Rape Me (2000) Baise-moi (original title)

Directors:

Virginie Despentes
Coralie (co-director)

Writers:

Coralie
Virginie Despentes (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

28 June 2000 (France)

Genre:

Crime | 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:

Violence | Sex | Friend | Revenge | Killing

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
Gil Stuart	...	Nadine's Client
Alexandre Milord	...	Receptionist, Hotel Francis
Élodie Chérie	...	Lady Distributor
Karim Sabaddehine	...	Big Guy
Titof	...	Little Guy
Jean-Marc Minéo	...	Arms Seller
Gábor Rassov	...	Guy with Hood (as Gabor Rassov)
Marc Barrow	...	Receptionist, Seaside Hotel
Rodolphe Antrim	...	The Local
Estelle Isaac	...	Alice
Hervé P. Gustave	...	Martin (as H.P.G)
Karim Chala	...	Big Thug
Simon Nahoum	...	Big Thug
Marc Rioufol	...	Architect
Nathalie Dune	...	BAP
Dany	...	BAP
Sebastian Barrio	...	BAP (as Sébastian Barrio)
Pascal Saint-James	...	BAP (as Pascal St. James)
Jean-Louis Costes	...	Man in Sex Club (La 'Truie')
Sylvain Cahen-Delabre	...	Dead Body
Jacques Sans	...	Dead Body
Didier Gardette	...	Dead Body

Directed by
Virginie Despentes
Coralie		(co-director) (as Coralie Trinh Thi)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Coralie		(as Coralie Trinh Thi)
Virginie Despentes		novel
Virginie Despentes		screenplay

Produced by
Dominique Chiron	....	executive producer
Philippe Godeau	....	producer

Original Music by
Varou Jan

Cinematography by
Benoît Chamaillard

Film Editing by
Aïlo Auguste-Judith		(as Aïlo Auguste)
Francine Lemaitre
Véronique Rosa

Casting by
Jeanne Biras

Art Direction by
Paul Fayard
Irène Galitzine
Christophe Mureau
Claude Veyset

Costume Design by
Magali Baret
Isabelle Fraysse

Makeup Department
Charlotte Arguillère	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Sébastien Brun	....	unit manager
Sylvain Cahen-Delabre	....	unit manager
Baudoin Capet	....	production manager
David Caujolle	....	unit manager
Clauss Gigli	....	unit manager
Joseph Mattineau	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Estelle Chailloux	....	assistant director
Ketal Guenin	....	assistant director

Art Department
Martin Cognito	....	poster artist (as Jean-François Chiron)

Sound Department
Eric Boisteau	....	sound
Pascal Chauvin	....	sound effects editor
Edouard d'Heucqueville	....	sound mix technician
Pascal Dedeye	....	sound effects editor
Jacques Sans	....	sound

Special Effects by
Guillaume Castagné	....	special effects
Christophe Chabenet	....	special effects
Pierre-Paul Jayne	....	special effects
Frédéric Lainé	....	special effects
Perrine Poirier	....	special effects

Stunts
Jean-Marc Minéo	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Julien Pamart	....	second camera operator

Music Department
Varou Jan	....	musician

Thanks
Vanessa Demouy	....	thanks
Gaspar Noé	....	thanks
John B. Root	....	thanks
Jaco Van Dormael	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Canal+
• Pan Européenne Production
• Take One
• Toute Premiere Fois

Distributors

• Americine (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2000) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2000) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Gloria Film A/S (2001) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Alta Films (Spain)
• Atlantis Entertainment (2000) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Atlantis Entertainment (2000) (Slovakia) (all media)
• Comstock
• Feature Film Company (UK)
• FilmFixx (2001) (USA) (subtitled)
• MFA Filmdistribution (Germany)
• Pan Européenne Distribution (France)
• Remstar Distribution (Canada)
• Wild Bunch (international)

Other Companies

• Jeremy Walker + Associates  DVD publicity

Also Known As:

"Baise-moi" - France (original title)
"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 | Hungary:14 | Mexico:C | Brazil:18 (with warning) (uncut) | South Korea:18 (cut) | Switzerland:18 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:18 (canton of Geneva) | Argentina:18 (original rating) | Mexico:D (TV rating) (uncut) | Argentina:X (re-rating) | France:-12 (TV rating) (cut version) | Malaysia:(Banned) | 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:

In Canada, the Ontario review board originally banned the film because it was too pornographic. The film was re-submitted under a pornographic license, and banned because it was too violent. By then it had been selected for the Toronto Film Festival, and was approved in British Columbia and Québec. On March 8, 2001, the Ontario film board approved the film, with an 18A rating.

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:

Referenced in Cheap (2005)

Soundtrack:

Fight

It's got nobs in and I don't mean rich people

Baise-moi is the second example of the recent French Graphic Rape Wave of cinema. Like a skanky French Natural Born Killers but without the talent, irony or indeed entertainment, the heavy-handed symbolism and maddening acting should have you turning off after the first 40 minutes. You continue to watch however, mainly though a fascination as to how far the director is willing to push the boundaries of good taste in order to convince us of his point. Something to do with society raping people and by-products of the system, a reflection of the perversity at the root of civilisation, monkeys with guns and Girl Power.

Joining the sensational release of Irreversible, with its centrepiece a nine minute rape scene, it could look to some that modern French cinema had found itself in a quandary, desperately seeking its next big theme in the rapidly thinning file of the last taboos. Thankfully, L'Homme du train dispelled those fears,at least for now. And maybe just two films don't make a wave, perhaps just a ripple.

However, nothing changes the fact that when the closing credits finally arrived, I was angry. Because it was rubbish. Not a patch on the glory of La Haine which dealt with a similar rage, but with far more heart and intelligence. Baise-Moi also has the worst soundtrack ever. I've got to stop wasting my life watching all these terrible films.