Nymphomaniac: Volume II Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Nymphomaniac: Volume II Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 17, 2015

Lars von Trier's "Nymphomaniac Vol. II: Director's Cut" (2013) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The only supplemental feature on the disc is a filmed Q&A session with actor Stellan Skarsgard and actresses Stacy Martin and Sophie Kennedy Clark. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"This is how it started..."

Note: Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac: Vol. II: Director's Cut is approximately 178 minutes long. (The theatrical version of Vol. II is 124 minutes long). In addition to longer explicit footage, the Director's Cut introduces extended and entirely new footage with the principal characters that was cut during the editing of what would eventually become the theatrical version of Vol. II. (You can see our reviews of the theatrical versions of Vol. I and Vol. II here).

In Volume II, the sex and pain become far more intense and eventually a sense of guilt nearly collapses Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melancholia, The Tree). For a while she does her best to be a normal person, but her inexorable desire to be humiliated and hurt in ways that make her feel alive further distance her from the few people that seem to care about her.

With the help of a translator, Joe arranges to meet a black man in a seedy hotel. He brings his brother along, but the encounter proves rather disappointing when the two men begin arguing and effectively kill Joe’s desire to have sex with them.

An S&M master (Jamie Bell, Billy Elliot) redirects Joe’s life -- the young man shows her how to properly absorb and understand pain. Joe’s sessions with the S&M master are rather difficult to watch, but as strange as it may sound they are also quite illuminating.

At the end of each episode Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard, Breaking the Waves) again asks questions. He has his own theories about Joe’s sex addiction and its effects on her life -- virtually all of them offer some sort of a valid counterpoint -- but most are missing key elements that would logically explain her condition. Joe willingly clarifies what does not make sense to Seligman.

Eventually, Joe is hired by a shady businessman (Willem Dafoe, 4:44 Last Day on Earth, Antichrist) to recover large amounts of money some former clients owe him. While doing her job, Joe discovers that giving pain can be just as exciting as receiving it.

The ending is rather underwhelming. There is a twist that forces the viewer to reexamine the relationship between Joe and Seligman. The same twist also allows von Trier to deliver a few of his familiar jabs at humanity and religion. But neither the reexamination nor the jabs are particularly effective as the balance between humor and drama is indeed very awkward. (Pay attention to Seligman’s final lines).

Volume I and Volume II very much feel like two entirely different films. The former is explicit but witty and produces some quite fascinating observations about religion, morality, and various popular social norms. The latter feels like a test designed by von Trier to measure the viewer’s tolerance for pain and graphic sex. Some parts of it work but primarily because it does not look like the actors are acting; most of the time, however, the messages at the end of each episode feel like rushed populist talk.

There are two excellent cameos in Volume II. Mia Goth plays Joe’s young and beautiful assistant who begins asking questions that force her partner to reevaluate her life. The great actor Jean-Marc Barr (The Big Blue, Don't Let Me Die on a Sunday) is a wealthy businessman whose sexual fantasies have pushed him on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown.

Von Trier shot Volume I and Volume II with Chilean cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro. The two also collaborated on the hugely atmospheric project Melancholia.

Nymphomaniac: Volume II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac: Vol. II: Director's Cut arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.

Once again, there are no obvious discrepancies between the Director's Cut and the theatrical version (you can see our review of the theatrical version here). Generally speaking, the overwhelming majority of the film looks very sharp and crisp, with many close-ups truly looking like digital photographs (see screencapture #8). Colors are solid and very natural. Some fluctuations exist, but they are part of the original cinematography (compare screencaptures #2 and 14). Stability is outstanding. Finally, during a couple of scenes some extremely light compression artifacts try to sneak in, but never become distracting. Nymphomaniac: Vol. II: Director's Cut is approximately 178 minutes long. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free Blu-ray player in order to access its content).

Nymphomaniac: Volume II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles have not been provided for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the 5.1 track and could not hear any discrepancies to report in our review (the theatrical version also comes with 5.1 and 2.0 lossless tracks). The film does not have a prominent soundtrack and as a result dynamic intensity is rather limited. However, separation and balance are outstanding. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions.

Nymphomaniac: Volume II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Filmed Q&A Session - actor Stellan Skarsgard and actresses Stacy Martin and Sophie Kennedy Clark discuss Lars von Trier's directing methods, the characters they play in Nymphomaniac and the unique relationships between them, their initial impressions of the script for the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (24 min).

Nymphomaniac: Volume II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If the great Spanish director Luis Bunuel was still alive and working today, in his films he would have probably visited many of the same places controversial Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier has in recent years. Bunuel's style would have been different, but there is no doubt in my mind that his films would have been just as bold and intelligent. The new Director's Cuts of Nymphomaniac Vol. I and Nymphomaniac Vol. II are quite possibly von Trier's most ambitious work to date. They won't be everyone's cup of tea, but viewers who like to test themselves with clever unorthodox films should not miss them. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.