Quite a departure from “Irreversible”, Gasper Noe’s “Enter the Void” is a complete visual triumph. The story centers around two siblings, Oscar and Linda, which suffered from a traumatic accident when they were children. After this misfortune, they make a pact to never grow apart. Many years later they take up residency in Tokyo; Oscar has became a drug dealer, Linda, a stripper. On one fateful night during a drug deal, Oscar is shot and killed while barricaded in a club bathroom. However, his spirit sticks around, following his friends, enemies and sister through the neon-lit streets and grittiest of alleys and buildings in Tokyo.
“Enter the Void” may be the most visually earth shattering film I have ever seen; and if it is not, it’s definitely unlike anything else. It jumps from POV to third person like no other film before it. During the entire 2 ½ + hour runtime, you ARE Oscar. You ARE what he becomes in the afterlife, and for me there wasn’t a single dull moment. The subplot is awesome; it involves a Tibetan book about out of body experiences, and it ties in perfectly with everything else going on in the main story.
This sadly will not be for everybody, though it is definitely understandable. For many, it will be entirely too long; and for others, the enormously graphic sexual content and hallucinogenic drug use will be ultimately offensive. It truly pushes the envelope of extreme cinema, and I applaud Gasper Noe for his fantastical efforts.
