Lars von Trier is undoubtedly a polarizing filmmaker. Her repertoire evokes a range of emotions from sincere avoidance to curious infatuation. He has been singled out as a purveyor of misogyny because he deliberately and famously places many of his women in situations that are unpleasant to say the least (i.e. the heartbreaking climax in Antichrist). And its penchant for depicting the uncomfortable and sometimes unfathomable has been interpreted as obscene and sensationalist in itself. And yet, his work continues to prevail, autonomous, complete and unapologetic. Nymphomaniac: Volumes I & II is the final installment in his depression trilogy which also includes the prequels Antichrist and Melancholia. The trilogy reportedly took place while the director was dealing with his own struggles with depression. Although each tale shares its own harrowing take on crippling emotional turmoil, Nymphomaniac might just be the boldest chapter to come to fruition. Nymphomaniac, divided into two parts due to its unpleasant length, is a story framed within a story. Wounded and abandoned in an alley, probably to die, Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is taken in by an older gentleman, Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard). Cajoled by the friendly Samaritan woman and perhaps simply by his need for some semblance of cathartic release, Joe shares his story: his sexual evolution until today. Her frank, even nonchalant story begins at the age of two, the beginning of a daring exploration of the equivocal and vacillating link between self and sex. In the first volume, Joe begins to tell his erotic story with an unusual degree of frankness that is both surprising but welcomed by the non-threatening Seligman who lends a listening ear. It is an active...... middle of paper......raphia disguised as art. Von Trier's films continue to serve a more acquired taste (and those with strong stomachs) and Nymphomaniac continues in this vein. It's a bold meditation on sexuality, saturated with intellect, absurdity, dark humor, and with Von Trier at the helm, there's certainly nothing like it. Perhaps the only difference between me and others is that I have always demanded more from the sunset. .reconcilable, irreconcilable a true embodiment of her circumstances and her actions whichThe insatiable woman and her desire for the unattainable isIt offers the audience a disturbing and yet beautiful consideration on subjects which are mostly left untouched.A meditationnaught, is a striking testament to his ability to explore the unsavory and contraband without having to answer to someone of higher power.