What is there left to say about Enter the Void?

    Yes, there is a lot of sex, nudity and drugs.  There’s some violence too.  No, it’s not pornographic in any way.  Yes, some of the visuals are incredible and the craft is impeccable.

    But does it have anything to say?  Before I enter void (hoho) of that question, lets get the formalities out of the way.

    Enter void follows the point of view of the recently deceased Oscar, a small time drug dealer/addict, as his spirit floats over Tokyo, watching the consequences of his death unfold and intermingle with memories of how his life was, how he wishes it was and how it could have been.

    There is no clear delineation between what we see being real or part of Oscars memory and we are left in the dark as to how reliable a narrator Oscar is.  Most of his memories and observations concern his younger sister, Linda, a naïve and troubled stripper with whom he has always shared a fractured and sexually frustrated relationship.

    So what is it about then?

    Well, that isn’t very clear either.  The most recurring motif in the film seems to be the characters inability to escape their memories and their fears.  If they could only let go of the past they could move forward and maybe be happy.  But they can’t, and they never will be.

    So is this juvenile fatalistic existentialism or a profound comment on the nature of the battered human psyche?

    I subscribe to the latter category, the mood and cinematic language of the film give the viewer all the pieces they need to draw their own meaning from the film, but simultaneously keep the viewer within a fixed and satisfying framework with which to work through the films events.

    The way in which the point of view is handled is the most immersive I have ever encountered in a film.  Regardless of whether or not you identify with Oscar (and if you can you should seek help) you are quickly drawn into his interior world through a Peep Show style camera.

    Oscar’s internal monologue overlaps with his speech and the steady movements of the camera combined with the more ambitious flourishes representing his drug use combine to create a powerful sense of being trapped in the characters inner world.

    Enter The Void never drops up this approach and over the 160 minute run time the sense of Oscar’s claustrophobia, fear and regret becomes more and more poignant and palpable.  The memories that become repeated act as motifs and punctuation marks that keep bringing the audience back to the central traumas of his life; the violent death of his parents, his early separation from his sister and their inability to successfully shake off these burdens.

    If Enter The Void sounds like a depressing film that’s because for the most part it is.  Depressing is an adjective I never like to use to describe a work of art because it is always reductive and often ignores the cathartic power of experience someone else’s state of mind, however troubled it may be.  But Enter The Void is depressing, not in a bad way, not really in a good way either, the style and subject matter combine effortlessly to create a mood of encircling doubt and anxiety.  There is little catharsis to be had because the film offers no resolution and no escape route.  But experiencing the film and immersing oneself in its mood leaves you with a great deal of empathy and insight into the mind of its protagonist even if you feel deeply shaken immediately after watching it.  But the process of absorbing and interpreting it offers the viewer insights into your own trauma’s and how and why you may never be able to escape them.  Enter The Void won’t help you escape your demons but it just might help you identify and understand them.

5/5 Stars