Appreciate Nihilism

Rating: 9/10 (19 March 2008)

Unfortunately, not being a native speaker, I cannot comment as profoundly on this movie as I would like to. But still, some of the reviews here inflict pain just by reading.
I, personally, primarily appreciate the film because of its aesthetic value. The camera perspective, color, and musical underlining are in fact brilliant, as is most of the acting; but this is a question of taste and not to be part of a rating.
What actually seems to be widely misunderstood is the "story" or "meaning" of this film. Actually, the point IS that there is none; that the main character is both almighty and powerless; that both violence and appeasement lead to nothing; that all characters are one-dimensional and completely determined by their surroundings; that every twist of plot seems to come out of nowhere. This movie is plain nihilistic - there is no point in trying to change anything, as the ending is already set up by some mysterious force. Complaining about senseless violence and sex scenes is just downright stupid in this context. Life can be perceived to be just like that, and this is the perspective this film wants to offer. If it doesen't correspond with yours, I understand it must be pretty harsh on the viewer.
My recommendation: Maybe, reading "La Nausee" by Sartre (or seeing the other two pieces of the trilogy, if you opt for graphical display) will help to understand the this masterpiece. If not, well, whatever.