Fear and Trembling (Stupeur et tremblements) 21 years old

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.

Credits

Fear and Trembling Cast

Name Character
Sylvie Testud She was 32, now 53 years old as Amélie
Taro Suwa He was 48, now 69 years old as Monsieur Saito
Bison Katayama as Mr Omochi
Yasunari Kondo as Monsieur Tenshi
Heileigh Gomes as Amélie enfant
Kaori Tsuji She was 29, now 50 years old as Fubuki
Sokyu Fujita as Monsieur Haneda
Gen Shimaoka as Monsieur Unaji

Fear and Trembling Crew

Name Department
Alain Corneau as Director. He was 59 (67) years old when He died Directing
Fear and Trembling poster
Fear and Trembling (21 years)

  • Release day: Wednesday, March 12, 2003
  • Runtime: 107 minutes