To say Danish director Lars von Trier is controversial is a gross understatement and oversimplification. His movies provoke and shock, thrill and outrage. But the media controversy surrounding Trier should not overshadow the unabashed aesthetics of a bold and groundbreaking film auteur.

Lars von Trier’s “Nymphomaniac” is so explicit and contains so much nudity that it was banned in Turkey. But then again, the country is not the best example of freedom of speech politics. “Nymphomaniac,” however, will not play in Wichita Falls theaters either. The reason is not censorship, but the film’s unusual distribution. 

“Nymphomaniac” On Demand

“Nymphomaniac” is a 2-part sex epic in which a woman named Joe (played by both Stacy Martin and Charlotte Gainsbourg) cannot get enough. The American theater premiere of the first part was on March 21, but it has been available on demand (including iTunes and Amazon) since March 6. The second part will hit American theaters on April 18, but has been available on demand since April 3.

The only Texas city where you can watch the film is Austin, however. The American distributor Magnolia pictures chose to screen the film in only about 25 big American cities. For a film with so much nudity and explicit content, the distributors assumed on-demand distribution will be the main source of revenue. Whoever is ashamed of buying a ticket in the theaters can watch the film at home. 

“Nymphomaniac”: the Controversy

Actor Shia LaBeouf, playing Jerome in “Nymphomaniac,” seems like the perfect fit for the film. He caused uproar last year when he plagiarized a comic by Dan Clowes for his short film HowardCantour.com. In order to apologize for plagiarizing, LaBeouf plagiarized apologies by Tiger Woods,  Mark Zuckerberg, and others. Some critics said the actor was suffering a breakdown, but LaBeouf claimed it was performance art. At the world premiere of “Nymphomaniac” at Berlinale 2014, LaBeouf showed up with a paper bag on his head and the words ‘I am not famous anymore” written on it.

The actor probably plagiarized the slogan from his personal Twitter, where he tweeted the message repeatedly for about a month before the festival.

I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE

— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) January 13, 2014

At the “Nymphomaniac” press conference in Berlin, LaBeouf said a single enigmatic line, which was plagiarized from a press conference by French soccer player Eric Cantona. It starts at 2:30:

Although Trier did not give a single interview about the film, he caused his fair share of controversy at Berlinale. The director showed up with a shirt with the Cannes Festival logo saying “Persona non grata.” It was a reference to last year’s scandal when Trier was banned from the festival after humorously saying he “found out [he] was really a Nazi.”

Why you should watch “Nymphomaniac”

Aside from all that, the film is an exercise in defiance of Hollywood film conventions—not only the film’s distribution, but also the story, the unique visual style, and the subtle humor. “Nymphomaniac” is worth the time of any movie fan who wants to escape the triteness and predictability of Hollywood movies. Away from bomb explosions and trivialized kisses, the film will overturn your definitions of cinema. (Just like Disney did with its latest Mickey Mouse film, the animated short Get A Horse!)

“Nymphomaniac,” however, is probably not the family movie you want to watch with your parents or your children.