Baise-moi Review

Distributor: Remstar Edition Details: Standard DVD MSRP: $29.95 DVD Release Date: December 18, 2001 Movie Specs: Genres: Feature Film, Foreign (French) Also known as: Rape Me, Fuck Me Run Time: 74 minutes Rated: not Release Year: 2000 Director: Virginie Despentes, Coralie (as Coralie Trinh Thi) Written by: Virginie Despentes, Coralie (as Coralie Trinh Thi) Director of Photography: Benoît Chamaillard Cast: Karen Lancaume (as Karen Bach), Raffaëla Anderson, Céline Beugnot, Adama Niane, Christophe Claudy Landry, Tewfik Saad, Delphine McCarty (as Delphine Mc Carty), Ouassini Embarek, Patrick Kodjo Topou (as Patrick-Kodjo Topou), Simon Nahoum, Karim Chala, Lisa Marshall, Hacène Beddrough, Patrick Eudeline, Ian Scott, Philippe Houillez, Steven Jhonsson, Gil Stuart, Alexandre Milord, Élodie Chérie, Zenza Raggi (as Karim Sabaddehine), Titof, Jean-Marc Minéo, Gábor Rassov (as Gabor Rassov), Marc Barrow, Rodolph Antrim (as Rodolphe Amtrim), Estelle Isaac, Hervé P. Gustave (as H.P. G), Marc Rioufol, Nataly Dune (as Nathalie Dune), Dany, Sebastien Barrio (as Sébastian Barrio), Pascal St. James, Jean-Louis Costes, Sylvain Cahen-Delabre, Jacques Sans, Didier Gardette Release Specs: Audio: French Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English Video: Full Frame, 1.33:1 Video Format: NTSC Format: DVD Regional Code (for DVD/Blu-ray): 1 (United States, Canada) Number of discs: 1 Disc: DVD 5 (SS, SL) Special Features: Posters, Photos, Trailer, Website, Flashcard, Press Reviews DVD-ROM Special Features: none

Synopsis:
Manu (Raffaëla Anderson), who is savagely raped by a group of young hoodlums, and Nadine (Karen Lancaume), a prostitute, end up meeting after they both separately commit murder. They travel around the countryside leaving a trail of corpses behind them.

Video/Audio:
Baise-moi is presented in the full screen aspect ratio, 1.33:1, which does not appear to be the original aspect ratio for the film. The beginning and end credits are framed at approximately 1.66:1 implying that this is the original aspect ratio for the film. Other than during the credits and in some select spots in the movie where the framing seems slightly off, you can't tell that the film was originally in widescreen. The picture for this print is decent but it is often grainy. The grain might have been done purposely as in some scenes it is worse than in others. The picture also suffers from slight pixilization throughout the film. The colors are unnaturally dark and the color to flesh tones is definitely off. There may have been one or two artifacts present on the print as well.

The available audio track is a 2.0 French Stereo track, which is the original audio track for the film. The dialog can clearly be heard at all times and the music doesn't interfere with dialog. The audio sounds weak when it comes to the gunshots in the film, but given the obviously limited budget of the film that is to be expected. There are English subtitles, generated by the DVD player, for those who don't understand French. They appear to be the original dialog translated into English. No other language tracks and no other subtitle options are available.

Cut Warning:
The listed full running time for Baise-moi is an hour and seventeen minutes and this version only ran for an hour and fourteen minutes so some footage could have been cut from this one. As the hardcore footage seems to be intact and the box lists the film as having a 77 minute running time, this film is probably the complete version.

Chapters/Time Code:
There are six chapters available from the main menu for Baise-moi, which allow crude navigation through the film. They are identified by a name for the scene only. There is a time code for the feature film, so time searching is available.

Special Features:
Although all the extras on the disc have to do with the feature film, very little of them are of much use. This is surprising given that Remstar has gone through great effort to try and convince the viewer how “important” this film is, but provides nothing here to back that statement up. Given the controversy surrounding this film, I really expected more informative extras. The poster gallery contains four different posters for the film, one for the American release, that you have to flip through. The photo gallery contains 18 stills from the film that you have to flip through. The trailer contains the American trailer for the film in the full screen aspect ratio. Website contains four screens from the film's internet site, the feature is almost useless though as the screens are so small they are very hard to read. It also gives the URL so you can visit the site and understand what is on the screens. Flashcard appears to be another American trailer for the film. Press Reviews is a text feature that contains the text of positive reviews about the film.

Review:
Baise-moi is a French film that has been causing much discussion and controversy since its release in 2000, including being banned in France. Like the much earlier previous release Caligula, it has attempted to combine mainstream films with adult films. This format didn't work in Caligula leaving it only serviceable as a mainstream film. Baise-moi ends up faring much worse.

As an adult film, Baise-moi fails completely. The sex scenes are way too short and spread apart to be of much use. Also the graphic violence in the film detracts from any arousal that the film might have caused. For instance, the common person won't find the rape scene toward the beginning of the film at all erotic and for many of the sex scenes in the film there is a graphic murder before or after the sex. The only sexual acts in the film are one vaginal insertion, which is in the middle of a rape scene, several shots of graphic sex, one shot of pussy eating and several blow jobs. For those who are interested, there are condoms used in all the sex scenes.

As a mainstream film, Baise-moi fails as well. To begin with, the viewer never gets a chance to connect to the characters. They never get developed and therefore you find yourself not caring about what happens to them as the film progresses. Adult film actors and actresses have never been known to usually have much in the way of talent and the same goes here. Only here it is far more detrimental to the film as there are far more plot portions to the film than sex scenes. The two leading ladies, and only major cast members, are Karen Lancaume French adult film star of Private and Wicked fame and Raffaëlla Anderson, another French adult film star.

The Money Shot:
Except for the curiosity of seeing what all the talk is about, Baise-moi isn't worth your time or money. As a porno the film fails miserably and as a mainstream film the film falls short of its goal. Viewers who have a problem with graphic violence and rape should definitely avoid this title. Do yourself a favor and rent this title before purchasing.

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