Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Nymphomaniac: Volume II Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 16, 2014

Winner of Bodil Award for Best Actress, Lars von Trier's "Nymphomaniac Vol. II" (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, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

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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 arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.

The basic characteristics of the technical presentation of Nymphomaniac: Vol. II are very similar to those of he technical presentation of Nymphomaniac: Vol.I. The overwhelming majority of the film looks exceptionally crisp and smooth, while colors are solid and very natural. A few minor contrast fluctuations again appear in areas of the film where light is either restricted or intentionally subdued. Select flashbacks have new stylistic enhancements -- the smoothness and crispness are removed -- but detail and depth remain enormously impressive (see screencaptures #13 and 15). There are no stability issues. Lastly, the compression and encoding are very good. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Nymphomaniac: Volume II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Artificial Eye have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

As it was the case with Nymphomaniac: Vol. I, Nymphomaniac: Vol. II does not have a prominent soundtrack, though there are select parts of the film where short excerpts from organ and piano performances are used (Fur Elise). Rather predictably, dynamic intensity is quite limited. However, depth, clarity, and fluidity on the 5.1 track are excellent. The dialog is exceptionally crisp, stable, and easy to follow. For the record, there are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report in this review.

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 

Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac: Vol. II is a lot more difficult to like. It is still very well acted, but it lacks the light humor and thought-provoking observations that make the first film so fascinating to behold. It almost feels like the Danish helmer was in a completely different state of mind when he completed it. Still, I think that it is definitely worth spending time with as it goes places very few other mainstream films have had the courage to visit.