Lars Von Trier's "Nymphomaniac Volume 2" does not stand on its own. The film picks up seamlessly right where the first part concluded, making it impossible for a first time viewer to completely decipher the story without watching its first part. That said, the second part of the Danish director's Magnus opus feels different than its overture.
The first film, which was filled with biting sarcasm and lightness often seemed at times to be playing with the subject matter and critiquing the prudish nature of society. The constant interruptions from Seligman (Stellan Skarsgaard) added to this fun, his digressions adding levity to at times harsh and morose material. In this film, the digressions remain, but Joe actually criticizes and puts down one of Seligman's lengthy speeches; she seems irritated by his rants throughout parts of this second volume. Furthermore, the central performance by Stacy Martin as young Joe emphasized this amusing world. Her character, which came off as a cold and indifferent, mirroring this overall irreverent portrayal.
However, the second film lacks the levity throughout, instead opting to pry into the damaged human psyche. Martin appears for a few moments, but Charlotte Gainsbourg quickly becomes the focus as the older Joe. The transition between the two is made rather abruptly and justified by a time jump of three years; Gainsbourg looks a lot more than three years older than Martin. However, once this strange transition is overcome, the viewer is treated to a rather powerful performance from the central thespian. From her first appearance in the flashback narratives, it is clear that her Joe is the embodiment of suffering. A smile is rare on her face and yet there is a tremendous amount of strength and resilience in her stare. She manages to retain emotional control throughout the film and her most violent displays are showcased with this sense of strength remaining intact.
Skarsgaard's Seligman takes on a more emotional complexion in this part of the story; Van Trier reveals a great deal about his sexuality, humanizing him and thus developing further than the first part suggested. In many ways, his eventual development becomes the central focus of the auteur's thesis on human frailty and sexuality.
The film is colored by a number of other solid performances, but the cameos rarely overpower the film the way that Uma Thurman and Christian Slater did in the first installment. This is Gainsbourg's film from start to finish. Jamie Bell's appearance as the vicious sadomasochist K is worthy of note however. Despite his violent behavior, the actor manages to maintain a sense of rigid composure throughout; in many moments one actually sees K as a very vulnerable being that is hurt by his own brutality.
The sexual content is still intense throughout, particularly in the film's opening hour. Van Trier has a few sequences featuring erect male genitalia hovering in the foreground of the camera. Later in the film, the director actually shoots a similar image in tight close-up to showcase a character's arousal at one of Joe's narratives; the subject of Joe's story combined with the image makes for one of the more disturbing sections of either volume. However, the most brutal material in the entire film is the sadomasochism in which Joe goes to K to become aroused sexually. The director does not shy away from the violence and the viewer is forced to endure blow after blow to Joe's naked body.
"Nymphomaniac Vol. 2" needs to be watched with the first installment in order for the viewer to truly experience the full power of Van Trier's intricate character study on human degradation. The film is far from easy viewing, but those courageous enough to traverse along its rocky road will come away transformed. The four-hour saga is a defining masterpiece that will be discussed for years to come.