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Van de Koele Meren des Doods
The Cool Lakes of Death
Netherlands 1982
produced by Matthijs van Heijningen for Sigma Film Productions
directed by Nouchka van Brakel
starring Renée Soutendijk, Erik van 't Wout, Adriaan Olree, Derek de Lint, Peter Faber, Claire Wauthion, Krijn ter Braak, Lettie Oosthoek, Kristine de Both, Siem Vroom, Rudolf Lucieer, Thera van Homeijer, Robert de Jonker, Ijsbrandt Carmiggelt, Huub Stapel, Clara Brak, Ds. Wim Janssen, Willem van Rinsum, Wiske Sterringa, Anna van Beers, Liliane Kuyer, Vivien Heilbron, John Sandford, Dave Calderhead, Patricia Allen, Bernard Graczyk, Sandrien van Brakel, Yvette Merlin, Jacques Viala, Christiane Ramseijer, Bram Jesserun, Gérard Vivane
screenplay by Ton Vorstenbosch, Nouchka van Brakel, based on the novel by Frederik van Eeden, music by Peter Faber, Erik van 't Wout, Erik van der Wurff
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
Always make sure of DVD-compatibility!!!
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The Netherlands, late 19th century: Born into a rich family and raised
by a rich but cold father (Krijn der Braak) and a strict gouverness (Siem
Vroom), Hedwig (Renée Soutendijk) grows up knowing very little of life,
and less of love even as it's taken as a given that she'll one day marry
righ and become a set woman. So when young Johan (Erik van 't Wout) falls
madly in love with her, she doesn't even know whether she loves him back
or is only fond of him, and when she soon after marries rich Gerard
(Adriaan Olree), she without wanting it drives Johan to suicide. However,
her marriage to Gerard remains joyless as he's a closet homosexual who has
married her to keep up appearances and fails to perform in bed. Hedwig
eventually falls for pianist Ritsaart (Derek de Lint) and after much to
and fro lets him seduce her under the assumption that alone would tie the
knot between them - but for the longest time he treats her like nothing
more than his mistress, and when Gerard finds out he wants to kill
Ritsaart, a plan that's abandoned only when she tries to commit suicide.
In an attempt to duck scandal, Hedwig and Ritsaart relocate to England
posing as husband and wife, with Ritsaart's concerts soon granting them
access to the best families - all of which is eventually sabotaged when
Hedwig confides the true nature of their relationship to a known
gossipper. Ritsaart and Hedwig move to the country to get out of the line
of fire, and Ritsaart soon goes on a "concert tour" he's less
than likely to ever return from while Hedwig has their child, a sickly
baby that's less than likely to survive more than a few days - and that's
when Hedwig starts to totally lose it, as she throws the already dying
baby into a bag and rather spontaneously travels back to mainland Europe,
where her bag is stolen, she has a mental breakdown, is sent to an asylum,
and when she's finally released, she's addicted to morphine, and to
support her habit, she soon becomes a low level prostitute in the streets
of Paris - and from here there seems to be only one way, and that's
downwards ... A very compelling story about sexual frustration
that despite its period settings still rings true today thanks to a
directorial effort that favours subtleties over spectacle and always shows
empathy for its lead character, even and especially when she loses it. And
Renée Soutendijk gives a very strong central performance, portraying
Hedwig as not just a drama queen but a woman caught between naivity and
vulnerability, and she's supported by an able ensemble, making this a film
that will stay with you for days after watching.
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
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