Synopsis
Who Has Seen This Woman?
Rex and Saskia are enjoying a biking holiday in France when, stopping at a gas station, Saskia disappears.
1988 ‘Spoorloos’ Directed by George Sluizer
Rex and Saskia are enjoying a biking holiday in France when, stopping at a gas station, Saskia disappears.
The Vanishing - Spurlos verschwunden, L'homme qui voulait savoir, Исчезновение, L'Homme Qui Voulait Savoir, Spurlos verschwunden, Desaparecida, Nyomtalanul, Il mistero della donna scomparsa, 베니싱, Zniknięcie, O Silêncio do Lago, O Homem Que Queria Saber, Spårlöst försvunnen, Kayboluş, Зникнення, 神秘失踪
If you’re looking for something light, breezy, and fun boy have I got a recommendation for you.
When I was fifteen my teacher who taught Dutch made us read Tim Krabbé's 'Het Gouden Ei'. After reading it and discussing it in class we watched Spoorloos, based on said novel. I remember being a bit bored by the novel and thought the film was ok.
Many moons later I re-read the book and recognized it for the sucker punch that it is. (if you loved this film I urge you to read the novel, there are many excellent translations out there and it is well worth the read). A while back I hit a bit of a lull in my movie watching. Wanting to pick it up again I decided to rewatch this. Now, memory is a funny…
The Vanishing is one of the most detailed and terrifying murder mysteries I've seen. Told from two intertwining perspectives regarding the disappearance of a female tourist in France, it feels like two hemispheres that fit perfectly together, thus leaving no air for the audience to breathe. The heavy suspense and a sinister atmosphere are prominent throughout, relived by occasional scenes of effective hilarity. The cat-and-mouse game builds organically for an ending where all shocking secrets are revealed. What's most impressive about this movie are the outstanding performances, especially from Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, whose deceivingly harmless charisma contrasts greatly with the evil things he's capable of doing. Director George Sluizer's decision to elaborate on the perpetrator's personal life actually pays off, enabling…
Makes for some pretty damning social commentary on our sick fascination with psychopaths and killers. Rex could almost be a direct stand-in for our obsessive need to know every last detail of how a crime transpired.
It’s quite depressing how little that message has aged in the era of mass media and mass shootings.
With an ingenious plot structure and a black heart that seems to revel in breaking the audience's own, The Vanishing is a bleak thriller that might not have the technical bravado of Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now, but feels very similar in effect. A devastating loss, a study of grief and obsession, and an ending that is simply cruel, but feels just right. Adapted from Tim Krabbé's novella, The Golden Egg, it's a great example of the benefit of keeping the author on to co-write the screenplay. The pacing and structure work together to keep the plot barreling ahead (something other psych-thrillers occasionally stumble on by concerning too much runtime to developing the mood explicitly instead of letting the story…
Dutch brilliance. What one man is willing to do to uncover the truth of a missing loved one. What one man did that will send shivers up your spine. Thrilling. Edgy. Creepy. No Hollywood ending, but pure satisfaction after viewing.
She looks beautiful in the sunlight. It's the type of moment that you take for granted because you assume the world owes you thousands more just like it. You never believe it could be the last until it is, and even then you probably won't believe it. You refuse to believe it. You look at her there, basking in the glow of a world so seemingly perfect and on face value it's just another day. She looks beautiful in the sunlight, and it will shine tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.
Only the sun suddenly stops shining. The world seems so dark. You look for her there, anywhere, everywhere but you see nothing. It was just…
Starting my Halloween Movie Marathon with this masterpiece! That ending, one of the most chilling scenes ever put on film.
Far superior to the American remake.
A masterpiece in suspense.
One of the most depressing and unforgettable stories in it's genre.
A film about the ultimate price of obsession born out of desperation for closure and the reason why I don’t trust dudes with goatees anymore.
It is a slow burn, but it burns alright. I mean, I was prepared to give this movie 3.5 stars or something. But that ending, though!