Baise-moi is a 2000 revenge drama by Virginie Despentes and Coralie.
With Raffaëla Anderson, Karen Lancaume and Céline Beugnot.
UK: Passed 18 uncut for sexual violence, real sex and very strong
language for:
- UK 2013 Arrow R2 DVD at UK Amazon released on 25th March
2013
The BBFC explained their decision:
BAISE-MOI is a subtitled French feature in which two young women, marginalised by society and troubled by their experiences of rape, prostitution and pornography, meet by chance and embark on
a violent killing spree. It was originally cut at 18 for both cinema and video release in 2001. This DVD re-release is rated 18 uncut for sexual violence, real sex and very strong language.
A brutal rape scene occurs early in the
film, with two women being abducted by a group of men and taken to an abandoned warehouse. There, one of the women struggles and cries out as she is hit, forcibly stripped and raped. The other woman remains passive, refusing to respond to the rapists.
The scene includes nudity and an explicit close shot of real penetration. However, neither the nudity nor the real penetration are portrayed as sexual or titillating. On the contrary, the rape is presented as violent and horrific, and, in this context,
the shot of penetration reinforces the violation and brutality. In a later scene a man is anally penetrated with a gun. Again, the act is clearly one of violence and it relates back to the earlier rape. Neither sequence makes sexual or sadistic violence
appear normal, appealing or arousing. There is never any suggestion that the victims enjoy the experience, and the audience is led to identify and empathise with the victims, not the perpetrators.
BAISE-MOI contains additional
scenes of strong sex, including real oral sex and penetration, as the young women are seen with clients or men they meet on their journey. These scenes, like the scenes of sexual violence, reflect the gritty reality of the character's lives and
experiences.
Very strong language ('cunt') is also used.
Censorship History
Passed 18 after 10s of BBFC cuts for:
Cut required to an explicit close-up shot of a penis penetrating a vagina during a violent rape sequence.
Passed 18 after 12s of BBFC cuts for:
- UK 2002 Universal R2 DVD
- UK 2002 Feature Film Company R2 DVD
Cuts required to two sequences of sexual violence involving strong sexual imagery:
- explicit close up of sexual penetration of woman during rape scene
- sight of gun being pressed into man's anus prior to being fired
Passed 18 uncut for sexual violence, real sex and very strong language for:
Reviews
- See review from biggaypictureshow.com : "It's a sometimes shocking, in-your-face movie, but its main flaw is that it often seems rather pointless and random"
- See article from cinema-extreme.blogspot.com
: "A raw and uncompromising film, that takes the normal rape-revenge theme and gives it a feminine twist".
Promotional Material
Sex and shooting assault the senses in Baise-moi [literally Fuck Me or Kiss Me ], a bloody buddy movie that s like Thelma and Louise on acid. Banned on release in
France, the film has provoked as much horror as it has debate.
Manu a part time porn star - and Nadine a hooker set out to leave their town for Paris after witnessing and being subject to rape and violence. They rage
against societal expectations in a fury of robbery, orgiastic lust and murder.
One of the most controversial movies of the last 20 years, Baise-moi was described as the most sexually explicit film to ever reach
British screens by the UK press, the film offers the complacent viewer a cinematic slap in the face.
Features:
- Original theatrical trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Joe Wilso
- Collector s booklet featuring writing on
the film by author Kier-la Janisse