Baise-moi (2000)

Directors:

Virginie Despentes
Coralie (co-director)

Writers:

Coralie (writer)
Virginie Despentes (novel)

Release Date:

28 June 2000 (France)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

Two young women, marginalised by society, go on a destructive tour of sex and violence. Breaking norms and killing men - and shattering the complacency of polite cinema audiences.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Violence | Revenge | Friend | Real Sex

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Karen Lancaume	...	Nadine (as Karen Bach)
Raffaëla Anderson	...	Manu
Céline Beugnot	...	Blonde at Billiards
Adama Niane	...	Boy at Billiards
Christophe Claudy Landry	...	Guy at Counter
Tewfik Saad	...	Server
Delphine McCarty	...	Severine
Ouassini Embarek	...	Radouan
Patrick Kodjo Topou	...	Big Thug (as Patrick-Kodjo Topou)
Lisa Marshall	...	Karla
Hacène Beddrouh	...	Lakim
Patrick Eudeline	...	Francis
Ian Scott	...	Rapist #1
Philippe Houillez	...	Rapist #2
Steven Jhonsson	...	Rapist #3

Also Known As:

Rape Me (International: English title) (USA)
Baise-moi (Australia)
Fuck Me (International: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

77 min | Colombia:72 min | Japan:74 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Canada:18 (New Brunswick/Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island) | Canada:R (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario/Saskatchewan) | Singapore:(Banned) | Iceland:16 (strong rating) | France:-18 (re-rating on appeal) | Portugal:M/18 | Ireland:18 (re-rating) | Japan:R-18 | Australia:Refused Classification (re-rating) (2002) | Australia:R (original rating) | Belgium:KNT | Canada:18+ (Québec) | Canada:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 (original rating) | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:III (heavily cut) | Ireland:(Banned) | Italy:VM18 | Japan:R-15 (cut) | Luxembourg:17 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 (with restriction) | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | South Africa:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:Unrated | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Biarritz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

This sexually-explicit film not only stars two adult film stars, but is also co-directed by one, Coralie.

Quotes:

Manu: I've thought about taking a jump or burning alive. Self-immolation is pretty pretentious. After we finish in the Vosges, let's do the jump without the bungee.

Movie Connections:

References Scarface (1983)

Soundtrack:

La Chose

Coarse and Crude: the Film as Well as Its Subjects

I first saw a poster advertising this film on a street in Helsinki, Finland in June of 2000. What caught my attention was the proud proclamation advising all readers that the movie, although itself French, had been "Banned in France". Upon returning home to New York, I discovered that one of the "Art House" movie theaters in the City was screening the film, and so (with my Finnish fiancee) decided to see what all the fuss was about. Boy, did we ever.

From the comments read here, and the reviews I knew the movie was violent and sexually explicit. Not necessarily offended by either of these two conditions, I went with an open mind to see what had perturbed the sensibilities of our Gallic cousins. Presumably, as anyone who is reading this will know, the story involves two women who embark on a crime and murder spree in France (the movie has English subtitles). The resemblance to "Thelma and Louise" however, ends with that; the sex is unusually graphic (and in copious supply) as is the violence (a lot of stomping to death, and a lot of blood and other organic matter splattering after bullet impact).

On an intellectual level, one could make the case that the film's very essence is the relationship of sex and violence (as manifested by the only sex these women know: one is a small-time prostitute, and the other has earned money from time to time by performing in pornographic films. When they, during their descent into crime and murder, have the upper hand over their sexual situations, they react only with the same violence and brutality that they themselves know and understand. It is important to note, however, that the victims of their rampage are not only creepy men interested in creepy sex, (of which there are several)but innocent passersby, a woman at an ATM, for example, as well.

I myself do not really understand why the repeated "porn-movie" shots were all that necessary, (except to depict the physical contact as cruel, unpassionate and debased) and the unrelenting gore did get rather tedious after the first few violent spasms.

It is a coarse and crude movie, but in fairness, it is dealing with coarse and crude people and equally unpleasant circumstances. From one point of view, the lives of the French underclasses is explored, and it's pretty grim; a travelogue for France it definitely is not- perhaps that's why the French banned it.