I Stand Alone (1998)
"Seul contre tous" (original title)

A horse meat butcher's life and mind begins to breakdown as he lashes out against various factions of society while attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter.

Director:

Gaspar Noé

Writer:

Gaspar Noé

Stars:

Philippe Nahon, Blandine Lenoir, Frankie Pain

5 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Philippe Nahon	...	The Butcher
Blandine Lenoir	...	His Daughter, Cynthia
Frankie Pain	...	His Mistress (as Frankye Pain)
Martine Audrain	...	His Mother-in-Law
Jean-François Rauger	...	Real Estate Agent
Guillaume Nicloux	...	Supermarket Manager
Olivier Doran	...	Narrator
Aïssa Djabri	...	Dr. Choukroun
Serge Faurie	...	Hospital Director
Paule Abecassis	...	Junkie
Stéphanie Sec	...	Female Hospital Patient
Arlette Balkis	...	Dying Lady
Frédéric Pfohl	...	Male Hospital Patient
Gil Bertharion Jr.	...	Bus Driver
Rado	...	Hotel Manager

Storyline

The Butcher (known from Noe's short film Carne) has done some time in jail after beating up the guy who tried to seduce his teenage mentally-handicapped daughter. Now he wants to start a new life. He leaves his daughter in an institution and moves to Lille suburbs with his mistress. She promised him a new butcher shop. She lied. The butcher decides to go back to Paris and find his daughter.

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Plot Keywords:

butcher | mistress | revenge | violence | gun | 

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Taglines:

In the bowels of France

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

17 February 1999 (France)

Also Known As:

I Stand Alone

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$6,955 (USA) (19 March 1999)

Gross:

$54,735 (USA) (13 August 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+, Les Cinémas de la Zone, Love Streams Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The main character tells the manager of the abattoir that he is 50 years old. However, the narration at the start of the movie states that the main character was born in 1939, and the movie is set in 1980, which would make him 40 or 41 years old.

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Quotes

The Butcher: Feels strange to be back in this room where my daughter was conceived. What a great fuck her mother was. But if I knew she was going to lay a runt on me I'd have never spurted inside her. But that's how it goes. I let the jissom flow. And today my daughter exists.

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Connections

Featured in Durch die Nacht mit...: Harmony Korine und Gaspar Noé (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Flag Ship"
By Thierry Durbet

User Reviews

Warning: not for the weak, of body or mind.

A brilliantly disturbing film, unlike anything I have ever seen. This is an incredibly detailed account of how a disturbed human mind rationalizes everyday reality. It's like looking right into the mind of a man pushed to the brink, a man capable of anything. The film darkly builds as we watch the main character fall lower and lower, becoming more and more desperate. I love a movie that can capture an emotion so strongly, and this film defiantly grabs you and does not let go. The tension literally drips off the screen making it difficult at times to take, but like a car crash, you can't take your eyes off of it.

Noe's direction is excellent. The pace is slow and methodical and cut up with a surprising sound affect that makes you jump almost every time you hear it. This just adds to the disturbing, uneasy atmosphere that the film creates.

Its a trip that not all people should take, but those of you how are not easily offended, and have a strong stomach and a good eye for art, you should go far out of you way to see this film.