STUPEUR ET
TREMBLEMENTS
FEAR AND TREMBLING |
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Director:
Alain Corneau
Screenplay: Alain Corneau, based on a novel by
Amélie Nothomb
Cast:
Amélie: Sylvie Testud
Fubuki: Kaori Tsuji
Mister Saito: Taro Suwa
Mister Omochi: Bison Katayama
Awards:
Best Actress (Sylvie Testud), Cesar Awards 2004
Running time: 102'
Year of production: France, Japan - 2003
Rating: Not rated (general public)
Gauge: 35mm, DVD (color)
Distributor: The Cinema Guild
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“Mr.
Corneau, an eclectic director with a mildly perverse sensibility,
turns the conflict of cultures into a psychodrama that
is at once lighthearted and intense. Amélie embraces
her subjugation, and Ms. Testud’s tough stubbornness
makes this submission both excruciating and funny”.
A.O. Scott, The New York Times |
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Amélie
has returned to Japan where she secured a job as an interpreter
with the Yumimoto corporation. It is a dream come true. She
grew up there and has since dreamt of coming back to become
“a true Japanese woman.” She soon learns, the
hard way, of the importance of protocol, hierarchy and the
intricate codes unique to the Japanese corporate world. It
is both her Western cultural background and her mischievous
nature that make it difficult for Amélie to fit in.
She tries hard and does the best she can, but she makes mistake
after mistake, humiliating and infuriating her superiors in
the process. Amélie has a particular fascination for
Fubuki, a lovely Japanese woman who is also her direct supervisor.
But Amélie’s mishaps infuriate Fubuki who soon
despises her and does her best to humiliate her. Amélie’s
stay at Yumimoto is a downward spiral and she is soon downgraded
to carrying out the most unnecessary tasks until she hits
rock bottom when she is assigned to clean the toilets. Notwithstanding
this demotion, Amélie continues to carry out her new
tasks in an impeccable manner until her contract ends. Fear
and Trembling is not only a study of Japanese culture, but
also a study of human behavior and relationships. Corneau
remains faithful to Amélie Nothomb’s novel, retaining
the tone and humor, and Sylvie Testud gives an outstanding
performance.
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| PHOTO The
Cinema Guild |
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