In Baise-Moi, a pornographic version of Thelma & Louise, two psychotic gangster girls outraged at the cruel man's world they occupy go on a sex, robbing and killing spree.
This bitterly controversial French film, which was banned from wide distribution in France yet programmed in the Discovery series at last September's Toronto film festival, is contentious for a good reason.
With its graphic porno scenes, its brutal rape sequence and the bloodthirsty plot, it is unwatchable. At best, it makes you squirm as the most vile impulses of human nature are shown without any reservations or moral context.
There are those who passionately disagree. Respected feminist film professor and programmer Kay Armatage fought to get Baise-Moi in the Toronto filmfest because, she said:
"Not just a provocation, it is a revolt -- against puritanism, against the hypocrisy of public morality, against the prevailing order of tasteful aesthetics, against efforts to contain excess."
I can understand that argument on an intellectual level. But, when confronted with the vile mess on screen, the intellectual analysis gives way to revulsion and then fatigue.
The rape scene in particular is a horror show. Two women, including one of the leads (Raffaela Anderson), are kidnapped by a trio of men, beaten up and violated. We see the males' members engorged, we see the forced entry, we see the animalistic copulation. This is one of two scenes that were trimmed. In each scene, huge close-ups of sex organs were removed, but everything else was untouched. A total of 13 seconds was cut from the film for the Ontario release.
Later in the movie, there are scenes of voluntary sex: Fellatio, cunnilingus, more copulation. There are also scenes of brutal beatings and murders of both men and women.
The anti-heroines of the piece both commit murders of passion and anger. One, a porno actress (Anderson), shoots her brother; the other, a prostitute (Karen Bach), strangles her female roommate. Then they meet up accidentally.
As partners, they gradually fuel their rage and set out on their sex-and-bloodlust rampage. Their "triumph" is a visit to a sex club where they indiscriminately murder everyone. It is the ultimate revenge, against something.
As feminist statements go, this one is so extreme it can only appeal to extremists, smart people such as Kay Armatage notwithstanding. Co-directors Virginie Despentes (who wrote the original novel) and Coralie Trinh Thi deliberately show no restraint. They obviously knew they would alienate most people. If that makes them brave, brava. But it doesn't help.
As for the title, Baise-Moi means "kiss me" and is obviously ironic. The loose English translation is Rape Me and is obviously not ironical. Even in translation, the movie screws up.
(This film is rated R)
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