Gaspar Noé’s newest film
“Enter the Void” is a visually
stunning film 10 years in the
making. The movie takes a
harrowing journey through the
afterlife and leaves the audience
at a loss for words.
On Saturday, Sept. 25 the
IFC Theater in New York City
hosted a screening of “Enter
the Void,” which had only been
played at several film festivals
until now.
Argentine-born, Frenchraised
director Noé has produced
a body of work that
doesn’t shy away from serious
themes and graphic content.
With one short film (“Carne” –
1992) and two feature films (“I
Stand Alone” – 1998,
“Irreversible” – 2009) under
his belt, “Enter the Void” is a
very different film than his, or
anyone else’s, previous work.
The screening was sold out
well in advance and the theater
was full, holding around 300
people. The buzz on this film
(via internet sites and reviews
about the film festival screenings)
and a question and
answer session with the director
held after the IFC Theater
showing undoubtedly helped
sell every ticket available.
“Enter the Void’s” plot loosely
follows a young American
brother and sister living in
Tokyo. Parentless since they
were children and very close to
one another, the brother
(Oscar) is killed by police during
one of his shady dealings.
The film then takes on his
point of view, revisiting past
experiences and future events
involving his sister and friends.
In the question and answer
session following the screening,
Noé revealed that the
inspiration for this film included
the Tibetan Book of the
Dead (an ancient Buddhist
book explaining theories about
the afterlife) and Stanley
Kubrick’s film “2001: A Space
Odyssey.”
The director also discussed
how CGI is used in “Enter the
Void.”
“Ninety-five percent of the
film is CGI. The reason why
the film looks so realistic yet
fantastical is because of the
time we took in post-production
to add effects,” he said.
The film is visually stunning
to say the least; adopting the
perspective of Oscar’s “spirit,”
the camera moves seamlessly
between walls, in and out of
buildings, flying through the
city, and even at one point traveling
from a house to an airplane
mid-flight.
Clocking in at 137 minutes,
the movie isn’t a short one, nor
does it take a lighthearted
approach to its story and
themes.
“Enter the Void” will most
likely appeal to those who like
their movies as art. Cinema
buffs will truly appreciate it for
the visual references to other
films throughout and for what
it does: It shows a story and a
perspective that is completely
new and possible now, thanks
in part to the technology available
today.