ENTER THE VOID (2009) by Gaspar Noe

"With beauty, mild and sharp jolts, and mesmerizing camerawork, he (Gaspar Noe) tries to open the doors of perception." Manohla Dargis (The New York Times)

"A strong contender for both the artiest drug movie and the druggiest art movie ever made, Gaspar Noé's tour de force of forced perspectives and free-form grief is, in every sense of the word, a trip." David Fear (Time Out)

"Confrontational and hyperactive, Enter the Void is a difficult film to experience. That's not because Noe is somehow inept. The Argentina-born French writer-director knows exactly what he's doing and what effect his swirling camera, exuberant colors and strobelike effects will have." Mark Jenkins (NPR)

***

🍄🫠🏖 Psychedelic Summer - Part Two: Drink Full, and Descend

Join us Sunday, July 27 at 10am at the Red Brick Cafe for our continued exploration of psychedelic cinema!

You can stream ENTER THE VOID on Kanopy for free.

***

minor spoilers ahead (further down; you've been warned)

What is 'ego death?'

According to verywellmind.com:

"Ego death, also known as ego dissolution or ego loss, is a phenomenon commonly linked with spiritual practices as well as the use of psychedelics. It's described by people who have experienced it as a feeling of losing one's self. It is termed so because it has been reported as feeling like a form of dying in which one lets go of their sense of self, their identity, or their selfish or worldly desires." (https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-ego-death-psychedelic-use-7089738)

We see a version of ego death in Gaspar Noe's ENTER THE VOID (2009), although I must admit, it is not something that is easy to adapt. To put what we just witnessed into words is, well, a tad difficult; much like the psychedelic experience itself. To Noe's credit, ENTER THE VOID is by far the best representation I have come across that depicts this mysterious phenomenon in cinema.

To say there's a lot to unpack from ENTER THE VOID is an understatement: we witness the out-of-body experience of our lead character, as he presumably passes on to the 'afterlife;' a reliving of various traumas, as well as their effects on both children and the grown versions alike; experimental drug use of various kinds (I will say that ENTER THE VOID is far from what's often considered a wise-use of psychedelics); the reliability of memory and what we experience during altered states; and so much more.

If there's a specific topic or theme you'd like to discuss, feel free to share in the comments below! I'll share videos in the comments closer to the discussion.

Happy watching..? 🤯