Saturday 6 December 2014

Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013)

Nymphomaniac: Volume One is a hard film to pin down. Superficially it's about a woman addicted to sex but delving beneath the surface opens a whole world of symbolism, metaphor and allusion. I don't think I can accurately review the film until I see Part Two, but here's a few of the ideas I pieced together from Part 1.

Loneliness:
  • A Fibonacci number can only be created by the sum of the previous two numbers - it cannot exist on its own.
  • Polyphonic music cannot be created by just one sound.

Control:
  • She cannot control the world around her so she controls using her body and sex.
  • By doing this she gradually loses the one thing she can control to addiction.
She is seeking completeness and this is embodied in the final act by three lovers, components or voices:
  • Selflessness
  • Submission
  • Love
By the time she works out the formula she finds herself unfeeling and incapable of love.

Original letterboxd review

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