Fear and Trembling (2003)
Amélie, a young Belgian woman, having spent her childhood in Japan, decides to return to live there and tries to integrate in the Japanese society. She is determined to be a "real Japanese" before her year contract runs out, though it precisely this determination that is incompatable with Japanese humility. Though she is hired for a choice position as a translator at an import/export firm, her inability to understand Japanese cultural norms results in increasingly humiliating demotions. Though Amelie secretly adulates her, her immediate supervisor takes sadistic pleasure in belittling her all along. She finally manages to break Amelie's will by making her the bathroom attendant, and is delighted when Amelie tells her the she will not renew her contract. Amelie realizes that she is finally a real Japanese when she enters the company president's office "with fear and trembling," which could only be possible because her determination was broken by Miss Fubuki's systematic torture.
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Strong and Moving!
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
As a long-time Japanophile and frequent visitor to Japan, I really wanted to enjoy "Fear and Trembling". Alas, the film ruined much of that potential for me. But first the pros: the social and business dynamics depicted are spot-on. The acting -- particularly by Tsuji Kaori -- is excellent. The office set where 99% of the film takes place, is utterly believable (for actually being filmed in Paris). The story has great potential, especially for being semi-autobiographical.So, what are the cons? First, the pacing. For a film whose cover blurb compares it to "Lost in Translation", it has few of that films transcendent passages. The latter's pacing is poetic. The former's is glacial. They could've cut at least 15 minutes of unnecessarily long scenes from this and ended up with a better film for it. Second, the protagonist. Passive, slovenly, usually dim-witted, I found it impossible to sympathize with her plight, or even to look at her.And third -- and most inexplicable -- the fact that she was utterly, bloody-mindedly ignorant of Japanese customs. The notion that she could speak idiomatic Japanese but not have learned even the basics of Japanese business etiquette is simply absurd. She knew enough to always address people by their proper titles, but not enough to *bow* when her bosses gave her an order?! She knew that blowing one's nose in front of another person was rude, but didn't know that she should never argue with her superiors?! She knew that she should accept blame for her own failures, but didn't know that staring at people is seen as highly aggressive?! Simply unbelievable.I suppose that many people watching "Fear and Trembling" who are ignorant of Japanese etiquette and protocol might not have as much trouble with these, but for those who *do* understand the basics of social interaction and hierarchy in Japan, her behavior goes from being sympathetic to unbearable. I ended up rooting for those who were beating her down, simply because she was such an "ugly American" (for being Belgian) an utter dolt. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Earlier this year, I think, whilst channel surfing, I stumbled upon the latter part of this movie. For some reason, I was unable to stop viewing, despite missing most of this strange movie. Fortunately, SBS TV recently repeated this movie, and I was able to watch all of it.The plot of the movie is simple: a European woman (Amelie) who was raised as a child in Japan, longs to return there, and does, as an adult, to work for a firmThe entire movie is pretty much set in Amelie's work environment, but is hypnotic nonetheless.This strange film trades in the cultural divide between Europeans and the Japanese and is often very funny when dealing in this. Or maybe the world of Amelie is just plain strange...it's hard getting a fix on what she is like...clever or crazy...or both?Early scenes in the movie, where Amelie seeks to make work for herself are very Kafka-esque, as in his novels "The trial" and "The Castle". Pretty existentialist in its humour. These early scenes also feature Amelie's sensual voice-over narration, along with some nice music by Bach.A crucial dynamic in the movie is that between Amelie and her immediate Japanese supervisor, Fubuki (an attractive female that Amelie is entranced by). The strange (or culturally different) office politics of the firm are often times illustrated by the to and fro of Amelie and Fubuki's relationship.This is a movie that I would otherwise consider to be suitable for all ages if it weren't for a couple of scenes that are a bit disturbing...one is a fantasy scene, and the other is an excerpt from the movie "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence". For those scenes, I wouldn't recommend youngsters watch this. As for the excerpt from "Merry Chrismtas Mr Lawrence", I wonder if this movie somehow shadows the earlier one (can't comment on this as I haven't seen it).The Green Guide (newspaper TV guide I read) lists this movie as a comedy and its review mentions that it was based on an autobiography. So, it's hard to say how many liberties have been taken for comedic effect.
Engrossing, devastating indictment upon corporate Japan and its mores. Sylvie Testud as the young Belgian returning to the country where she spent the first five years of her life and Kaori Tsuji as her stunning boss lady, are both magnificent in their so believable roles but this is not an easy film to watch. You will laugh but you will wince and feel for those down trodden by a system that equates longevity of a male worker's employment with success over those of a more innovative employee and certainly a woman or even more so a foreigner. What chance then a foreign woman worker? Director Corneau has apparently stuck fairly closely to the original autobiographical novel and this is a most affecting movie, even more so for those, like me, who have family in the country. Not 'enjoyable' in the normally accepted sense but a most rewarding experience.
Having been a foreigner working in a huge Tokyo office, much the same as the character Amelie, when I saw this film at the San Francisco Film Festival, I was hooked from the first scene onward. Having been denied attending the office Christmas Party because I was "part- time".... No, I am here 9-5, Monday to Friday! "But you are a foreigner, so you are considered part-time". 250 people went to the party. No foreigners....Then, when the boss came 'round to ask which Saturdays I would like to come in and work, I asked "Do all full-time employees have to come in on some Saturdays?""Oh yes, we do.""Well then, since I am only 'part-time', I will not be able to come to work any Saturdays. Sorry...."This was a rare moment of zen revenge, which is what you will hope for when Amelie is subjected to life in HER Tokyo office. No, this is not Lost In Translation, which apparently did not enthrall the foreigners who were living in Tokyo, by the way. More like L.I.T. on steroids.This is a fable, based on reality. Tokyo can be intense. I never flew above the city, but I got twisted enough to wish it.By the way, the director told our audience that most of the film was done in an office in Paris, and that the lead actress did not know a word of Japanese before the film. This shocked me, as I was quite impressed with her pronunciation and speed. I thought she spoke Japanese, and felt humbled by her skill...To all the GAIJIN out there - see this film! For others, I would suggest Japanophiles and quirky movie lovers should go, and the Hollywood action types should pass.