Een vrouw als Eva (1979)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Nouchka van Brakel

Writers:

Judith Herzberg (writer)
Nouchka van Brakel (writer)

Release Date:

August 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Female Nudity | Lesbianism | Female Full Frontal Nudity | Nudity | Hippie

Cast

Monique van de Ven	...	Eve
Maria Schneider	...	Liliane
Marijke Merckens	...	Sonja
Peter Faber	...	Ad
Renée Soutendijk	...	Sigrid
Anna Knaup	...	Britta
Mike Bendig	...	Sander
Truus Dekker	...	Mom
Helen van Meurs	...	Lawyer
Karin Meerman	...	Aunt
Theo de Groot	...	Uncle
Trudy de Jong	...	Aunt
Marjon Brandsma	...	Margreet
Elsje Scherjon	...	Social Worker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ineke de Graaf	...	Lawyer
Herman Doeleman	...	Lawyer
Ben Hulsman	...	Gerrit
Guikje Roethof	...	friend
Anna van Beers	...	Saleswoman
Harrie van Cranenburgh	...	Judge
Rik van Hulst	...	Man of 'Raad van Kinderbescherming'
Hans van Veghel	...	Judge

Also Known As:

A Woman Like Eve

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | Netherlands:16

Company:

Sigma Film Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Allemaal film: De magie van het witte doek (#1.1)" (2007)

A very strong women's movie - defending strong feminist principles of the 70'ties - used as decor for the portrait of a touching lesbian love story (based on actual events)!

The 70's was a very special period in time – in Europe as well as in the US - the "flower-power" generation when young people contested everything and were confident they would realize a better world (…from peace-in-the-world and flowers-instead-of-money-or-guns to improving working conditions and social structures up to individual lifestyles, feminism, gay and lesbian awareness and overall people's mentality….

Clearly film-making was also a popular way of expressing these views and some great movies like EASY RIDER, ZABRISKI POINT, KRAMER VS KRAMER, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, BLOW UP, … were made in those days reflecting the overall "spirit" of that era.

This dutch movie is also a very good example of a 70's movie - on a smaller scale of course- and it is definitely a woman's movie reflecting strong feminists points of view.

*********SPOILER ALERT**************

Eve lives with her husband Ad and two children somewhere in Amsterdam. Eve seems reasonably happy although she sometimes has the feeling that there's something missing in her life. Her husband – thinking Eve is depressed – sends her on a holiday to France with her girlfriend Sonja. In the south of France, on the beach, Eve meets Liliane, a young feminist and commune-dweller. Eve feels strangely drawn to Liliane. Eve and Sonja pay a visit to the rural commune in with Liliane lives and works; Sonja doesn't think much of it but Eve keeps returning and seeing Liliane. When returned home, Eve tries to stay in touch with Liliane by mail and she even takes up French courses. At a later point in time, Liliane comes to Amsterdam for a big feminist convention and the two women meet again and spend time together. It is only then that Eve realizes that she is in love with Liliane. It is not without difficulties that Eve comes to terms with her feelings for Liliane. She decides to go for it and the two women get sexually involved. Ad finds out and he is furious….!

This is a film by the dutch female film director Nouchka Van Brakel, who wrote the script together with Judith Herzberg. The story was based on actual events in those days: a woman lost the custody of her children to her ex-husband, merely because she left him to go live with another woman.

The lesbian relationship is told in a very positive and understanding way. Van Brakel tells a good story and gives a fairly accurate portrait of dutch society in the 70's. But, being a radical feminist herself, she maybe wants to put too much in 90 minutes and as a result the film sometimes gets a little messy. On the whole the movie is still very worth watching as an image of an area - the flowerpot years - and also for the (true) and tender lesbian love story.

But it is definitely a women's movie! Especially lesbians will love this true 70's story!

The actress portraying Eve (dutch Monique van de Ven) gives an excellent performance; she even came to the US in the 80's with her husband at that time Jan De Bondt (also of dutch origin); but Monique, unlike Jan, didn't like living in the US! The couple divorced and Monique returned to The Netherlands where up 'till now she is still very active in films and on TV. De Bondt stayed in the US and became famous (SPEED, TWISTER).