Max Havelaar of de koffieveilingen der Nederlandsche handelsmaatschappij (1976)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Fons Rademakers

Writers:

Multatuli (novel)
Gerard Soeteman (writer)

Release Date:

9 September 1976 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An idealistic Dutch colonial officer posted to Indonesia in the 19th century is cohvinced that he can...

Plot Keywords:

Colonialism | Indonesia | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Peter Faber	...	Max Havelaar
Sacha Bulthuis	...	Tine
Adendu Soesilaningrat	...	Regent (as E.M. Adenan Soesilaningrat)
Maruli Sitompul	...	Demang
Krijn ter Braak	...	Verbrugge
Carl van der Plas	...	Resident
Rima Melati	...	Mevrouw Slotering
Rutger Hauer	...	Duclari
Joop Admiraal	...	Sloteling
Frans Vorstman	...	Gouverneur-generaal
Piet Burnama	...	Djaska (as Pitradjaja Burnama)
Herry Lantho	...	Saïdjah
Nenny Zulaini	...	Adinda
Leo Beyers	...	Droogstoppel
Sofia W.D.	...	Babu

Also Known As:

Max Havelaar (Netherlands) (short title)

Runtime:

Finland:163 min | Netherlands:170 min

Country:

Indonesia | Netherlands

Language:

Dutch | Malay

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Netherlands:12 (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Jakarta Film

Trivia:

Julien Schoenaerts was supposed to play Max Havelaar, but was dropped when he refused to shave off his beard. Another contender was Rutger Hauer, who eventually got a supporting part.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When the movie starts, a trumpeter plays the Dutch national anthem, the "Wilhelmus". But in 1850, that was not yet the Dutch anthem.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Allemaal film: De gouden jaren (#1.3)" (2007)

Worthwhile adaptation of Dutch lit classic

"Max Havelaar" is a 19th century novel about the Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia - specifically, about one man's fight against the oppressive, bureaucratic and inhuman nature of the Dutch/Indonesian rule in the poor province of Lebak. The novel is (rightfully) considered one of Holland's most enduring and powerful works of literature; Fons Rademaker's 1976 cinema adaptation, however, has been largely forgotten.

This is a shame. While the script is ponderous and the pacing definitely not for the impatient, it is a haunting movie thanks to its big star: beautiful Indonesia itself, one of the most lush, mysterious places on earth. Beautifully photographed by Jan "Speed" de Bont, you can practically feel the tropical heat emerge from your screen... And to see the fair-skinned Dutch try to make sense of this environment makes you wonder how they built this empire in the first place. The recreation of the 19th century is also very well done - you can tell the budget must have been unusually high for a Dutch film of this period.

In any case, my advice is to sit through it, maybe in 3 sessions. I'd recommend "Max Havelaar" in particular for anyone interested in Indonesian history and culture.