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Spoorloos (1988)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
27 October 1988 (Netherlands)
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Plot:
Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia is abducted. After three years and no sign of Saskia, Rex begins receiving letters from the abductor. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
6 wins
&
2 nominations
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NewsDesk:
User Comments:
How far would you go to find the truth?
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu | ... | Raymond Lemorne | |
| Gene Bervoets | ... | Rex Hofman | |
| Johanna ter Steege | ... | Saskia Wagter | |
| Gwen Eckhaus | ... | Lieneke | |
| Bernadette Le Saché | ... | Simone Lemorne | |
| Tania Latarjet | ... | Denise Lemorne | |
| Lucille Glenn | ... | Gabrielle 'Gaby' Lemorne | |
| Roger Souza | ... | Manager | |
| Caroline Appéré | ... | Cashier | |
| Pierre Forget | ... | Farmer Laurent | |
| Didier Rousset | ... | TV Journalist | |
| Raphaeline | ... | Gisele Marzin (as Raphaëline) | |
| Robert Lucibello | ... | Teacher | |
| David Bayle | ... | Lemorne (16 Years) | |
| Doumee | ... | Lady 'Prisunic' (as Doumée) |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
107 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Finland:K-11 (2005) |
Iceland:16 |
France:-12 |
Netherlands:16 |
UK:12 |
USA:Unrated |
West Germany:16 |
Singapore:PG |
Australia:M
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The film was submitted to the Academy Awards in 1988 as the official Dutch entry for Best Foreign Language Film. However, the AMPAS disqualified it because they determined that there was too much French dialog in the film to warrant it being a Dutch candidate.
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Goofs:
Continuity: Raymond tells Rex that when he was a teenager, he jumped from a balcony and lost two of his fingers. However, the adult Raymond clearly has 10 fingers for the duration of the movie.
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Quotes:
Raymond Lemorne:
You see, Mr Hoffman. For me, dying is not the worse thing.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Try Before You Die: (#1.4)" (2005)
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FAQ
Why does Raymond ask his neighbor if he could hear screaming?What is the significance of the opening shot?
Why does Raymond keep saying "I must eat shit" when practicing his English?
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| News articles | IMDb Crime section | IMDb Netherlands section |
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After reading several recommendations of Spoorloos (a.k.a. The Vanishing), I went ahead and bought the Criterion DVD release, which, by the way, has no extras. Let me say, I was not disappointed with the movie. If you like well-made, well-directed thrillers, it is definitely worth checking out. The story was simple enough; Rex's girlfriend mysteriously disappears at a gas station they stopped at while on vacation. Cut ahead three years and you still have him searching for her. Due to his persistence, the man responsible finally decides to get involved.
With very little violence and no gore, Spoorloos was able to leave the viewer in a truly depressing state. Some people might call it boring but I found the slow and steady pace to work in favor of the characters, as the acting was top notch. So was the direction of the scenes, which were set up quite nicely. It was interesting to see such attention paid to both the victim and criminal's point of view. You could really understand the desperation, confusion, and obsession that Rex felt with his loss. In turn, you see cold evil in a form that does exist in our world. While maybe not shocking to all viewers, the ending is terrifyingly tragic, made so by the realism and calmness throughout the film. Just ask yourself, how would you feel if that happened to you?
If pushed for a criticism, I would say that some of the symbolism seemed a bit too heavy handed but other then that, this is an intelligent, deep thriller. I have not seen the American remake (oddly enough, both versions are from director George Sluizer) but I can all but guarantee that the original is what you want to go with first. Many people suggest skipping the remake altogether!