ...
,
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...
,
Jamie Bell
Andrew James Matfin Bell (born 14 March 1986) is an English actor and dancer. He rose to prominence for his debut role in ''Billy Elliot'' (2000), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, becoming one of the youngest ...
,
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress and former model. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 an ...
,
Jean-Marc Barr
Jean-Marc Barr (born September 27, 1960) is a French-American film actor and director. He is best known for working on several films from Danish film director and frequent collaborator Lars von Trier since ''Europa'' (1991).
Early life and edu ...
,
Willem Dafoe
Willem James Dafoe (; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Willem Dafoe, various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, in addition to receiving nominations for ...
and
Connie Nielsen
Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen (born 3 July 1965) is a Danish actress. She has starred as Lucilla in the film '' Gladiator'' (2000) and as Hippolyta in the DC Extended Universe, and in the films ''Wonder Woman'' (2017), ''Justice League'' (2017), ''Wo ...
. The plot follows Joe (played by Gainsbourg and Martin), a self-diagnosed "
nymphomaniac
Hypersexuality is extremely frequent or suddenly increased libido. It is controversial whether it should be included as a clinical diagnosis used by mental healthcare professionals. Nymphomania and satyriasis were terms previously used for the c ...
," who recounts her erotic experiences to a bachelor who helps her recover from an assault. The narrative chronicles Joe's promiscuous life from adolescence to adulthood and is split into eight chapters told across two volumes. The film was originally supposed to be only one complete entry, but, because of its length, von Trier made the decision to split the project into two separate films. ''Nymphomaniac'' was an international co-production of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
The world premiere of the uncut ''Volume I'' occurred on 16 February 2014 at the
64th Berlin International Film Festival,
while the uncut ''Volume II'' premiered at the
71st Venice International Film Festival.
The world premiere of the Director's Cut took place in Copenhagen on 10 September 2014. It was nominated for the 2014
Nordic Council Film Prize
The Nordic Council Film Prize is an annual film prize administered by the Nordic Council. The Nordisk Film & TV Fond is the funding body that administers the prize.
History
The first award was handed out in 2002 to celebrate the Nordic Council's 5 ...
.
''Nymphomaniac'' is the third and final installment in von Trier's unofficially titled ''Depression Trilogy'', following ''
Antichrist
In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form) 1 John ; . 2 John . ...
'' and ''
Melancholia
Melancholia or melancholy (from el, µέλαινα χολή ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly dep ...
''.
Plot
On a snowy evening, middle-aged bachelor Seligman (
Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), ''Dogville'' (2007), ''Melancholia'' (2011 ...
) finds
self-diagnosed nymphomaniac
Hypersexuality is extremely frequent or suddenly increased libido. It is controversial whether it should be included as a clinical diagnosis used by mental healthcare professionals. Nymphomania and satyriasis were terms previously used for the c ...
Joe (
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (; born 21 July 1971) is a British-French actress and singer. She is the daughter of English actress Jane Birkin and French musician Serge Gainsbourg. After making her musical debut with her father on the song "Lemon I ...
) beaten up and lying in the alleyway behind his apartment. He takes her back to his home and, over tea, listens intently as Joe recounts the story of her libidinous life. Seligman, a highly educated but cloistered man, connects and analyses Joe's stories with what he has read about. Seligman's favourite hobby to read about is fly fishing, which is why he has a
fly fishing lure on his wall and this is how their conversation begins. Throughout the story he parallels much of what she has experienced with various methods of the sport.
Volume I
Inspired by a fly fishing lure on the wall behind her and Seligman's love of
Izaak Walton's book ''
The Compleat Angler
''The Compleat Angler'' (the spelling is sometimes modernised to ''The Complete Angler'', though this spelling also occurs in first editions) is a book by Izaak Walton. It was first published in 1653 by Richard Marriot in London.
Walton continu ...
'', Joe opens her story by talking about her precocious sexual fascination during her early childhood. Her father (
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...
) is a tree-loving doctor whom she adores while her mother (
Connie Nielsen
Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen (born 3 July 1965) is a Danish actress. She has starred as Lucilla in the film '' Gladiator'' (2000) and as Hippolyta in the DC Extended Universe, and in the films ''Wonder Woman'' (2017), ''Justice League'' (2017), ''Wo ...
) is, as Joe describes her, a "cold bitch". In adolescence, Joe (
Stacy Martin
Stacy Martin (born 20 March 1990) is a French actress. Her breakthrough role was playing Joe as a young woman in Lars von Trier's 2013 drama film ''Nymphomaniac''.
Early life
Martin was born in Paris, where she spent her early childhood. She m ...
) loses her virginity to an arbitrary young man named Jerôme (
Shia LaBeouf
Shia Saide LaBeouf (; born June 11, 1986) is an American actor, performance artist, and filmmaker. He played Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series ''Even Stevens'', a role for which he received Young Artist Award nominations in 2001 and ...
). This first encounter, which ends with Jerôme casually leaving her to fix his
moped
A moped ( ) is a type of small motorcycle, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than full motorcycles or automobiles. The term used to mean a similar vehicle except with both bicycle pedals and a motorcycle engine. Mopeds typic ...
, leaves her disappointed, while Seligman observes that the combination of the number of times Jerôme penetrated her, three times vaginally and five times anally, resembles the
Fibonacci sequence
In mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers, commonly denoted , form a integer sequence, sequence, the Fibonacci sequence, in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones. The sequence commonly starts from 0 and 1, although some authors start ...
.
Several years later, Joe engages in a contest with her friend B (
Sophie Kennedy Clark
Sophie Kennedy Clark (born 1990) is a Scottish actress. She is the daughter of actress and singer Fiona Kennedy and the granddaughter of singer Calum Kennedy.
Career
Her first big break came when she starred as David Tennant's eldest daughte ...
) during a train journey; whichever of the two women has sex with the most passengers by the train's arrival at the station wins a bag of chocolate sweets. After having sex in the toilet with several of the men she comes across, Joe wins by performing a blowjob on a passenger in a first-class car, S (
Jens Albinus
Jens Albinus (born 3 January 1965 in Bogense) is a Danish actor and director.''Usikker på indersiden. Interview: Jens Albinus'' Jyllands-Posten, 16 December 2005, Must, Side 28
Selected filmography
* ''Anton'' (1996) – as Lærer, a teacher
...
). S is a married man who resists both her and B's advances, but ultimately Joe forces herself on him. Joe tells Seligman her encounter with S is the first of many terrible things she has done, but he waves off her accusation.
Over
rugelach
Rugelach ( ; , or yi, רוגעלעך, translit=rugelekh and he, רוגלך ''rōgalaḵ'') is a filled baked confection originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. It is popular in Israel, commonly found in most cafes and bakeries. It is ...
and a discussion over the lack of masculinity in men using cake forks to eat pastry, Joe talks about her first experiences with actual love, something she dismisses as "lust with jealousy added". Joe takes on more lovers as she, B, and several friends create a club, "The Little Flock", dedicated to liberating themselves from society's fixation on love. Joe eventually leaves after all the other members end up developing serious attachments to their conquests. As a young adult, Joe drops out of medical school and finds work as a secretary at a printing company. Her first employer is none other than Jerôme. While sexual intentions are clearly on his mind, she finds herself avoiding his advances and sleeping with other co-workers, frustrating him. When Joe finally realises she has developed feelings for Jerôme, she writes him a letter. However, she is too late as he has left with his uncle's jealous secretary Liz (Felicity Gilbert), who was fully aware of Joe's feelings. She is immediately fired by his uncle (
Jesper Christensen
Jesper Christensen (; born 16 May 1948) is a Danish actor. A veteran of European cinema, he has more recently made the transition to English language projects, including ''The Interpreter'' and '' Revelations''. He has also appeared as the mys ...
), the actual owner of the company, for her lack of experience and goes back to indulging her nymphomania, despite a yearning for Jerôme.
On one occasion with one of her lovers, H (
Hugo Speer
Hugo Alexander Speer (born 17 March 1968) is an English actor and director.
Early life and education
Hugo Speer was born in Harrogate in the then West Riding of Yorkshire and educated at Harrogate Grammar School. He studied acting at the Arts E ...
), Joe inadvertently causes conflict that makes him leave his wife for her. The distressed Mrs. H (
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress and former model. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 an ...
) arrives and demonises both of them in front of her children, though Joe states in the present that this barely affected her. The situation then becomes more awkward as Joe's next lover, A (
Cyron Melville
Cyron Bjørn Melville (born 1 July 1984) is a Danish actor and musician.
Early life
Melville was born in Djursland, Denmark, to Scottish comedian Johnny Melville and Dane Elizabeth Bjørn Nielsen.
Career
At the age of ten, Melville gained ...
), arrives at the house and finds himself in the middle of Mrs. H's mental breakdown. The family finally leaves, but not before Mrs. H verbally lacerates Joe, slaps her now ex-husband and leaves the apartment wailing.
A conversation about
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
and his death from
delirium tremens
Delirium tremens (DTs) is a rapid onset of confusion usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol. When it occurs, it is often three days into the withdrawal symptoms and lasts for two to three days. Physical effects may include shaking, shiver ...
reminds Joe of the last time she saw her father. She is the only one to visit him in the hospital as he dies of cancer. Joe's father asks her not to slander her mother, who is afraid of hospitals, for not being by his side, explaining they said their goodbyes. Joe is a firsthand witness as her father deteriorates from a unnamed illness, into fits of violent spasms, paranoid delusions and screams for his wife. To take her mind off her father's suffering, the cause of which she remains naive to, Joe has sexual intercourse with several people at the hospital. When he finally dies, Joe becomes sexually aroused, with a drop of
vaginal fluid
Vaginal discharge is a mixture of liquid, cells, and bacteria that lubricate and protect the vagina. This mixture is constantly produced by the cells of the vagina and cervix, and it exits the body through the vaginal opening. The composition, amo ...
running down her thigh as she stands in front of the body, and becomes numb with depression.
After Seligman explains how he feels
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
perfected
polyphony
Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...
, Joe uses his example to talk about three lovers leading up to her "
cantus firmus
In music, a ''cantus firmus'' ("fixed melody") is a pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition.
The plural of this Latin term is , although the corrupt form ''canti firmi'' (resulting from the grammatically incorrect tr ...
". The "bass voice", F (
Nicolas Bro
Nicolas Bro (born 16 March 1972) is a Danish actor born in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Background
Bro grew up in a family of actors; his mother is Danish actress Helle Hertz and father is the actor Christoffer Bro.
His brother Anders Peter Bro is a ...
) is a tender but predictable man who puts her sexual needs above his own. The "second voice", G (Christian Gade Bjerrum), thrills Joe because of his animalistic control of her in bed. During one of Joe's regular walks in the local park, Jerôme finds her after separating from Liz, a coincidence Seligman finds preposterous, and they embrace. As the two engage in authentically passionate sex – set alongside Joe's experiences with F and G – Joe becomes emotionally distraught when discovering she can no longer "feel anything".
Volume II
Joe becomes annoyed with Seligman, accusing him of overlooking the severity of her lost sexuality to focus on the allegorical before realising he cannot relate to her stories. He goes on to confirm his
asexuality
Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity. It may be considered a sexual orientation or the lack thereof. It may also be categorized more widely, to include a broad sp ...
and virginity, but assures her his "innocence" and lack of bias makes him the best man to listen to her story. She becomes inspired to tell him another portion of her life after noticing a
Rublev Rublev is a Russian surname ''Рублёв'' (''Rublyov''). Notable people with the surname include:
* Andrei Rublev, Russian icon painter
* Andrey Rublev (born 1997), Russian tennis player
See also
* Andrei Rublev (film)
* Rubley Rubley is a surn ...
-styled icon of the Virgin Mary and a discussion about the differences between the Eastern Church ("the church of happiness") and the Western Church ("the church of suffering").
Joe reminisces about a field trip as a young girl that suggests she had a vision of
Valeria Messalina
Valeria Messalina (; ) was the third wife of Roman emperor Claudius. She was a paternal cousin of Emperor Nero, a second cousin of Emperor Caligula, and a great-grandniece of Emperor Augustus. A powerful and influential woman with a reputatio ...
and the
Whore of Babylon
Babylon the Great, commonly known as the Whore of Babylon, refers to both a symbolic female figure and place of evil mentioned in the Book of Revelation in the Bible. Her full title is stated in Revelation 17 (verse 5) as "Mystery, Babylon the Gr ...
looking over her as she levitates and spontaneously has her first orgasm, which shocks Seligman as he explains her orgasm is a mockery of the
Transfiguration of Jesus on the Mount. Returning to where she left off in her story, Joe falls into a crisis upon losing her ability to achieve sexual pleasure, though she does find a different sort of pleasure in her time with Jerôme. When the two conceive a baby together, Marcel, Jerôme struggles to keep up with her sexual needs and allows her to see other men. This is shown to be detrimental later, as he becomes jealous of her endeavors.
Several years later to no success, Joe's sexual endeavors become increasingly adventurous by engaging in a tryst with a pair of African brothers that turns into a botched threesome; the frustration to reclaim her orgasm culminates in visits to K (
Jamie Bell
Andrew James Matfin Bell (born 14 March 1986) is an English actor and dancer. He rose to prominence for his debut role in ''Billy Elliot'' (2000), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, becoming one of the youngest ...
), a sadist who violently assaults women seeking his company. The more she visits him, the more neglectful she becomes in her domestic duties. At Christmas, after stopping an unattended Marcel who has wandered out an opened door onto a snowy balcony from coming into any harm, Jerôme forces her to choose between the family and K. She picks the latter and, after receiving an especially brutal beating from K with a
cat o' nine tails
The cat o' nine tails, commonly shortened to the cat, is a type of multi-tailed whip or flail that originated as an implement for severe physical punishment, notably in the Royal Navy and British Army, and as a judicial punishment in Britain ...
that allows her to climax again, takes a path of loneliness away from her one and only possibility of a normal life. Marcel is sent to live in a foster home because Jerôme has no room in his life for him.
To keep the story from ending on an unhappy note, Joe concludes it with the first time K introduced her to
"the Silent Duck", which leaves Seligman surprised and impressed at K's talents.
Looking at the mirror facing Seligman's bed, Joe jumps ahead in time. Several years later, Joe has regained pleasure, but her genitalia are left with some irreversible damage due to a lifetime of sexual activity mixed with K's brutality. Her habits are known around her new office, prompting the boss to demand she attend
sex addiction
According to proponents of the concept, sexual addiction, also known as sex addiction, is a state characterized by compulsive participation or engagement in sexual activity, particularly sexual intercourse, despite negative consequences. The con ...
therapy under the threat of losing her job and any future job she takes.
When asked why she refused to attend therapy, Joe talks about becoming pregnant after leaving Jerôme and Marcel and demanding her doctor abort the 11-week pregnancy, but he insists she speak to a counselor first. The visit to the psychologist (
Caroline Goodall
Caroline Cruice Goodall (born 13 November 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. She was nominated for AFI Awards for her roles in the 1989 miniseries ''Cassidy'', and the 1995 film ''Hotel Sorrento''. Her other film appearances include ' ...
) ends disastrously due to Joe's attitude towards the situation. She decides to take matters into her own hands and perform the abortion herself. Using the knowledge she had retained from medical school, Joe aborts the fetus with the use of several household implements and a wire hanger. Back in the present, Joe and Seligman get into a very heated argument regarding Joe's actions,
abortion rights
Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pre ...
in general and Seligman's potential hypocrisy in supporting them while wanting to know nothing about how the actual procedure is performed.
Joe reluctantly attends the meetings and, after ridding her apartment of almost everything in it, attempts sobriety. During one meeting three weeks later, she sees a reflection of her younger self in the mirror, harshly insults every member of the group, including the therapist, and proclaims pride in her nymphomania before walking out.
Joe tells Seligman she is not sure where to conclude her story as she has used every item from around his room to help inspire each "chapter". After a suggestion from him, she notices how the stain from a cup of tea she had earlier thrown in anger looks like a
Walther PPK
The Walther PP (german: Polizeipistole, or police pistol) series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols, developed by the German arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen.
It features an exposed hammer, a traditional double-ac ...
, the same kind of gun her favourite literary character
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
uses, and knows exactly how and where to end things.
Realising she has no place in "normal" society, Joe turns to organised crime and becomes a debt collector, utilising her extensive knowledge of men, sex, and
sadomasochism
Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...
. She reminisces about a memorable housecall to a man (
Jean-Marc Barr
Jean-Marc Barr (born September 27, 1960) is a French-American film actor and director. He is best known for working on several films from Danish film director and frequent collaborator Lars von Trier since ''Europa'' (1991).
Early life and edu ...
) who she initially finds sexually unreadable. She ties him to a chair, strips him and attempts to provoke him with every sexual scenario she can think of. Upon further interrogation, Joe gleans that he is a repressed
pedophile
Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty a ...
. She takes pity on him and fellates him. Joe explains to Seligman how she feels deep compassion for people born with a forbidden sexuality. She strongly identifies with the man's loneliness and status as a sexual outcast, and laud him for going through life without acting on his aberrant desires.
Joe's superior, L (
Willem Dafoe
Willem James Dafoe (; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Willem Dafoe, various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, in addition to receiving nominations for ...
), recommends that she groom an apprentice and suggests P (
Mia Goth
Mia Gypsy Mello da Silva Goth (born 25 October 1993) is an English actress and model of Brazilian mother and Canadian father. She is best known for her work in the ongoing horror film franchise ''X'' (2022–present).
Following a brief stint ...
), the 15-year-old daughter of criminals. Joe is initially repulsed by the idea, but ends up sympathising with the girl in question. P is a vulnerable, lonely, emotionally damaged young girl who quickly latches herself onto Joe. The two of them click and form a special connection. Joe opens her heart to P and eventually invites her to move into her home. Over time, Joe and P's relationship develops a sexual dimension, leading to romance. As P seems to mature, Joe hesitantly decides to teach her young female lover the ropes of her trade.
During one round of debt collection, Joe notices that they are at a house belonging to Jerôme (now played by Michaël Pas) and, to make sure she is not seen, tells P to perform her first solo job. This proves to be a mistake as Joe eventually discovers P is having an affair with Jerôme. After finding her "soul tree" in a failed attempt to leave town, Joe waits for Jerôme and P in the alley between his home and her apartment and pulls a gun she confiscated from P earlier on him. When she pulls the trigger, she forgets to rack the pistol. Jerôme viciously beats Joe and then has sex with P right in front of her, thrusting into P in exactly the same way he once took her virginity. P urinates on her before leaving her as she was at the beginning of the film.
In the present, Seligman suggests how the circumstances of Joe's life might have been due to differences in gender representation; all of the stigma, guilt and shame she felt for her actions made her fight back aggressively "like a man", ultimately "forgetting" to rack the gun because her human worth would not allow her to kill someone, even Jerôme. Joe, who has until this moment been playing
devil's advocate
The (Latin for Devil's advocate) is a former official position within the Catholic Church, the Promoter of the Faith: one who "argued against the canonization ( sainthood) of a candidate in order to uncover any character flaws or misrepresent ...
to Seligman's assumptions, finally feels at peace, having unburdened her story to someone with she truly considers a friend. She says she is too tired to go on and asks to go to sleep.
As Joe begins to drift off, Seligman silently returns with his pants off and attempts to rape her. Joe wakes up and, realising what Seligman is doing, reaches for and racks the gun. Seligman protests and attempts to justify his behaviour, but Joe shoots him, grabs her things, and flees the apartment.
Cast
Main cast
*
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (; born 21 July 1971) is a British-French actress and singer. She is the daughter of English actress Jane Birkin and French musician Serge Gainsbourg. After making her musical debut with her father on the song "Lemon I ...
as Joe (ages 35–50)
**
Stacy Martin
Stacy Martin (born 20 March 1990) is a French actress. Her breakthrough role was playing Joe as a young woman in Lars von Trier's 2013 drama film ''Nymphomaniac''.
Early life
Martin was born in Paris, where she spent her early childhood. She m ...
as Young Joe (ages 15–31)
*
Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), ''Dogville'' (2007), ''Melancholia'' (2011 ...
as Seligman
*
Shia LaBeouf
Shia Saide LaBeouf (; born June 11, 1986) is an American actor, performance artist, and filmmaker. He played Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series ''Even Stevens'', a role for which he received Young Artist Award nominations in 2001 and ...
as Jerôme Morris
*
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...
as Joe's Father
*
Jamie Bell
Andrew James Matfin Bell (born 14 March 1986) is an English actor and dancer. He rose to prominence for his debut role in ''Billy Elliot'' (2000), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, becoming one of the youngest ...
as K
*
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress and former model. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 an ...
as Mrs. H
*
Willem Dafoe
Willem James Dafoe (; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Willem Dafoe, various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, in addition to receiving nominations for ...
as L
*
Mia Goth
Mia Gypsy Mello da Silva Goth (born 25 October 1993) is an English actress and model of Brazilian mother and Canadian father. She is best known for her work in the ongoing horror film franchise ''X'' (2022–present).
Following a brief stint ...
as P
*
Sophie Kennedy Clark
Sophie Kennedy Clark (born 1990) is a Scottish actress. She is the daughter of actress and singer Fiona Kennedy and the granddaughter of singer Calum Kennedy.
Career
Her first big break came when she starred as David Tennant's eldest daughte ...
as B
*
Connie Nielsen
Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen (born 3 July 1965) is a Danish actress. She has starred as Lucilla in the film '' Gladiator'' (2000) and as Hippolyta in the DC Extended Universe, and in the films ''Wonder Woman'' (2017), ''Justice League'' (2017), ''Wo ...
as Katherine (Joe's mother)
*
Michaël Pas
Michael Pas (born 21 September 1966) is a Belgian actor. He played detective Bob De Groof in the Belgian crime series ''Code 37''.
Selected filmography
* '' Eline Vere'' (1991)
* '' Toutes peines confondues'' (1992)
* ''Daens'' (1993)
* '' Anch ...
as Older Jerôme
*
Jean-Marc Barr
Jean-Marc Barr (born September 27, 1960) is a French-American film actor and director. He is best known for working on several films from Danish film director and frequent collaborator Lars von Trier since ''Europa'' (1991).
Early life and edu ...
as The Debtor Gentleman
*
Udo Kier
Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He h ...
as The Waiter
Vol. I cast
* Maja Arsovic as Joe (7 years)
* Sofie Kasten as B (10 years)
* Ananya Berg as Joe (10 years)
*
James Northcote
James Northcote (22 October 1746, in Plymouth – 13 July 1831, in London) was a British painter.
Life and work
Northcote was born in Plymouth, and was apprenticed to his father, Samuel Northcote, a watchmaker. In his spare time, he drew and ...
as Young Lad #1 on Train
*
Charlie G. Hawkins
Charlie George Hawkins (born 14 February 1991) is a British former actor. He was born and raised in Islington.
His most notable roles are Darren Miller in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he was in from 2004 to 2011, and a cub scout n ...
as Young Lad #2 on Train
*
Jens Albinus
Jens Albinus (born 3 January 1965 in Bogense) is a Danish actor and director.''Usikker på indersiden. Interview: Jens Albinus'' Jyllands-Posten, 16 December 2005, Must, Side 28
Selected filmography
* ''Anton'' (1996) – as Lærer, a teacher
...
as S
* Felicity Gilbert as Liz, The Secretary
*
Jesper Christensen
Jesper Christensen (; born 16 May 1948) is a Danish actor. A veteran of European cinema, he has more recently made the transition to English language projects, including ''The Interpreter'' and '' Revelations''. He has also appeared as the mys ...
as Jerôme's Uncle
*
Hugo Speer
Hugo Alexander Speer (born 17 March 1968) is an English actor and director.
Early life and education
Hugo Speer was born in Harrogate in the then West Riding of Yorkshire and educated at Harrogate Grammar School. He studied acting at the Arts E ...
as Mr. H
*
Cyron Melville
Cyron Bjørn Melville (born 1 July 1984) is a Danish actor and musician.
Early life
Melville was born in Djursland, Denmark, to Scottish comedian Johnny Melville and Dane Elizabeth Bjørn Nielsen.
Career
At the age of ten, Melville gained ...
as Andy (A)
*
Saskia Reeves
Saskia Reeves (born 16 August 1961) is an English actress, best known for her roles in the films '' Close My Eyes'' (1991) and ''I.D.'' (1995), the 2000 miniseries ''Frank Herbert's Dune'' and the 2016 film '' Our Kind of Traitor''.
Early lif ...
as Nurse
*
Nicolas Bro
Nicolas Bro (born 16 March 1972) is a Danish actor born in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Background
Bro grew up in a family of actors; his mother is Danish actress Helle Hertz and father is the actor Christoffer Bro.
His brother Anders Peter Bro is a ...
as F
* Christian Gade Bjerrum as G
Vol. II cast
*
Shanti Roney
Shanti Grau Roney (born 24 November 1970) is a Swedish actor. While his film credits include nearly twenty movies, most of these have been limited to a domestic or Scandinavian release. One notable exception is Lukas Moodysson's film ''Together'' ...
as Tobias, The Interpreter
*
Laura Christensen as Babysitter
*
Caroline Goodall
Caroline Cruice Goodall (born 13 November 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. She was nominated for AFI Awards for her roles in the 1989 miniseries ''Cassidy'', and the 1995 film ''Hotel Sorrento''. Her other film appearances include ' ...
as Psychologist
*
Kate Ashfield
Kate Ashfield (born 28 May 1972) is an English actress, who has appeared in stage, TV and film roles, most famously in her role as Liz in the 2004 zombie comedy ''Shaun of the Dead''. She is the co-writer of the 2017 TV series ''Born to Kill''.
...
as Therapist
* Tania Carlin as Renée
* Daniela Lebang as Brunelda
* Omar Shargawi
as Thug #1
* Marcus Jakovljevic as Thug #2
* Severin Von Hoensbroech
as Debtor In Greenhouse
Production
Pre-production
Executive producer and
Zentropa
Zentropa, or Zentropa Entertainments, is a Danish film company started in 1992 by director Lars von Trier and producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen. Zentropa is named after the train company Zentropa in the film ''Europa'' (1991), which started the colla ...
co-founder
Peter Aalbæk Jensen
Peter Aalbæk Jensen (born 8 April 1956 in Osted) is a Danish film producer who in 1992 with director Lars von Trier founded the Danish film company Zentropa and later its huge studio complex Filmbyen. His father was writer Erik Aalbæk Jensen.
...
revealed that the film is to be two parts. "We are making two films. It is a big operation. I personally hope that we should be ready for
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...
next year. We will shoot both and edit both – and we want to finish both at the same time."
He explained there will be two versions of each film: an explicit cut and a softer cut.
LaBeouf got his role in ''Nymphomaniac'' by sending a tape of himself having intercourse with his girlfriend Karolyn Pho to von Trier. Slater got connected to von Trier via his agent being in Denmark and used makeup under his eyes to make himself look old enough to be Joe's father.
LaBeouf said in August 2012, "The movie is what you think it is. It is Lars von Trier, making a movie about what he's making. For instance, there's a disclaimer at the top of the script that basically says we're doing it for real. Everything that is illegal, we'll shoot in blurred images. Other than that, everything is happening. ...
n Trier's dangerous. He scares me. And I'm only going to work now when I'm terrified."
Filming
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
occurred between 28 August–9 November 2012 in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
and
Hilden
Hilden is a town in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is situated in the District of Mettmann, west of Solingen and east of Düsseldorf on the right side of the Rhine. It is a middle sized industrial town with a forest and numero ...
, Germany, and in
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...
, Belgium.
To produce scenes of simulated sex, von Trier used
digital compositing
Digital compositing is the process of digitally assembling multiple images to make a final image, typically for print, motion pictures or screen display. It is the digital analogue of optical film compositing.
Mathematics
The basic operation use ...
to superimpose the genitals of pornographic film actors onto the bodies of the film's actors.
Producer Louise Vesth explained during the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
:
We shot the actors pretending to have sex and then had the body doubles, who really did have sex, and in post we will digital impose the two. So above the waist it will be the star and the below the waist it will be the doubles.
Gainsbourg and Martin further revealed that
prosthetic
In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
vaginas and closed sets were used during filming. Martin stated that her acting experience for the film was enjoyable and, after explaining that the film's characters are a reflection of the director himself, referred to the process as an "honour."
Martin also stated that shooting the sex scenes was a bit boring due to their technical nature.
The film makes several references to the other films in the trilogy. For example, the scene showing Marcel approaching an open upper floor window references the similar sequence during the beginning of ''Antichrist'' and even uses the same background music from that aforementioned scene. Furthermore, Joe's monologue about loneliness is edited to shots of the universe from ''Melancholia''. As a reference to von Trier's
comments at the
2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition. South Ko ...
, during a scene available in the director's cut only, "Joe says she could understand dictators such as Hitler. Seligman shakes his head in disbelief. After she showed sympathy for racists and pedophiles, it is quite obvious that she also has to sympathize with the biggest mass murderer in history." Joe has been referred to as a "proto-fascist heroine".
Music
A seven-track soundtrack was released digitally by
Zentropa
Zentropa, or Zentropa Entertainments, is a Danish film company started in 1992 by director Lars von Trier and producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen. Zentropa is named after the train company Zentropa in the film ''Europa'' (1991), which started the colla ...
on 27 June 2014, containing a mix of classical and modern rock music, along with two sound clips from the prologue of the film.
Marketing
In early 2013, the first teaser poster was released from the film's official website. Shortly thereafter, Zentropa released a promotional photo shoot featuring the film's main characters posing in suggestive positions and a list of the film's chapters. This was followed by the release of a picture of Trier himself with duct tape covering his mouth, accompanied by a press release explaining the official launch of the film's campaign.
An incremental marketing campaign was used to promote the film, as brief video segments, each described as an "appetizer" by the film's production company, were released online leading up to the film's release date. Each appetizer represented each of the eight chapters of ''Nymphomaniac'' and the first one, entitled "The Compleat Angler", appeared on 28 June 2013, the last Friday of the month—this pattern would be followed for the monthly release of the subsequent clips. Following "The Compleat Angler", "Jerôme" featuring Martin and LaBeouf, was released in August; "Mrs. H" in September; the predominantly black-and-white "Delirium" (containing a voice-over by Skarsgård) was released in October; in November, the appetizer for "The Little Organ School" was uploaded to
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
, but was quickly removed due to its explicit content; "The Eastern and the Western Church" was released exclusively for
Vimeo
Vimeo, Inc. () is an American video hosting, sharing, and services platform provider headquartered in New York City. Vimeo focuses on the delivery of high-definition video across a range of devices. Vimeo's business model is through software as ...
on 29 November; in December, the appetizer for "The Mirror" was released, again on Vimeo; and on 25 December, leading into the European release of the film, "The Gun" was released on the film's official website.
In October 2013, a series of posters were released, each depicting the film's characters during the moment of
orgasm
Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling") or sexual climax is the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, resulting in rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions in the pelvic region charac ...
. Along with the appetizers and the character posters, five theatrical posters (three for the complete feature and one for each volume) and an international
trailer featuring some of the explicit sexual scenes, were released.
In July 2014, Zentropa revealed the poster for the Director's Cut when announcing its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The poster combined the original teaser with Lars von Trier standing in between the two parentheses.
Rating
''Nymphomaniac'' initially received an NC-17 from the
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...
in early 2014. The film, however, surrendered the rating and was released without any MPAA rating.
Release
Von Trier's complete five-and-a-half-hour version was released in few territories and only long after the original premiere. Instead, a four-hour version was edited without the director's involvement and has been used for the film's international release, divided into two volumes – ''Volume I'' and ''Volume II'' – with ninety minutes removed.
A "secret" advance screening of ''Volume I'' occurred at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
on 21 January 2014, at the
Egyptian Theater with tickets distributed bearing the film title "Film X" amidst rumors the film could either be von Trier's film, or
Wes Anderson
Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American filmmaker. His films are known for their eccentricity and unique visual and narrative styles. They often contain themes of grief, loss of innocence, and dysfunctional families. Cited by so ...
's ''
The Grand Budapest Hotel
''The Grand Budapest Hotel'' is a 2014 comedy-drama film written and directed by Wes Anderson. Ralph Fiennes leads a seventeen-actor ensemble cast as Monsieur Gustave H., famed concierge of a twentieth-century mountainside resort in the fiction ...
''. The film's UK premiere took place on 22 February 2014.
In the United States, the film was also released in two parts, billed as ''Nymphomaniac: Volume I'' and ''Nymphomaniac: Volume II'', but on separate dates: 21 March 2014 and 4 April 2014.
In Australia and New Zealand, the four-hour version of the film was distributed by the Transmission Films company. Released on 20 March 2014, the two volumes were shown back-to-back with an interval.
In February 2014, the uncut ''Volume I'' was screened at the Berlin Film Festival. In September 2014, the uncut version of ''Volume I'' and ''Volume II'' was screened at the Venice Film Festival. The complete Director's Cut, including both volumes, was finally released to a general audience in Copenhagen, Denmark, premiering on 10 September 2014, where it was shown with a half-hour intermission at a red carpet gala screening with von Trier present in the audience; at this premiere, during the film's restored abortion sequence, where Joe performs an abortion on herself, three male audience members fainted and had to be carried out of the cinema.
Reception
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, ''Volume I'' achieved a 76% approval rating and an average rating of 6.9/10, based on 202 reviews; the website's critical consensus states: "Darkly funny, fearlessly bold, and thoroughly indulgent, ''Nymphomaniac'' finds Lars von Trier provoking viewers with customary abandon." ''Volume II'' received a 60% rating with an average of 6.4/10, based on 126 reviews; the consensus states: "It doesn't quite live up to the promise of the first installment, but ''Nymphomaniac: Volume II'' still benefits from Lars von Trier's singular craft and vision, as well as a bravura performance from Charlotte Gainsbourg." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the first volume holds a 64/100 rating based on 41 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The second volume gained a 60/100 rating based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
In the UK, Martin Solibakke of ''
Mancunion
''The Mancunion'' is the University of Manchester Students' Union's student newspaper. It is the largest student newspaper in the United Kingdom and is distributed throughout Greater Manchester. The name is a portmanteau of ''Mancunian'', the demo ...
'' praised Stacy Martin's performance, saying he had "never felt so sure about an actress's future success since I saw Jennifer Lawrence in ''
Winter's Bone
''Winter's Bone'' is a 2010 American coming-of-age mystery drama film directed by Debra Granik. It was adapted by Granik and Anne Rosellini from the 2006 novel of the same name by Daniel Woodrell. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence as a povert ...
'' four years ago". He ended his review with hailing the film, saying "Lars von Trier ends up hitting the G-spot of avant-garde filmmaking with a movie only he could ever make, and gives the open-minded members of the audience one of the most powerful and sensational experiences ever seen in arts."
Michelle Orange of ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' called it a "jigsaw opus, an extended and generally exquisitely crafted riff." In ''
The Australian
''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...
'',
David Stratton
David James Stratton (born 10 September 1939) is an English-Australian award-winning film critic, as both a journalist and interviewer, film historian and lecturer and television personality and producer.
Life and career
Born in Trowbridge, ...
said that he "detested" some of Trier's films, and states that ''Nymphomaniac'' "seems designed to be his magnum opus, the film in which he gets to rail against everything he loathes about contemporary life and contemporary cinema." The modified version is screening in Australia, officially referred to as the "international" version. Stratton further stated on the television review program ''
At the Movies'' that he found the four-hour runtime of the film to be "daunting", but praised some of the performances, particularly those of Stacy Martin and Jamie Bell. Stratton's co-host
Margaret Pomeranz
Margaret Pomeranz (born 14 July 1944) is an Australian film critic, writer, producer and television personality.
Early life
Pomeranz was born Margeret Anne Jones-Owen on 14 July 1944 in Waverley, a suburb of Sydney.
She was educated at the P ...
meanwhile, while also praising the boldness of the performances, felt the film's unsimulated depictions of sex didn't add to the narrative and as such had, "such an undercurrent of sadism that I was, not repelled, but distanced". ''Thought Catalog'' remarked on how the plot failed to be consistent or plausible.
Keith Uhlich of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' named ''Nymphomaniac'' the third-best film of 2014.
On the Melbourne community radio station,
3RRR
3RRR (pronounced "Three Triple R", or simply "Triple R") is an Australian community radio station, based in Melbourne.
3RRR first commenced broadcasting in 1976 from the studios of 3ST, the student radio station of the Royal Melbourne Institut ...
, film criticism program "Plato's Cave" praised von Trier's work on ''Nymphomaniac'' and presenters, Thomas Caldwell and Josh Nelson, defended the director against accusations of misogyny. Both presenters agreed that actresses who von Trier has worked with, such as
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...
and
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
, have delivered excellent performances in his films, while Nelson referred to ''
Antichrist
In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form) 1 John ; . 2 John . ...
'' and ''
Melancholia
Melancholia or melancholy (from el, µέλαινα χολή ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly dep ...
'', the first two installments of the ''Depression Trilogy'', as "masterpieces". Caldwell concludes the review by stating, "... if you're coming new to him
on Trier
On, on, or ON may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* On (band), a solo project of Ken Andrews
* On (EP), ''On'' (EP), a 1993 EP by Aphex Twin
* On (Echobelly album), ''On'' (Echobelly album), 1995
* On (Gary Glitter album), ''On'' (Gary Glit ...
I think this is a real crash course in all his preoccupations."
When the complete Director's Cut had its general release world premiere in Copenhagen on 10 September 2014, major Danish critics gave it high ratings. In spite of this, the Director's Cut sold only 3,494 tickets in Danish cinemas.
Accolades
Home media
''Nymphomaniac'' was released both together (in a two-disc set) and separately via
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
and
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
in the United States on 8 July 2014.
Director's Cut was made available in the US on both home media formats on 25 November 2014. In December 2014, the Director's Cut was released on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
, where the theatrical versions were already streaming.
See also
*
Anita: Swedish Nymphet
*
Unsimulated sex in film
In the film industry, unsimulated sex is the presentation of sex scenes in which actors genuinely perform the depicted sex acts, rather than simulating them. Although it is ubiquitous in films intended as pornographic, it is very uncommon in o ...
*
List of longest films
This list of longest films is composed of films with a running time of 300 minutes (5 hours) or more.
Cinematic films
Note: Some releases are extended cuts or director's cuts, and are ranked according to the longest verified running time.
Expe ...
References
External links
*
Official website at Magnolia Pictures*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nymphomaniac
2010s avant-garde and experimental films
2010s erotic drama films
2010s English-language films
2013 drama films
2013 films
2013 independent films
2013 LGBT-related films
Adultery in films
Asexuality in fiction
BDSM in films
Belgian avant-garde and experimental films
Belgian erotic drama films
Belgian independent films
Belgian LGBT-related films
Best Danish Film Robert Award winners
Bisexuality-related films
British avant-garde and experimental films
British erotic drama films
British independent films
British LGBT-related films
British nonlinear narrative films
Danish avant-garde and experimental films
Danish erotic drama films
Danish independent films
Danish LGBT-related films
Danish nonlinear narrative films
English-language Danish films
English-language French films
English-language German films
English-language Belgian films
Films about abortion
Films about depression
Films about diseases
Films about immigration
Films about pedophilia
Films about prostitution
Films about psychiatry
Films about race and ethnicity
Films about rape
Films about religion
Films about sex addiction
Films about virginity
Obscenity controversies in film
Sexual-related controversies in film
Rating controversies in film
Advertising and marketing controversies in film
Film controversies in Romania
Film controversies in the United States
Film controversies
Films directed by Lars von Trier
Films released in separate parts
Films shot in Cologne
Films shot in Denmark
Films shot in Ghent
French avant-garde and experimental films
French erotic drama films
French independent films
French LGBT-related films
French nonlinear narrative films
German avant-garde and experimental films
German erotic drama films
German independent films
German LGBT-related films
Films produced by Louise Vesth
2010s British films
2010s French films
2010s German films
Zentropa films