Stupeur et tremblements (2003): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 2003, Stupeur et tremblements is a komödie and drama film directed by Alain Corneau, running about 107 minutes.

What it’s about. 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.

Who’s in it. Stupeur et tremblements stars Sylvie Testud as Amélie, Kaori Tsuji as Fubuki, Bison Katayama as Mr Omochi and Tarō Suwa as Monsieur Saito, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.3/10, Stupeur et tremblements has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In USA you can stream it on MUBI Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Stupeur et tremblements page.

If you liked it. Fans of Stupeur et tremblements tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Das Leben ist schön and Fight Club.