Digressionism: Von Trier’s Erotic Epic ‘Nymphomaniac’
Following 2011′ visually demure end-of-the-world drama Melancholia, Von Trier is stepping into XXX-rated territory for his new feature. His upcoming movie, Nymphomaniac, is a sexually explicit erotic epic.
Epic, because Von Trier is composing the movie in chapters – eight, in fact – and releasing it in two parts.
Erotic, because, well, there’s lots of sex in it. Hardcore sex. Sex that none of the actors had to actually get naked for. Von Trier decided to superimpose porn actors’ genitals onto the bodies of actual cast members. That means penises and vaginas that should belong to Charlotte Gainsbourg, Uma Thurman and Shia LaBeouf won’t actually be theirs.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter in Cannes last month, the movie’s producer Louise Vesth explained:
“We shot the actors pretending to have sex and then had the body doubles, who really did have sex, and in post we will digital-impose the two. So above the waist it will be the star and the below the waist it will be the doubles.”
Von Trier recently teased audiences by providing the titles to all eight chapters that will make up the movie. In order, they are: Chapter 1: The Complete Angler, Chapter Two: Jerome, Chapter 3: Mrs. H, Chapter 4: Delirium, Chapter 5: The Little Organ School, Chapter 6: The Eastern & Western Church (The Silent Duck), Chapter 7: The Mirror, Chapter 8: The Gun.
The movie is set for release in December 2013. In the month leading up to its release, Von Trier and Zoetrope, the movie’s production company, will release teaser trailers for each of the chapters including a more detailed synopsis.