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!!! ____________________________________________________________________
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!!! ____________________________________________________________________