Nymphomaniac: Vol. II
The continuation of Joe's sexually dictated life delves into the darker aspects of her adult life and what led to her being in Seligman's care.
Despite its modest budget of $2.4M, Nymphomaniac: Vol. II became a solid performer, earning $4.9M worldwide—a 110% return.
14 wins & 31 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Nymphomaniac: Vol. II (2013) demonstrates carefully calibrated plot construction, characteristic of Lars von Trier's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 4 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Joe
Seligman
Jerome
K
L
P
Young Joe
Main Cast & Characters
Joe
Played by Charlotte Gainsbourg
A self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her erotic life story to Seligman, exploring themes of sexuality, guilt, and self-destruction.
Seligman
Played by Stellan Skarsgard
An asexual intellectual bachelor who listens to Joe's story with scholarly detachment, drawing literary and philosophical parallels to her experiences.
Jerome
Played by Shia LaBeouf
Joe's longtime love interest and the father of her child, a charming but ultimately disappointing figure who represents conventional romantic attachment.
K
Played by Jamie Bell
A sadistic professional who reawakens Joe's sexual feeling through BDSM, representing the darker extremes of her compulsions.
L
Played by Willem Dafoe
A powerful crime boss who recruits Joe as a debt collector, exploiting her psychological insight and lack of moral inhibition.
P
Played by Mia Goth
A young troubled woman whom Joe takes under her wing as a protege in debt collection, representing Joe's potential for connection and mentorship.
Young Joe
Played by Stacy Martin
Joe in her youth, whose early sexual awakening and experiences form the foundation of her compulsive behavior.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Joe lies beaten in Seligman's bed, continuing her confession. The framing device establishes the wounded present from which she recounts her past degradation.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Joe discovers she has lost all sexual sensation. This complete loss of the one thing that defined her identity forces her to seek increasingly extreme solutions.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 31 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Joe actively chooses to begin sessions with K, submitting to brutal physical punishment. This is her deliberate entry into a darker world of violent sexuality and self-annihilation., moving from reaction to action.
At 62 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Joe takes P (a young protégé) under her wing as a debt collector, creating a false sense of purpose and maternal connection. This seeming uplift masks her continued descent and exploitation of the vulnerable girl., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 91 minutes (73% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Joe loses custody of her son permanently. The one pure relationship in her life dies. She realizes her pursuit of sensation has cost her the capacity for genuine love and connection., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 99 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Joe accepts her nature completely - she is a nymphomaniac, a bad person, and cannot be redeemed. This brutal self-knowledge allows her to act with clarity on who she truly is., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Nymphomaniac: Vol. II's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Nymphomaniac: Vol. II against these established plot points, we can identify how Lars von Trier utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Nymphomaniac: Vol. II within the drama genre.
Lars von Trier's Structural Approach
Among the 8 Lars von Trier films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.2, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Nymphomaniac: Vol. II represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Lars von Trier filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include After Thomas, South Pacific and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. For more Lars von Trier analyses, see Antichrist, Melancholia and Dogville.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Joe lies beaten in Seligman's bed, continuing her confession. The framing device establishes the wounded present from which she recounts her past degradation.
Theme
Seligman discusses the mirror symmetry in nature and human behavior, foreshadowing Joe's attempt to find wholeness through increasingly dangerous acts. Theme: The search for feeling through self-destruction.
Worldbuilding
Joe recounts her relationship with Jerôme and their son, establishing her failed attempt at normalcy. Her inability to feel sexual pleasure creates the central void she must confront.
Disruption
Joe discovers she has lost all sexual sensation. This complete loss of the one thing that defined her identity forces her to seek increasingly extreme solutions.
Resistance
Joe consults doctors, attempts therapy, and eventually finds K, a sadist who promises to help her feel again. She debates whether to cross into the world of pain and submission.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Joe actively chooses to begin sessions with K, submitting to brutal physical punishment. This is her deliberate entry into a darker world of violent sexuality and self-annihilation.
Mirror World
K becomes Joe's dark mirror - a figure who embodies absolute control where she once had appetite. Their relationship carries the theme of power, agency, and the price of feeling.
Premise
Joe explores her new world of masochism with K, finding temporary relief through pain. She also works as a debt collector for a criminal organization, exercising power over others while submitting to K.
Midpoint
Joe takes P (a young protégé) under her wing as a debt collector, creating a false sense of purpose and maternal connection. This seeming uplift masks her continued descent and exploitation of the vulnerable girl.
Opposition
Joe's double life intensifies. P becomes corrupted under Joe's influence. Jerôme takes their son away. K's sessions become more dangerous. Joe's compartmentalized worlds begin collapsing into each other.
Collapse
Joe loses custody of her son permanently. The one pure relationship in her life dies. She realizes her pursuit of sensation has cost her the capacity for genuine love and connection.
Crisis
Joe confronts the emptiness of her existence. She recognizes herself as genuinely bad, not a victim. She processes that her sexual compulsion has destroyed everything meaningful, yet she cannot change.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Joe accepts her nature completely - she is a nymphomaniac, a bad person, and cannot be redeemed. This brutal self-knowledge allows her to act with clarity on who she truly is.
Synthesis
Joe finishes her confession to Seligman, rejecting his attempts to intellectualize or excuse her behavior. When he attempts to seduce her, she shoots him, completing her arc of absolute self-determination through violence.
Transformation
Joe walks away from Seligman's body into darkness. Unlike the opening's passive victimhood, she now acts with agency - monstrous, unrepentant, and fully herself. A corruption arc completed.