ENTER THE VOID – 9.0/10
Director: Gaspar Noé
Writer: Gaspar Noé, Lucile Hadzihalilovic (assisted)
At least once in a lifetime, an individual comes across an event or entity that leaves them simply bewildered. I believe Gaspar Noe's Enter the Void was my first such experience. This essay is not a review of the film. It is purely an attempt to reflect upon what has transpired. This is not the regular or for that matter even the art-house, alternate film. It is probably beyond those genres as well and does not fall within the realm of common filmmaking conventions.
The film is a sensory orgasm of strobe lights, psychedelics, nauseating yet mesmerizing camera work, depressing debauchery and all human behavior that reminds one of an abysmal darkness. While all other things barred, the film is a technical masterpiece and every shot in the film is worth its prolonged torment. The visual experience itself is enough to carry one through the significant run-time of 161 minutes. It cannot be stressed enough how Enter the Void is probably the only film of its kind and not because of its technical prowess, but likely because of the union of all things psychedelic: from the story, to cinematography, the edit, set designs, to character behavior and appearances, to conversations and even the actual location – Tokyo. Together, the film is one experimental, indulgent, dark trip into the void.
One reason the film is fascinating is because it challenges all notions and conventions of filmmaking and refutes the purpose of art as a whole. This is surely not Noe's intention, just an inevitable result of such madness. The absolute profanity and the sheer ghastly depiction with which Noe paints life will basically prod one towards questions of metaphysics and ontology. With nihilism at the soul of his ode to man, the obvious oxymoron is the subject matter of reincarnation the film deals with, or at least the concept of it. One one side, his denouement speaks of hope and on the other, his condemnation of this very hope through the hellish depiction of a grim reality.
If one could indulge in a little physiognomy, it may not seem so strange that Enter the Void is actually a French film, though Noe is Argentinian. A fascinating possibility proposes that visceral expressions are found in abundance where societal and traditional shackles are least prevalent. Does this explain consummate depictions of human behavior without defilement in Iranian cinema? While it does not explain poor quality filmmaking in India, does it partially address the clandestine voyeur artist in a traditional society and the pelvic thrusts among other innuendos of carnal catharsis? Films are naked depictions of societies; art is. And what conclusion can one draw of the French society since transgressive art has been a birthmark of this land? Only an intriguing side effect of this film.
Enter the Void is certainly not a film you can watch as regular viewing. It demands a mind-set, a setting, a form of conditioning, certain values and to a great degree, acceptance. It might prompt unlearning, which is often far more complicated than learning. While there is a good chance one might never want to see his film again – and like every other negative employed, this too is not pejorative – one might also never forget the imagery they are subjected to. This, I believe is the paradoxical nature of Noe's filmography and is what makes it markedly distinctive. I will end by calling what I hitherto called a film, an experience. Whether pleasant or not, you will have to decide for yourself.
Director: Gaspar Noé
Writer: Gaspar Noé, Lucile Hadzihalilovic (assisted)
At least once in a lifetime, an individual comes across an event or entity that leaves them simply bewildered. I believe Gaspar Noe's Enter the Void was my first such experience. This essay is not a review of the film. It is purely an attempt to reflect upon what has transpired. This is not the regular or for that matter even the art-house, alternate film. It is probably beyond those genres as well and does not fall within the realm of common filmmaking conventions.
The film is a sensory orgasm of strobe lights, psychedelics, nauseating yet mesmerizing camera work, depressing debauchery and all human behavior that reminds one of an abysmal darkness. While all other things barred, the film is a technical masterpiece and every shot in the film is worth its prolonged torment. The visual experience itself is enough to carry one through the significant run-time of 161 minutes. It cannot be stressed enough how Enter the Void is probably the only film of its kind and not because of its technical prowess, but likely because of the union of all things psychedelic: from the story, to cinematography, the edit, set designs, to character behavior and appearances, to conversations and even the actual location – Tokyo. Together, the film is one experimental, indulgent, dark trip into the void.
One reason the film is fascinating is because it challenges all notions and conventions of filmmaking and refutes the purpose of art as a whole. This is surely not Noe's intention, just an inevitable result of such madness. The absolute profanity and the sheer ghastly depiction with which Noe paints life will basically prod one towards questions of metaphysics and ontology. With nihilism at the soul of his ode to man, the obvious oxymoron is the subject matter of reincarnation the film deals with, or at least the concept of it. One one side, his denouement speaks of hope and on the other, his condemnation of this very hope through the hellish depiction of a grim reality.
If one could indulge in a little physiognomy, it may not seem so strange that Enter the Void is actually a French film, though Noe is Argentinian. A fascinating possibility proposes that visceral expressions are found in abundance where societal and traditional shackles are least prevalent. Does this explain consummate depictions of human behavior without defilement in Iranian cinema? While it does not explain poor quality filmmaking in India, does it partially address the clandestine voyeur artist in a traditional society and the pelvic thrusts among other innuendos of carnal catharsis? Films are naked depictions of societies; art is. And what conclusion can one draw of the French society since transgressive art has been a birthmark of this land? Only an intriguing side effect of this film.
Enter the Void is certainly not a film you can watch as regular viewing. It demands a mind-set, a setting, a form of conditioning, certain values and to a great degree, acceptance. It might prompt unlearning, which is often far more complicated than learning. While there is a good chance one might never want to see his film again – and like every other negative employed, this too is not pejorative – one might also never forget the imagery they are subjected to. This, I believe is the paradoxical nature of Noe's filmography and is what makes it markedly distinctive. I will end by calling what I hitherto called a film, an experience. Whether pleasant or not, you will have to decide for yourself.
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