Character

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Character

R

Released Mar 27, 1998

2h 0m

Drama

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92%

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25 Reviews

92%

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2,500+ Ratings

Young lawyer Katadreuffe (Fedja van Huêt) is the chief suspect in the murder of the cold-hearted bailiff Dreverhaven (Jan Decleir). The two have long been rivals, waging personal battles through the courts, and Katadreuffe was observed leaving the scene of the crime. Giving his testimony to police, Katadreuffe effectively tells his life story, in which his ambition for success in the legal world was driven by a hatred of his biological father -- who was, secretly, Dreverhaven.

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Daniel Fienberg

Zap2it.com

Very well shot, but narratively it's pretentious, wannabe Kafka, heavyhanded dreck. Not sure how it won an Oscar.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 17, 2005

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Globe and Mail

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 12, 2002

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 1, 2000

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

This powerful family melodrama from the Netherlands won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar

Rated: B+

Aug 14, 2011

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Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

A remarkably stylish, well-crafted film that constantly surprises on the level of cinematic creativity alone.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 27, 2007

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Maria Garcia

Film Journal International

Predictable and dreadfully misconceived.

Jan 5, 2007

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gajah d

Fabulous film, captures not only a venemous father-son relationship, but a particular moment in Dutch late colonialism. I have been looking forward to a blu-ray for years, but haven't seen one yet.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Excelente muestra del avasallador tormento que infringe el rigor de un búsqueda genuina del interior.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

david l

Character is an original experiment, but it did not work for me. It is well made across the board and the beginning and ending are cool, but they still felt out of place as the film's mixing of historical and thriller elements seemed uneasy and unpolished. It's also overlong and slow-paced.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Vincent L

Still my favourite Dutch movie. Famous Belgian actor Jan Decleir once again gives a powerhouse performance that completely dominates the screen in any scene he appears in, which of course is fitting for the character he plays. Fedja van Huet als performs brilliant from a completely opposite mindset but no less compelling. The cinematography is breathtaking and I don't think Rotterdam ever looked so beautiful. It's a perfect adaptation of one of the best Dutch novels.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/25/17

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Audience Member

A great overlooked thriller.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Audience Member

beautiful movie, a must see

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

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Mike van Diem

Director

Fedja van Huêt

Jacob Katadreuffe

Jan Decleir

Dreverhaven

Betty Schuurman

Joba

Victor Löw

De Gankelaar

Tamar van de Dop

Lorna te George

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Synopsis

Young lawyer Katadreuffe (Fedja van Huêt) is the chief suspect in the murder of the cold-hearted bailiff Dreverhaven (Jan Decleir). The two have long been rivals, waging personal battles through the courts, and Katadreuffe was observed leaving the scene of the crime. Giving his testimony to police, Katadreuffe effectively tells his life story, in which his ambition for success in the legal world was driven by a hatred of his biological father -- who was, secretly, Dreverhaven.

Director: Mike van Diem
Producer: Laurens Geels
Screenwriter: Ferdinand Bordewijk, Mike van Diem, Laurens Geels, Ruud van Megen
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Almerica Film
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Dutch
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 27, 1998, Original
Release Date (DVD): Feb 4, 2003
Box Office (Gross USA): $743.9K
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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