Enter the Void Film Review
Enter If You Must
A testament of cinematic genius, a daring and psychedelic composition, an adventure through reality and the afterlife: Enter the Void is unlike any movie one has seen or probably will see in the future. Written and directed by the Frenchman Gaspar Noé, Enter the Void is a complex film that constantly experiments with the director’s unique visual style. Enter the Void follows the tragic story of a young American drug dealer, Oscar, as he struggles to survive in the neon-lit and chaotic streets of Tokyo. Early in the film, Oscar is shot and killed in a drug bust gone wrong. The rest of the film is captured from the perspective of Oscar’s spirit, as he revisits important moments of his past and watches over his loved ones.
Enter the Void challenges all theories about life and death, explores the world of drugs and sex, and reaffirms the true value of a brother and sister relationship. However, what makes Enter the Void especially distinct is that the camera only shoots through the first-person perspective of Oscar, as we watch everything through his eyes. Noé’s commitment to presenting the whole film through Oscar’s perspective dates back to films such as Robert Montgomery’s Lady in the Lake. Noé is able to effectively bring the audience into Oscar’s conscience with this camera technique, and the detail makes the film all a more fascinating experience. Throughout the film, Noé consciously alters the POV-style of the camera to represent different stages of the character’s life. When Oscar is alive, the camera is strictly through his viewpoint, and we are reminded he is alive from his eyes blinking on the screen. This POV-style allows us to get to know Oscar on a very personal level, as his every action and thoughts are always seen by the audience from a perspective they are used to seeing their own life from. When Oscar dies, Noé changes the camera to an over-the-shoulder shot, and all we can see is the back of Oscar’s head. This POV-style
A testament of cinematic genius, a daring and psychedelic composition, an adventure through reality and the afterlife: Enter the Void is unlike any movie one has seen or probably will see in the future. Written and directed by the Frenchman Gaspar Noé, Enter the Void is a complex film that constantly experiments with the director’s unique visual style. Enter the Void follows the tragic story of a young American drug dealer, Oscar, as he struggles to survive in the neon-lit and chaotic streets of Tokyo. Early in the film, Oscar is shot and killed in a drug bust gone wrong. The rest of the film is captured from the perspective of Oscar’s spirit, as he revisits important moments of his past and watches over his loved ones.
Enter the Void challenges all theories about life and death, explores the world of drugs and sex, and reaffirms the true value of a brother and sister relationship. However, what makes Enter the Void especially distinct is that the camera only shoots through the first-person perspective of Oscar, as we watch everything through his eyes. Noé’s commitment to presenting the whole film through Oscar’s perspective dates back to films such as Robert Montgomery’s Lady in the Lake. Noé is able to effectively bring the audience into Oscar’s conscience with this camera technique, and the detail makes the film all a more fascinating experience. Throughout the film, Noé consciously alters the POV-style of the camera to represent different stages of the character’s life. When Oscar is alive, the camera is strictly through his viewpoint, and we are reminded he is alive from his eyes blinking on the screen. This POV-style allows us to get to know Oscar on a very personal level, as his every action and thoughts are always seen by the audience from a perspective they are used to seeing their own life from. When Oscar dies, Noé changes the camera to an over-the-shoulder shot, and all we can see is the back of Oscar’s head. This POV-style