TheOtherFool Movie based on the famous novel by Harry Mulisch, who also wrote the Discovery of Heaven. In the center is Anton Steenwijk (Derek de Lint), who sees his parents shot and his house burnt after a shooting that killed a collaborator of the German Nazi's in World War II. All his life, Anton is curious about what really happened that night, but when he finds out, will that truly satisfy him? Interesting story, well played and directed by Rademakers (director of 'Als twee druppels water' and 'Max Havelaar'), which won the 'Best foreign language' Oscar back in 1987. And although some viewers won't like the 'coincidental' ending, it's probably one of the best pictures ever to have come from this country... 7/10.

Gavno WARNING - SPOILERS WITHIN!!!I first became familiar with THE ASSAULT through the Book of the Month Club. In the package with my book was a slim paperback volume that I hadn't ordered... I suppose they were clearing out the warehouse, and a copy of THE ASSAULT got tossed into my order as a freebie.It sat around ignored for a few months, and then one afternoon I got bored and needed something to read.Wow. Straight through in one sitting.Some time later, with no advertising or promotion of any kind, THE ASSAULT showed up in a local theater.Because of the total lack of promotion, this film is probably the greatest "sleeper" of the decade. It probably only played in the US at Art houses and a very small number of other theaters. Anyone who has encountered the work of Satre or Camus will find themselves right at home with this film. It's deep, involved, and engrossing... it shows that no one, no matter how close they are to an event, knows EVERYTHING about it.Young Anton Steenwjik is the sole survivor of the brutal murder of his entire family by German troops, and the burning of his home in Occupied Holland. The troops did it as retribution for a killing of a collaborator carried out by the local Dutch Underground Resistance cell in front of the Steenwjik home. Anton was there and he saw it all... but it takes a 20 year odyssey that stretches across most of Northern Europe for him to learn the WHOLE truth about that night and it's horrendous events. Therein lies the tale. And it's a tale that's well worth watching.Even tho I promised spoilers in this, I will NOT give you the BIG one... the most unexpected and ironic "Gotcha" I've ever seen in a movie.A VERY HIGHLY recommended film! If you get the chance, SEE IT!_________________________________________________________________I'm updating my comments after the fact.I recently saw the videotape version of the movie, and found myself somewhat disappointed... nay, OUTRAGED... by it.In an attempt to trim the film to fit on standard length tape stock I suppose, the VHS videotape version makes a cut which for me is FATAL... they cut the entire end of Anton's chance meeting with Fake Ploog's son. That 30 second or so edit completely changes the feeling and meaning of the entire sequence, completely destroying the delicate balance that the director put into the theatrical release version.If anyone reads this who is involved with a possible future DVD release of THE ASSAULT... I beg of you... PLEASE... NO EDITING!!!This film is carefully put together like a fine watch. If you remove ANYTHING, it's not going to work right!!! ____________________________________________________________________

Boba_Fett1138 The Dutch are not great at making movies but when they make a WW II movie it often is a little masterpiece. "De Aanslag" is a movie like this."De Aanslag" isn't necessarily about WW II but more about the effects of it on a persons life and why things happen the way they do and how little things can effect a persons life for ever. Most of the movie's story is set in the years after WW II and uses flashbacks of things that happened in WW II to make more things clear and to show things from a different perspective from different individuals that were involved in the incident were the movie is about. It becomes more and more clear what happened at the night that collaborator Ploeg was killed but the Dutch resistance and more importantly why things happened the way it happened. The story also shows a detailed view of the Netherlands and their citizens the years and decades after WW II and how it still affected many.There are many great returning characters in the story and the acting is for especially Dutch standards pretty high. Derek de Lint who now is better know world wide for his role as Derek Rayne in "Poltergeist: The Legacy" is a great leading man that really carries the movie.The cinematography from Theo van de Sande who later did the cinematography for the movie hit "Blade" is great and sets a nice mood. The directing by Fons Rademakers is done wonderfully and it never makes the movie hard to follow even though at times it gets a bit complicated.Great Dutch Oscar winning drama with some memorable moments and a fantastic ending were everything comes together and gets clear.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

dbdumonteil What is really fascinating in this Dutch movie is the way the past takes shape again,little by little,on a very long period:the hero is a middle-age man when he finally learns the final truth .What is less convincing in the implausibility of these situations and the main flaw of the work :each time a new character appears,outside of course of the two wives,his only purpose is to provide the hero with new facts about the tragedy he went through when he was 12.And however the story is absorbing:the first scenes ,during the fateful night are harrowing,first in the parents 'house or in the icy landscape that surrounds it or in the dungeon where the young boy meets the female Resistance fighter.Then begins the child's adult life and while there are very strong scenes ,there are also some flaws: too much voice-over ("He spends his Easter holiday in London" "He gets married" are completely pointless:the picture is enough),and it's really difficult to follow the hero's psychological change (why for instance does he get divorce?) But its questionings (who are the heroes ? who are the traitors?) sometimes recalls Jorge Luis Borges.One of the best scenes shows Anton talking with the collaborator's son:who is the victim NOW? did this young man and his mother deserve what happened to them?"They 're living" replies Anton.And is Anton's attitude -stay away from the events that shakes the world- so worthwhile?That's why the last scene is very revealing:finally he understood that responsibility is everywhere and should be shared by everyone.In spite of its flaws,it's certainly one of the most interesting European movies of the eighties.