Western people are fully aware of their stupidity, their patronizing and their splendid bad behaviour on other continents. It's a cliché, a common conscience. For some reason this is supposed not to exist in other countries. That's why "Stupeur et Tremblements" is chocking. Have the Japanese been like this all time since World War II? At office anyway?
The Belgian and the Japanese girl, where the later is the boss, are getting involved in some kind of s/m relationship, although everything is part of Japanese office culture in its most brutal form. The references to "Goodbye Mr. Lawrence" are obvious. It's not totally clear who wins, Eastern arrogance or Western submission.
You get a lot to think about, after the chock-waves of seeing one of your of kind, a Westerner, being treated like that, has calmed. Is this a love story or just a way of turning things in a totally opposite way? You are not sure.
The Belgian and the Japanese girl, where the later is the boss, are getting involved in some kind of s/m relationship, although everything is part of Japanese office culture in its most brutal form. The references to "Goodbye Mr. Lawrence" are obvious. It's not totally clear who wins, Eastern arrogance or Western submission.
You get a lot to think about, after the chock-waves of seeing one of your of kind, a Westerner, being treated like that, has calmed. Is this a love story or just a way of turning things in a totally opposite way? You are not sure.