Fear & Trembling

[Andrew Grant]

That's very interesting that the film hasn't been released in Japan. Is there a specific reason (that you know of) or did it not find distribution?

You're right that it is an exact adaptation of the book, and that's why, as a film, it fails in my opinion. About 75% of the film is done in voiceover, and that leads to a very dull, flat film.

It's interesting to note that the only episode in the book left out of the film is one in which a European (a Dutch man) comes off looking poorly. 


> 
> From: "J.sharp" <j.sharp at hpo.net>
> Date: 2004/11/24 Wed AM 08:42:08 EST
> To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> Subject: Re: Fear & Trembling
> 
> I saw this film last year at the Puchon Festival and posted a few times on
> it in connection with the discussions on Kill Bill/ Lost in Translation /
> Last Samurai. Rather than reiterate what I said before, I will just add my
> voice to your objections about the film. It is downright racist, and
> needless to say, hasn't been released in Japan. But it was good to see Taro
> Suwa, the bald headed actor in many a Shinji Aoyama/Takahisa Zeze movie get
> some sort of international exposure. But it is indeed sad to see that this
> sort of film still gets released in so many territories when so few Japanese
> films do.
> By the way, the film is a very accurate adaptation of the book, which was
> also pretty awful, but for some reason lauded as a classic in the
> French-speaking world.
> 
> 
> Jasper
> 
> --------- Original Message --------
> From: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
> Subject: Fear & Trembling
> Date: 23/11/04 16:28
> 
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Hello all --
> > &nbsp;
> > Has the Alain Corneau film "Fear &amp; Trembling"
> > been discussed on the list? I just saw it yesterday, and was bothered by
> it.
> > &nbsp;
> > For those unfamiliar, the film is based on a
> > novella by Belgian author Amelie Nothomb. Nothomb, who was born in Japan
> (she
> > left at 7, I think), returned to Japan in her early 20's as an interpreter
> for a
> > large Japanese corporation. The novella is based on her experiences, and
> is
> > clearly described as autobiographical. Though Ms. Nothomb is a talented
> writer,
> > the portraits of her bosses were exaggerated, to say the least.
> Exaggerated
> > stereotypes, in my opinion. From her immediate superior, a woman with whom
> she
> > has an almost Hegelian master-servant relationship, to the department
> boss, who
> > is portrayed as a bit of a buffoon as well as a tyrant, to the vice
> president,
> > an obscenely obese monster who screams, shouts and even physically
> harasses
> > Amelie. I can sort of understand her creating them to that degree in the
> novella, but to see those characters writ large on the big screen was
> > cringe-worthy.
> > &nbsp;
> > Briefly, Amelie is hired as an interpreter, but
> > never gets a chance to do the work she's hired for. She is punished for
> showing
> > initiative, and her&nbsp;responsibilities become more and more demeaning
> until
> > she ultimately winds up in the toilets (literally). Her goal is to
> "become"
> > Japanese -- therefore she stands the humiliation because "that's what a
> Japanese
> > person would do".
> > &nbsp;
> > I don't wish to make any knee-jerk reactions -- I'm
> > not simply going to&nbsp;condemn it as&nbsp;racist, but there's something
> about
> > this French eye on Japan that left a bad taste in my mouth. I'd love to
> hear
> > some other opinions.
> >
> 
> ________________________________________________
> Message sent using Hunter Point Online WebMail
> 
>