ENTER THE VOID

Enter the Void is a 2009 Franco–German–Italian–Canadian experimental drama film written and directed by Gaspar Noé. The film was selected for the official competition at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and was released theatrically in 2010. Known for its radical visual style and immersive point of view, the film explores themes of death, consciousness, memory, and reincarnation.


Plot


Oscar, a young American drug dealer living in Tokyo, shares a close and troubled relationship with his sister Linda, who works as a strip dancer. During a police raid in a nightclub, Oscar is shot and killed after refusing to surrender. Following his death, the narrative adopts the perspective of his disembodied consciousness, which floats through the city, observes the living, and revisits moments from his past. The film unfolds as a hallucinatory journey inspired by concepts drawn from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, depicting the transitional state between death and rebirth.


Cast


  • Nathaniel Brown as Oscar
  • Paz de la Huerta as Linda
  • Cyril Roy as Alex
  • Olly Alexander as Victor
  • Masato Tanno as Mario

The cast consists largely of non-professional or lesser-known actors, contributing to the film’s raw and naturalistic tone.


Production and influences


Gaspar Noé developed Enter the Void over several years. The project was heavily influenced by the Bardo Thödol (commonly known as the Tibetan Book of the Dead), which describes the stages of consciousness experienced after death. Additional influences include psychedelic experiences, experimental cinema, and contemporary urban culture.

Tokyo was chosen as the primary setting for its dense, neon-lit environment, which reinforces the film’s themes of disorientation and altered perception.


Cinematography and visual style


A defining feature of Enter the Void is its extensive use of subjective camera perspective. Much of the film is shot from a first-person point of view, later shifting to an omniscient, floating perspective following Oscar’s death. Long takes, fluid camera movements, and aerial shots create the sensation of a drifting consciousness.

The cinematography, handled by Benoît Debie, employs highly saturated colors, intense neon lighting, and stroboscopic effects, contributing to the film’s hypnotic and immersive visual identity.


Sound design and music


Sound plays a central role in the film’s immersive approach. The sound design emphasizes breathing, heartbeats, and ambient noise to replicate subjective sensory experience.
The music consists primarily of electronic and ambient compositions, used to evoke psychological and emotional states rather than to support traditional narrative progression.


Themes


The film addresses several recurring themes in Noé’s work:

  • death and the afterlife
  • memory and childhood trauma
  • drug use and altered states of consciousness
  • sexuality and the body
  • urban alienation and marginality

These themes are presented without moral judgment, often in a confrontational and deliberately unsettling manner.


Critical reception


Upon its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Enter the Void generated highly polarized reactions. While some critics praised its formal ambition and sensory power, others criticized it for excess, length, and perceived provocation. Over time, the film has gained recognition as a cult film, particularly among audiences interested in experimental and avant-garde cinema.


Legacy


Enter the Void occupies a significant place in Gaspar Noé’s filmography, following I Stand Alone and Irreversible. The film represents a major step in his exploration of extreme subjectivity and visual experimentation, elements that would continue to shape his later works.


Technical Sheet


Original title: Enter the Void
Alternate title (Belgium): Soudain le vide
Year of production: 2009

Director: Gaspar Noé
Screenplay: Gaspar Noé, Lucile Hadzihalilovic

Producers:
Pierre Buffin, Olivier Thery Lapiney, Vincent Maraval, Marc Missonnier, Gaspar Noé

Production companies:
Wild Bunch, Fidélité Films, Les Cinémas de la Zone

Distribution: Wild Bunch


 Technical crew


  • Director of Photography: Benoît Debie
  • Editing: Gaspar Noé, Marc Boucrot, Jérôme Pesnel
  • Production Design: Marc Caro, Kikuo Ohta
  • Costume Design: Nicoletta Massone
  • Sound: Ken Yasumoto
  • Music: various artists (including sound compositions by Thomas Bangalter)

Main cast


  • Nathaniel Brown as Oscar
  • Paz de la Huerta as Linda
  • Cyril Roy as Alex
  • Olly Alexander as Victor
  • Masato Tanno as Mario
  • Ed Spear as Bruno

 Technical details


  • Genre: Experimental drama, fantasy
  • Countries: France, Germany, Italy, Canada
  • Languages: English, Japanese
  • Running time: 161 minutes
  • Color: Color
  • Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
  • Shooting formats: Super 16 mm, Super 35 mm
  • Sound format: Dolby Digital / DTS
  • Estimated budget: approximately €12 million

 Release


  • Festival premiere: Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival 2009
  • Theatrical release (France): May 5, 2010


PAGE WIKIPEDIA ENTER THE VOID : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enter_the_Void