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In this article, I will discuss Gaspar Noé, who is often seen as a contributor of the New French Extremity (a variety of provocative transgressive films produced around the turn of the 21st century stirred controversy and generated substantial debate as well as discussion) movement, but goes beyond that and, actually stands as a unique auteur in his own right, in a league with legendary French cinema figures such as Godard, Resnais, Rohmer, Truffaut, Bresson, and Varda. Born in 1963 in Buenos Aires, the Argentine-born director’s background is quite significant, particularly due to his father, painter, writer, and intellectual Luis Felipe Noé. Additionally, (Gaspar) Noé also has collaborated with his spouse Lucile Hadžihalilović on multiple film projects. He operated the camera and functioned as cinematographer for two short films directed by her, while she produced and edited his early short film “Carne” and his first feature film “Seul contre tous (I Stand Alone)”and continued to contribute with “Enter the Void”, and so on. Despite the argument that his close circle facilitated his entry and progress in the art world, his works, except “Irréversible (Irreversible)”, have not been particularly successful at the box office. So why is he still such an important director? This article will explore his distinctive characteristics and delve into each of his feature films in detail.

Noé addresses subjects that can be considered taboo or dark, such as violence, sexuality, morality, drugs, incest, rape, and death. These are mostly the core elements of life but are generally and quite naturally connected to the darker side of humanity. His films, therefore, appeal to a very small portion of the general audience but have an impact that extends far beyond this. "I want to make movies out of blood, sperm, and tears," he says in his film "Love," summarizing his approach. However, he is much more than that. Deeply embedded in France’s underground culture, nightlife, and drugs play a significant role in his life, to the point of obsession. Well, it is actually quite rare to find a good director who isn't obsessively attached to something as their creative signatures are often formed by those and Gaspar Noé is one of those who can translate his obsessions onto the screen effectively. He is incredibly consistent and determined, ignoring the reactions and conveying his message uncensored, pushing boundaries as he pleases. He is a man who says, "I want to make a film about X" and does precisely that. The disturbing nature of his films stems from presenting events with all their realism, without resorting to moralizing in a populist way or pandering to mainstream sentiments. This means that, while it might appear that his work aligns with the interests of the mainstream industry, in certain reality, it surely does not. His distinct thought process and worldview are evident, and it’s easy to assert that he has a unique cinematic language, full of provocative images that challenge the audience's experience.

Gaspar Noé's 1998 film Seul contre tous (I Stand Alone) marks his first feature-length project, evolving the story from his earlier short film Carne, which also won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. Noé maintained the core cast from Carne and expanded the narrative. The film tells the story of a butcher, who, after mistaking menstrual blood on his daughter's dress for evidence of rape, stabs the man he believes responsible, resulting in his imprisonment and the subsequent need to sell his shop. Now released, he attempts to start over, with his daughter in an institution and his new partner pregnant. His sole focus is to reopen his shop, rebuild his life and fight against the world.

The film stars Philippe Nahon and is considered Noé's most normal work, reflecting fewer of his later characteristics, especially in terms of visuals. The scenes are more static compared to his subsequent films, indicating an innovative effort within classic cinema, and motivating viewers to focus on the story and its messages. The protagonist, portrayed by Nahon, is a reflection of societal ills: a lower-class, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, and obsessively sexual man. The character embodies the negative aspects of male societal norms and critiques issues like unemployment and nationalism of the time. The butcher's incestuous desire for his daughter also is a recurring theme, culminating in the film's shocking finale. Thus, it can be said that Noé uses the butcher to question the foundations of masculinity and, in a broader perspective, to critique the average Frenchman. "I Stand Alone" seems like it is designed as a Dostoyevskian dark comedy, but the pain and turmoil within the character’s mind deeply engage the viewer. The protagonist's sparse dialogue is offset by a continuous inner monologue, exposing his unfiltered thoughts, which keeps the film gripping and enables a striking beginning for Noé’s feature-length career.

Then, Gaspar Noé’s paths crossed with Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci as he initially couldn't get the script for "Love" accepted by them. However, their desire to work with Noé led them to accept a new script he prepared, resulting in the creation of the sensational, controversial, and most likely the most popular (and successful in terms of box office) film, Irréversible (Irreversible) (2002). The film begins by showing the aftermath of the character from "I Stand Alone" and then shifts to its main characters. The story, told in reverse chronological order, is a tale of love and revenge. It follows the aftermath of a woman’s rape and her boyfriend and ex-boyfriend’s search for the rapist, unfolding from end to beginning.The subject is incredibly simple, even cliché, but the film received intense backlash, even among the French audience, who are accustomed to daring cinema, particularly due to its graphic scenes, including a 10-minute long single-shot rape scene and a face-smashing with a fire extinguisher. These scenes, especially at the Cannes Film Festival, caused a significant uproar.

The film's revolutionary reverse narrative structure intentionally disrupts the viewer’s ability to connect with the story and prevents the comfort of a linear progression, drawing more attention to the themes and also technique. Additionally, having star actors surely contributed to Noé's international recognition. With this film, Noé began to break away from classical storytelling, exploring new narrative approaches.The cinematography, which literally and figuratively breaks boundaries, and the use of red and flickering lights foreshadow the psychedelic color palettes in his future films. The soundtrack by Thomas Bangalter, featuring memorable dance tracks in the nightclub and later (or actually earlier) sequences, is unforgettable. In 2019, Noé even submitted a linear cut version of the film to the Venice Film Festival, which was shown in countries such as France, Germany, Russia, and Japan, offering a different perspective where everything is more evident. However, I prefer not to comment beyond the original version.

The next film, Enter the Void (2009), is a project Noé wanted to make early on but was delayed due to budget constraints. It narrates a day in the life and the subsequent death of the main character, Oscar, in Tokyo, offering viewers a visual feast illuminated by the city's bright lights. Additionally, it aims to take the audience on a spiritual journey by depicting the experiences of the protagonist, a drug addict, both through its narrative and visual style. Though it might seem like a typical drug trip film, it stands out in many ways. The film is told from a first-person viewpoint, with the protagonist only visible in a scene where he looks in a mirror. After his death, the narrative shifts to a more bird's-eye perspective, following the protagonist's floating spirit, providing a unique viewing experience.

Noé wrote the film during a period when he was highly interested in astral projection and religions, particularly their views on the afterlife. He chose to shoot the film in Japan due to his deep admiration for its culture, arts, and especially its cinema. The story, art direction, and colors could be discussed extensively, but what sets this work apart from the rest of Noé's filmography is its originality as a cinematic experience, which he describes as a psychedelic melodrama. The camera technique immerses the viewer in the protagonist's psyche, blinking along with him, achieved through a visually stunning use of colors that resemble a music video aesthetic. Until "Enter the Void," the elements Noé wanted to portray in cinema—"blood, sperm, and tears"—were more content-driven. By 2009, with "Enter the Void," Noé's aesthetic began to assert itself most strongly through various camera techniques, art direction and visual styles.

Gaspar Noé's next film, Love (2015), is notable for its unsimulated sex scenes, making it quite pornographic by cinema standards despite not being particularly unconventional in France. The film follows Murphy, an American film student living in Paris, who secretly continues seeing Omi after including her to a no-strings-attached threesome with his girlfriend, Electra. When Omi becomes pregnant and decides to keep the child due to her anti-abortion stance, Electra leaves Murphy, later leading to Murphy and Omi raising the child together with an emotional purgatory. The film can be seen as highly personal, with many references to Noé himself. While the depiction of sexuality is striking, the portrayal of love is even more profound and impactful. The film explores jealousy, a harsh companion of love, and the inescapable path to becoming a family, capturing the feeling of being trapped.

Examining Gaspar Noé’s filmography reveals that he critiques the crises of contemporary society, focusing on existential struggles, psychological collapse, alienation, and exhaustion. In "Love," he approaches these themes through the simplest storyline in his filmography, stating, "I show you what is yours as if it were not." While the film includes artistic pornography, it is so deeply embedded with emotions that it is more likely to leave you filled with emotional disappointment rather than lust by the end. Murphy's desperation, lostness, and entrapment reflect the hunger and fragile nature of youth. Noé views the film as erotic rather than pornographic, comparing the frequent and explicit portrayal of the male genitalia to the necessity of a gun in a Western film. Additionally, it's worth noting that the film was released in 3D, aiming to make the viewer's sexual experience more liberating by breaking the barrier with other viewers through the use of glasses.

My favorite film of the director as the one I found the most enjoyable, aesthetically enriching, yet incredibly tense, is Climax (2018). The film is set in 1996 and follows a dance group from various parts of the world as they rehearse their choreography in an abandoned rural school. During the after-party celebrating the successful end of their rehearsals, they drink sangria without knowing it is laced with LSD, leading to catastrophic chaos. They neither know who spiked the drink nor why, unfolding a "bad trip" that reveals the deepest, darkest aspects of their psyche. The film is loosely based on a true story, but the adaptation is seamless without any exaggeration or pseudo-fantastic elements. As in many group dynamics, individuals harbor hidden tendencies and fantasies of expressing their true emotions (e.g., lust, violence, jealousy), the film successfully portrays the realization and consequences of these tendencies. It would also be remiss not to mention the large French flag behind the dance floor when discussing the film, as it is possible to infer that the film is actually and essentially a representation, depiction, and critique of the country. Very multicultural yet sociologically tense, where prejudices remain fixed, and hatred begets hatred, the film's single setting is presented as an isolated one, with the snowy exterior indicating that there is no escape from this situation.

"Climax'' features a lot of improvisation, with the cast consisting almost entirely of dancers that Noé evidently put significant effort into finding the best. The LSD trip sequences are inspired by sources like YouTube, and the choreographies are, in general, stunning. Most of the cast was found online and through dance battles, with the exception of Sofia Boutella, who has both professional dance and acting careers. The film was shot chronologically in just 15 days, giving the illusion of one continuous shot. The production and set designs of the film are exceptionally well-handled, utilizing a single large location with various sub-areas, such as a large hall and several corridors and rooms, reminiscent of but smaller than Kubrick’s 'The Shining.' This compact and controlled setting ensures continuity and greatly enhances the thriller aspect of the film. As expected from its premise, the film showcases excellent art direction and an extraordinary soundtrack including Thomas Bangalter, again. Notably, the opening credits appear mid-film, just before the chaos ensues, effectively saying, "Welcome to the madness, take your seats."

Gaspar Noé’s 2019 film Lux Æterna is arguably his most experimental work. The film by making the audience feel like a space for improvisation was given to Charlotte Gainsbourg and Béatrice Dalle, focusing on the production process of a film called "God's Craft" and simultaneously depicting the experiences, conflicts, and clashes the two lead actresses had during the shoot. While the premise is intriguing, the film’s distinctive feature is not its plot. "Lux Æterna" heavily employs epileptic imagery through gray and color strobe lights, as well as split-screen techniques, which Noé also uses in his subsequent work, and thus, due to its experimental nature, I prefer not to be overly critical. The viewing experience is challenging, primarily for technical aforementioned reasons, but remains as a unique one nevertheless. The narrative behind the scenes is deliberately chosen by the director, and combined with stellar performances, it serves as an exposé and commentary on the industry. Moreover, Noé pays homage to legends like Luis Buñuel, Carl Theodor Dreyer, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder by including their quotations, showing his respect for these influential filmmakers. Surely not his best work, but still leaves a strong mark.

Now, it is the turn of Gaspar Noé's latest film, Vortex (2021), dedicated to all those who lose their minds before their hearts. Starring Françoise Lebrun and Dario Argento, the film invites us into the home of an elderly couple, witnessing the vortex they are drawn into as one of them suffers from dementia. Set in a Paris apartment, the film focuses on the couple living out their final days among the remnants of their shared years and allows many viewers to find traumatic pieces from their own lives. Instead of themes like love, revenge, or pornography, Noé tackles the more helpless period of old age, where everything has been lived and is slowly fading away. The film continues Noé's overarching theme of confrontation, effectively depicting the merciless and incurable nature of aging, the undeniable reality of death, and the unbearable agony of the brain dying before everything else.

Throughout the film, tension and discomfort are maintained above a certain standard by raising questions such as whether the spouse with dementia will wander off, take the wrong medication, or be given the wrong medication by her partner on purpose, or leave the gas stove on. The emotional impact is strong, but technically, the film is equally impressive. The use of split-screen is particularly well-executed, with no sequences that disrupt the flow and allows viewers to follow both main characters simultaneously without continuity or spatial errors. Even when they occasionally appear in the same frame, the split-screen still continues, which I found to be a bold and impressive choice.

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Il Cinema Italiano has produced many phenomenal directors throughout the history, especially since the Italian Neorealist era, these directors have reached wide audiences both in Europe and beyond. Rossellini, De Sica, Antonioni, Fellini, Argento, Bertolucci, Pasolini, Tornatore, Moretti... and for the recent period, Paolo Sorrentino, who is subjected in this very article. With visually stylish and intense art direction, postmodern storytelling inspired by life itself, dynamic and striking camera use, magnificent use of music, short choreographies reminiscent of music videos, the harmony of beauty and absurdity in his scenes, and picturesque landscape choices, let us get to know this man and his cinema, from which art flows from his veins, more closely.

Born in Naples in 1970, Sorrentino, as one might guess from his place and year of birth, spent his youth years like most of the city's inhabitants, watching and idolizing the legendary Argentine football player Diego Armando Maradona. So much so that when he won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the Academy Awards in 2014 for “La grande bellezza (The Great Beauty)”, Maradona was among those he thanked during his speech. His work in series and films also bears the mark of Maradona and his team, showing his deep admiration. Most importantly, he plays a crucial role at a turning point in Sorrentino’s life. While young Paolo, at the age of 16, a fanatical supporter of his local team, SSC Napoli, went to watch them in a game during a time when Maradona was the superstar of the team, both his parents were poisoned in their bed by carbon monoxide fumes from a faulty heater and passed away. Thus, he does not hesitate to say “Maradona saved my life” while defining that tragedy that made him grow up much earlier than he should have. Afterwards, he chose to embrace a parallel reality to overcome the indescribable pain brought on by the tragedy, and his cinema journey began, inspired by Sergio Leone, Martin Scorsese, Bernardo Bertolucci, Michelangelo Antonioni, Giuseppe Tornatore, and perhaps most of all, Federico Fellini, along with his homie Massimo Troisi.

Actively involved in the writing process of his feature films and TV series, Sorrentino's first full-length film, L'uomo in più (One Man Up), made in 2001, stars Toni Servillo, who would become the actor most frequently cast in leading roles by the director and even accompanied him on stage at the aforementioned Academy Awards. The film, belonging to the comedy-drama genre, tells the story of two men with completely different lives, yet sharing the same name and a similar fate, one a singer and the other a footballer. It is also notable as his first film to be honored with a growing number of national and international nominations and awards.

The film that significantly elevated Sorrentino in the eyes of critics and audiences was his second film, made in 2004, the crime-drama Le conseguenze dell'amore (The Consequences of Love). It narrates the story through the interactions of the extremely cold, mysterious, and reticent main character, Titta Di Girolamo (Toni Servillo), who finds himself in service to the mafia and also develops a relationship with a waitress at the hotel where he stays. The contribution and impact of the film’s geographical setting (Lugano, Switzerland) to the story from an art direction perspective, the meticulously prepared lonely main character with his background and dialogues, and the innovative and artistic filming tricks (like the famous 180 degrees camera flip), indicate that this film is the first to feature the distinctive qualities we will encounter frequently in the director's later works, in such a strong and successful manner. Therefore, it's possible to say that one of the strongest works in his filmography was accomplished at the very beginning of his career.

Following that, in 2006, Sorrentino directed L'amico di famiglia (The Family Friend), which tells the story through a socially-awkward character who develops an obsession with the young bride-to-be daughter of a family he lends money to, embracing the absurdity he loves to include in his cinema. Then, in 2008, he made the controversial biopic Il Divo, subjects Giulio Andreotti, a figure who was elected prime minister of Italy multiple times and whose career was marred by numerous allegations. Reuniting with Servillo for this film, Sorrentino won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. 

Sorrentino's first purely international film was This Must Be The Place (2011), working with Hollywood actors like Sean Penn and Frances McDormand. This film follows the journey of a retired rock star, who, without compromising his gothic style, seeks to complete the unfinished story of his father, with whom he hadn't spoken for years, following his death. This journey rekindles his excitement for pursuing the meaning he has long been missing. While the film might not have brought him the international recognition he desired, his next film, which is a modern classic, would secure his place in Italian, European, and world cinema, even beginning comparisons with Fellini.

In addition to many awards in his country and Europe, the 2013 film La grande bellezza (The Great Beauty) also won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film delves into the life of 65-year-old Jep Gambardella, who, after receiving the news of the death of his first and perhaps only love—who was also his youthful love—faces life anew. Jep, unable to continue his writing career due to a creative block since decades, has become a sought-after figure in journalism and an art critic within high society. This masterpiece is not just a melancholic journey through (post-)middle age; it also hosts one of the best party scenes in cinema history, features the magnificent city of Rome as a splendid supporting character, pays a postmodern tribute to Fellini, and includes surprising mise-en-scènes, a wide range of striking music choices, impressive dialogues, a truly visually stylish direction, and hosts one of Toni Servillo, Sorrentino's favorite actor's, best performance. Death and related themes, as in many of the director's previous and subsequent films, represent the breaking point of the story and script in this film, much like in his own life.

Following his participation in the 2014 Brazilian anthology Rio, Eu Te Amo (Rio, I Love You), where 10 directors from various nationalities each directed a short story, Sorrentino's next major international work came with the 2015 film La giovinezza (Youth). In this work, which carries many of the characteristics of his cinema, Sorrentino collaborated with Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Jane Fonda, and Paul Dano. The film confronts various opposites such as death and life, youth and wisdom, past experiences and future possibilities, productivity and satiation, through the story of two elderly friends -one a retired composer and conductor, the other a film director- spending a luxury resort vacation together in the Swiss Alps. Just like its main characters, the film mentally and emotionally provokes the viewer, delving into themes of youth and the past, as well as the future and old age. In this aspect, it boasts strong imagery, dialogue, and distinct sequences. However, some might say the film falls short in terms of having a cohesive and strong narrative; it feels somewhat disjointed, especially by the end. Thus, it is a very beautiful work, but still, it gives the impression that it added numerous thought-provoking and artistically inspiring sequences it found, yet forgot to connect them all.

In 2016, Sorrentino directed The Young Pope, a series co-produced by Sky Atlantic, HBO, and Canal+. The show features the fictional story of the first American Pope, Pius XIII, and his rise to leadership within the Vatican. The cast includes international stars such as Jude Law, Silvio Orlando, Diane Keaton, and James Cromwell. Watching the series, it becomes apparent that Sorrentino, as a non-believer, takes a critical and bold perspective on religion and its clergy's influence and controversial aspects on society. Yet, it's interestingly anecdotal that he still finds the Catholic Church inspiring from a theatrical standpoint. Thus, the series' strongest aspect is undoubtedly its unapologetic satire - even showcasing the Pope's God dilemma - along with its art direction. The series, released under different names for its different seasons, saw its follow-up season shot three years later.

Before moving to the second season of the series, in the intervening years, Sorrentino directed Loro in 2018. This film, another of Sorrentino's political biopics, this time delves into a segment of the life of Silvio Berlusconi, one of the most famous as well as sensational politicians and businessmen in modern Italian and European history. Berlusconi, portrayed by Toni Servillo, has been accused throughout his life of being corrupt and hedonistic, yet remains immensely popular among certain segments of the populace. In this work, Berlusconi is subjected to an intentionally grotesque biography, securing the film a unique place due to its originality, which serves to strongly imprint the director's critical points in the viewer's mind. However, despite its success in cinematography and art direction, the film’s overemphasis on its unique style and artistic qualities may have led to a loss of narrative momentum.

In 2019, Sorrentino directed the second season of the international series titled The New Pope. This season retained most of the cast from the first season, with John Malkovich joining as the lead role and delivering a remarkable performance. Additionally, Cecile de France, who was also part of the first season, played a prominent role. Following the coma of the character Pius XIII, the series explores the chaos within the Church, power struggles, and the extraordinary ascension of the British Pope John Paul III, portrayed by Malkovich. It delves into the dynamics between the Church and the state and culminates in the chaotic process following Pius XIII's awakening from the coma. Visually and audibly, this series is just as fulfilling as its prequel. Despite potential gaps in the storyline, it successfully distinguishes itself from the shadow of its predecessor. Furthermore, it delves into the clash between human emotions, logic, and dogmatic connections through its main character, adding depth and complexity to the thematic exploration.