Lars von Trier's provocative masterpiece Nymphomaniac is finally released here in Hong Kong. While it is again cut due to HKFA's censorship, the two,volumes were shown in its original cut (cut made by European distributor and approved by the director) during HKIFF. Since the announcement of the film, it's the sex scenes that causing all the stirs among media and film-goers.

The story tells nymphomaniac Joe, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg, telling a loner and asexual Seligman, played by Stellan Skarsgard, about her sexual or enlightenment journey. The journey itself, of course, contains the aforementioned composited explicit sex scenes, but behind all those juicy or violent sequence, it’s all about the one thing Joe despises – love. It could be sexual pleasures that Joe was pursuing all her life, but the reappearances of Jerome, played by Shai LaBeouf, and accusation of Mrs. H, played by Uma Thurman, make it clear that it’s more than lust, but to rid of her loneliness.

For the director who declares never to make public statements and give interviews, it seems he’s making his stands with the two main characters in the film, Joe and Seligman, speaking the director’s thoughts about love, relationship, censorship and gender politics. What they both share in common is taking responsibility to themselves only, and not others. They both, in different ways, live their lonely lives. I think that Jerome stands for the common audience, who sometimes enjoys the excitement by Joe (director), but fails to cope with the amoral consequences.

As the last entry of the Depression trilogy, Nymphomaniac carries a much lighter tone than the previous two. The previous two open with a prologue accompanied with opera or classical piece, but this time, the director chooses to use Rammstein’s “Fuhre Mich”, like the explosive power in the story. Moreover, there are many references to the last two entries, like the snowing balcony scene, “Joe (woman) is evil” theme (Antichrist), dozen spoons, galaxies (Melancholia) and forests (both). However, these references are less depressive or you can say, at some points, positive. This is maybe how the director would like to shed hopes onto the topic of depression or obsession.

As Vol. 1 tells the story of younger Joe, it carries more sexual adventures than the second volume, and maybe curiosity and rebellious thoughts about love. Therefore, this volume is rather mild, and the most intense scene would be the meeting of Uma Thurman’s Mrs. H, and that also provides the dark humour we favour. To be continued.