History Film / Nymphomaniac

The film stars Creator/CharlotteGainsbourg and Creator/StellanSkarsgard, with additional supporting roles including Creator/ShiaLaBeouf, Creator/ChristianSlater, Creator/JamieBell, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/WillemDafoe, and Creator/MiaGoth in her film debut.

The film has two starting points, both starting as a DownerBeginning with life [[FromBadToWorse going downhill from there]]. At the narrative starting point, the story starts with middle-aged bachelor Seligman (Skarsgård) finding a woman named Joe (Gainsbourg) beaten and bleeding in an alley one evening, after which he takes her into his home and she tells him the story of her life, one as a self-diagnosed [[TitleDrop nymphomaniac]]. At the chronological starting point, the story starts with Joe levitating in the air as she receives a vision from the Whore of Babylon herself. This demonic possession turns Joe's sexuality self-destructive as well as harmful to others. However, it is up to the audience to decide whether the demonic possession is [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane literal (supernatural), delusional (mental illness) or metaphorical]]...or simply [[UnreliableNarrator Joe trying to mess with Seligman's head]].

The film can be said to have three main characters: Joe-the-protagonist, Joe-the-narrator, and Seligman-the-audience. While Joe and Joe are the same person, Joe-the-narrator hates Joe-the-protagonist with a passion. There are also several side characters, but most of them don't even have names.

* BlackIsBiggerInBed: {{Zigzagged}}. Joe goes so far as finding an interpreter so she can have sex with an African immigrant who doesn't speak a word of English. However, she doesn't do this because of the man's alleged penis size but because she finds the thought of not being able to communicate with her sex partner enticing. However, both he and his brother ''are'' well hung, which we [[MaleFrontalNudity see in detail]] since Joe has [[AThreesomeIsHot a threeway with them]].

* FlatEarthAtheist OR OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions: Neither Joe nor Seligman believe in higher powers or any other supernatural forces. This may be reasonable or not, [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane depending on how certain key scenes are interpreted]].

* OedipusComplex: Joe's possible FreudianExcuse, due to loving her father while having a strained relationship with her mother.

Being the third and final installment of [[Creator/LarsVonTrier Lars Von Trier's]] "Depression" [[ThematicSeries Trilogy]] (after ''[[Film/{{Antichrist}} Antichrist]]'' and ''[[Film/{{Melancholia}} Melancholia]])'', the 2014 film ''Nymphomaniac'' is a bleak story of utter emotional misery. [[TrueArtIsAngsty So what else is new,]] [[SignatureStyle right?]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[-[[Main/{{Tagline}} Forget About Love.]]-] ]]

Being the third and final installment of [[Creator/LarsVonTrier Lars Von Trier's]] "Depression" [[ThematicSeries Trilogy]] (after ''[[Film/{{Antichrist}} Antichrist]]'' and ''[[Film/{{Melancholia}} Melancholia]])'', the 2014 film ''Nymphomaniac'' is a bleak story of utter emotional misery. [[TrueArtIsAngsty So what else is new]], [[SignatureStyle right?]]

Starring Creator/CharlotteGainsbourg as Joe, Creator/StellanSkarsgard as Seligman and Creator/ShiaLaBeouf as Jerôme. Creator/MiaGoth, Creator/ChristianSlater, Creator/UmaThurman and Creator/WillemDafoe can be seen in smaller roles.

As a woman named "Joe" tells the story of her life, the film can be said to have three main characters: Joe-the-protagonist, Joe-the-narrator, and Seligman-the-audience. While Joe and Joe are the same person, Joe-the-narrator hates Joe-the-protagonist with a passion. There are also several side characters, but most of them don't even have names.

The film has two starting points, both starting as a DownerBeginning and life going downhill from there. In the narrative starting point, the story starts as Seligman finds Joe beaten and bleeding in an alley. In the chronological starting point, the story starts with Joe levitating up in the air as she receives a vision from the Whore of Babylon herself. This demonic possession turns Joe's sexuality self-destructive as well as harmful to others. However, it is up to the audience to decide whether the demonic possession is [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane literal (supernatural), delusional (mental illness) or metaphorical]]... Or simply [[UnreliableNarrator Joe trying to mess with Seligman's head]].

''Nymphomaniac'' came out of the editing room at five-and-a-half hours in running length. [[ExecutiveMeddling The studio worked with the film editors]] to cut the film down to four hours, and released it as two two-hour movies, two weeks apart. The complete [[ReCut Director's Cut]] had its general release world premiere in Copenhagen in September 2014, adding roughly 90 minutes of footage, expanding some of the subplots.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Joe tries to pleasure herself but her vagina has gone numb.

* ElectraComplex: Joe's possible FreudianExcuse, due to loving her father while having a strained relationship with her mother.

* MaleFrontalNudity: In all shapes and sizes.

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: {{Invoked}}, as Joe's old friend finds love and thus defects from their satanic cult.

* BlackIsBiggerInBed:
** {{Averted}}. Joe goes as far as finding an interpreter so she can have sex with an African immigrant who doesn't speak a word of English. However, she doesn't do this because of the man's supposed penis size but because she finds the thought of not being able to communicate with her sex partner enticing.
** {{Played straight}} with the two black men being shown as actually well-hung.

* GenderBlenderName: Joe.

* SexIsEvilAndIAmHorny: Joe and the others base their sexuality on disregard for themselves and others, not really caring who gets hurt. [[spoiler:This even includes the supposedly asexual Seligman, who verbally gives justification to some of her more inconsiderate actions... And eventually [[AttemptedRape tries to rape her]].]]

Starring Creator/CharlotteGainsbourg as Joe, Creator/StellanSkarsgard as Seligman and Creator/ShiaLaBeouf as Jerôme. Creator/ChristianSlater, Creator/UmaThurman and Creator/WillemDafoe can be seen in smaller roles.

Being the third and final installment of [[Creator/LarsVonTrier Lars Von Trier's]] "Depression" [[ThematicSeries Trilogy]] (after ''[[Film/{{Antichrist}} Antichrist]]'' and ''[[Film/{{Melancholia}} Melancholia]])'', the 2014 film ''Nymphomaniac'' is a bleak story of utter emotional misery. [[TrueArtIsAngsty So what else is new,]] [[SignatureStyle right?]]

* AllMenArePerverts: Even the [[{{Asexuality}} asexual ones]], as suggested by the ending.

* {{Asexuality}}: Seligman claims this, and he and Joe have a refreshingly open and respectful conversation about it. Unfortunately, [[spoiler:it is somewhat undermined by the ending, in which he [[AttemptedRape attempts to rape]] her]].

Starring Creator/CharlotteGainsbourg as Joe, Stellan Skarsgård as Seligman and Creator/ShiaLaBeouf as Jerôme. Creator/ChristianSlater, Creator/UmaThurman and Creator/WillemDafoe can be seen in smaller roles.

* RealityEnsues: All the damage Joe has done to her vagina through years of continuous sexual intercourse starts to haunt her by the film's end.

* FramingDevice: Joe's back story is told in flashbacks during her stay at Seligman's.

* InfantImmortality: Marcel, the 3-year-old son of Joe and [[spoiler: Jerôme]], wakes up alone and climbs on the balcony in a similar fashion as Nick in ''Film/{{Antichrist}}''. [[spoiler:This time, however, someone gets there in time to prevent the kid from falling to his death]].

The film has two starting points, both starting as a DownerBeginning and life going downhill from there. In the narrative starting point, the story starts with Seligman finds Joe beaten and bleeding in an alley. In the chronological starting point, the story starts with Joe levitating up in the air as she receives a vision from the Whore of Babylon herself. This demonic possession turns Joe's sexuality self-destructive as well as harmful to others. However, it is up to the audience to decide whether the demonic possession is [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane literal (supernatural), delusional (mental illness) or metaphorical]]... Or simply [[UnreliableNarrator Joe trying to mess with Seligman's head]].

* BlackIsBiggerInBed: {{Averted}}. Joe goes as far as finding an interpreter so she can have sex with an African immigrant who doesn't speak a word of English. However, she doesn't do this because of the man's supposed penis size but because she finds the thought of not being able to communicate with her sex partner enticing.

* DepravedHomosexual: The only male homosexual in the movie [[AllGaysArePedophiles is also a pedophile]], while the film's only same-sex relationship is female and quickly turns into a potentially homicidal flavor of PsychoLesbian.

** DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: When [[spoiler: Seligman tries to force himself onto Joe, she rightfully defends herself.]] However, Joe herself twice rapes a man throughout both volumes. In the first, it’s the man on the train on whom she forces herself despite repeated protests and refusals from him — an act which neither Joe nor Seligman calls rape (Joe says it was wrong, while Seligman defends it). In the second, it’s the pedophile, whom she gives a blowjob while he is tied to a chair.

** Joe nearly repeats K's line about screaming ''after'' being hit word for word while preparing to beat someone

* ShoutOut: The beginning of Joe's [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane hallucination/vision]] of the Whore of Babylon echoes part of She's meditation in Von Trier's earlier film ''{{Film/Antichrist}}''.

* ElectraComplex: Joe’s possible FreudianExcuse, due to loving her father while having a strained relationship with her mother.

* SympathyForTheDevil: Joe sympathizes with a pedophile, because she sees him as a sexual deviant like herself, only she pities him because he can't legally act upon his fetishes — which she defends as being saintly, compared to the pedophiles who ''do'' act upon their urges. She ends up giving the guy a blow job.

--> ''Joe'': That's because you think about the perhaps 5% who actually hurt children. The remaining 95% never live out their fantasies. Think about their suffering. Sexuality is the strongest force in human beings. To be born with a forbidden sexuality must be agonizing. The pedophile who manages to get through life with the shame of his desire, while never acting on it, deserves a bloody medal.

* UnreliableNarrator: All of Joe's stories beg the question of how much were real, how many were embellished and how many were to get a rise out of Seligman. Seligman sometimes calls out Joe on her bullshit, but perhaps not often enough. Her story gives an accurate portrayal of her state of mind, but perhaps less so of her life.

* ExtremeLibido: Joe, this is what all about this film.

* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Seligman admonishes Joe for using the word “negro” saying that it’s not politically correct. Joe disagrees, answering that in her opinion society tries to hide certain words as politically correct when it’s afraid to face the real issues behind them.

* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Joe, lusting for sex with the black immigrant.

* AspectRatio: The base aspect ratio of the film is 2.35:1, but the ratio changes to 1.85:1 in Chapter 3.

* LoveRedeems: Several female characters seem to get redeemed by finding love with a man. [[spoiler:However, the redemption remains unconfirmed in two cases, and eventually brutally averted in two others.]]