My Dutch friends will forgive me, but I cannot share their enthusiasm for this film. I am not an action movies only fan, and I am well accustomed with European and art film styles. However, during the whole uneasy experience of watching this film I had a strange feeling. On one side I was watching an obviously well constructed and solid story, with good characters development and well acted - especially Jan Decleir in the principal villain role. On the other hand the story and moral seem so Dickensian in nature, the whole atmosphere is so rigid, the location so dark and cold that they seem to belong not even to the first half of the 20th century but rather to the 19th. The main story line is of a love-hate relationship between a father and his natural son. The naturalistic approach to the subject built no empathy with any of the characters. I did not understand well their motivation, but I know I have reasons to hate them - these are the feelings the film left me.
Over all a heavy and not so easy cinema experience. Worth watching for some of the acting skills. 6 out of 10 on my personal scale.
Over all a heavy and not so easy cinema experience. Worth watching for some of the acting skills. 6 out of 10 on my personal scale.