The art and marketing department for Lars von Trier’s upcoming two-part sex epic Nymphomaniac must be one of the busiest in the business. Hot off last week’s unveiling of two threatening posters featuring props from the film, yet another eerily artistic poster has hit the web, and it looks like school is in session for co-star Shia LaBeouf.
The poster, which you can check out below, finds LaBeouf in a rather compromising position with leading actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, who’s wearing a schoolmaster’s glasses and holding both an apple and a textbook, evidently ready for some physical education. As with many of von Trier’s shots, there’s a discomforting, nightmarish undercurrent to the poster, as well as some pretty weighty symbolism. We’ve got corruption of the innocent, the burden of knowledge and, of course, some squeamish new meaning to the phrase “teacher’s pet”:
The decidedly eerie vibe of the poster, despite its erotic content, fits well with Nymphomaniac‘s grim tone and explicit presentation. Judging by recent posters and trailers from the film, I wouldn’t be surprised if von Trier is aiming for more of a drama about erotica than an erotic drama.Â
Nymphomaniac has taken a bumpy road to the big screen, with dozens of hours worth of footage ending up on the cutting room floor and considerable controversy over whether the film would receive a wide US release. It was recently determined that the sex epic would premiere first on VOD (Part One on March 6th and Part Two on April 3rd) before hitting theaters on March 21st and April 18th, respectively. That’s a smart move given the uncomfortable subject matter on display in Nymphomaniac; a great many viewers would likely feel uncomfortable viewing the film in public.
For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past year, Nymphomaniac will track the lifelong sexual journey of self-proclaimed sex addict Joe (Gainsbourg), beginning with her at age 50 after being found beaten in an alley by the kindly Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard). The film then flashes back to show her various sexual escapades from adolescence through her adult life.
Nymphomaniac co-stars Stacy Martin, Uma Thurman, Jamie Bell, Christian Slater and Willem Dafoe.
Will you check out this incredibly graphic von Trier epic, or is the subject matter of Nymphomaniac not your cup of tea? Sound off in the comments section!
