Robert Koote
The dutch national character is not easy to understand, but this movie gives some notion about dutch humor. Most people I'm working with, which are not dutch, think we dutch are hard-working, serious minding and chagrined people. But we also have a great taste of humor and a big portion of self-derision. Foreigner who are interested in the dutch character I recommend amongst others this absurd movie. Keep in mind that the characters in the movie are not so strange and can be found in the common dutch families. Alex Warmerdam makes it absurd by placing all, a little bit weird, characters in a very small location, the so called 'nieuwbouw-wijk' of the late 50's and early 60's. If you like this, you should also try Abeltje, Jezus is een Palestijn and the sketches from comedians like Theo Maassen, Hans Teeuwen etc.
qtaran111
This is a great little film, by turns funny, surreal, with a couple of scary moments (especially with the vulture on the bed, the crazy bird from the shoulder of the monk statue, and after the hunter is blinded, searching the forest).Parts are reminiscent of Delicatessen (rebellious postman, mad butcher) and others are straight out of a grimm fairy tale (the scenes in the woods), however it is always engaging and well-acted. Although I think Dutch people will get more from the socio-historic context of the story, I think everyone can identify with the mixed-up lives of "ordinary people" in small, soulless towns. Weird!
Didier (Didier-Becu)
Go back to Holland in the suxties at where we are in a small part of some village and where we follow the lives of some inhabitants. They are all normal people with very strange behaviours...a postman who opens and reads the letters he has to deliver, a butcher who is longing for sex that can't be given by his overcatholic wife (and their son who is only interested in the politics from Belgian Congo), a woodwatcher who thinks he can make the world a better place to watch the woods in a machoway but fails to please his woman in bed, a schoolteacher who seems to be bored by everything he does...and little by little we see that all these lives are related whether they want it or not, they all wanna go their own way but are stopped by the ruling hiphophrisy from the streets they're living in. "De Noorderlingen" is a quite interesting movie that has great moments but sometimes looses itself into surrealism in a Bunuelway that spoils a bit the movie (the son who thinks he's a prime minister from Congo for instance) but all by all I liked this black comedy. Belgian viewers will be longing to see a very beautiful (and young) Veerle Dobbelaere starring here!
rjdeklein
don't try to understand this movie if you haven't lived in holland for a considerable time, this movie portrays in a very ironical way, the narrowminded attitude of the dutch people in the 60's. it is sharp and down to earth at the same time. i don't think non-dutchman will appreciate this movie, but you can always try! i am from holland and i thought it was a brillant satire, with good perfomances of a few well known dutch actors (including the director who also plays the role of the postman).i give it an 8 out of 10.
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