The Vanishing
Movie: The Vanishing (Spoorloos)
Language: French/Dutch
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Drama
Director: George Sluizer
Year: 1988
Watched on: 07 January 2006
Rating: **** (4/5)
Review:
Spoorloos by George Sluizer is a psychological thriller based on the novel “The Golden Egg” by writer Tim Krabbé. Rex Hoffmann (Gene Bervoets) and Saskia (Saskia Wagter), a couple in love travel to France for a vacation from Amsterdam. On their way at a gas station, Saskia gets into a café to buy drinks and disappears mysteriously without any trace. Even after three years of her mysterious disappearance, Rex spares no effort to trace her. Raymond Lemorne (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) a normal looking professor in chemistry is the abductor who while abducting believed that he had to commit an evil deed to balance the act of kindness he demonstrated by saving a life of a drowning child. He approaches the abduction with utmost sincerity even practicing several times before the real act. Raymond amused by the curiosity shown by Rex to know the truth behind Saskia’s disappearance, contacts Rex and assures to reveal the truth. Will Rex’s curiosity land him in the hands of a psychopath? What has Raymond in his mind when he decides to reveal all? is the rest of the story. This is a well made thriller and the portrayal of the character Raymond Lemorne is absolutely chilling. What disturbs the audience is the clinical precession with which a normal looking family man without any sex related motive or hatred approaches the crime. The movie is not a fast paced thriller but a slow detailed study of one man’s passion to find the truth and another man’s methodical and steady steps towards crime. Good direction and good performances especially by Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu as Raymond.
Language: French/Dutch
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Drama
Director: George Sluizer
Year: 1988
Watched on: 07 January 2006
Rating: **** (4/5)
Review:
Spoorloos by George Sluizer is a psychological thriller based on the novel “The Golden Egg” by writer Tim Krabbé. Rex Hoffmann (Gene Bervoets) and Saskia (Saskia Wagter), a couple in love travel to France for a vacation from Amsterdam. On their way at a gas station, Saskia gets into a café to buy drinks and disappears mysteriously without any trace. Even after three years of her mysterious disappearance, Rex spares no effort to trace her. Raymond Lemorne (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) a normal looking professor in chemistry is the abductor who while abducting believed that he had to commit an evil deed to balance the act of kindness he demonstrated by saving a life of a drowning child. He approaches the abduction with utmost sincerity even practicing several times before the real act. Raymond amused by the curiosity shown by Rex to know the truth behind Saskia’s disappearance, contacts Rex and assures to reveal the truth. Will Rex’s curiosity land him in the hands of a psychopath? What has Raymond in his mind when he decides to reveal all? is the rest of the story. This is a well made thriller and the portrayal of the character Raymond Lemorne is absolutely chilling. What disturbs the audience is the clinical precession with which a normal looking family man without any sex related motive or hatred approaches the crime. The movie is not a fast paced thriller but a slow detailed study of one man’s passion to find the truth and another man’s methodical and steady steps towards crime. Good direction and good performances especially by Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu as Raymond.