Monday, December 29, 2008

The motorcycle in cinema-Spetters.

Pict via: seul-le-cinema
Wiki:

"Spetters, a Dutch film released in 1980 directed by Paul Verhoeven.
Spetters led to many protests across the board about the caricatural manner in which Verhoeven portrayed gays, Christians, the police, the press and more. Although Verhoeven made one more film in the Netherlands, it was the response to Spetters that led to his leaving the Netherlands for the more liberal film culture of the Hollywood of that day."

Review via: Metal Asylum:

Spetters isn't exactly the kind of movie Verhoeven is known here for. It doesn't really have any special effects, and isn't all that violent. It's closest to Showgirls, but this time his goals are much clearer and he understands the characters a lot better. These characters are all rich in detail. It is action packed due to many racing scenes and very sexually frank. It also has that great Verhoeven characteristic of being able to succeed on a realistic level at the same time it's being almost outlandishly satirical.


Spetters is a brutal small town coming of age film. Its four central characters are all searching for what they want in life. They initially believe it's money and a big city, but it's all a big uncertainty. The three men, the spetters (it more or less means hotshots or grease spatterings depending upon whom you believe), are heavily involved in amateur Motorcross. Rien (Hans von Tongeren) is really good, wins all the races. He could take over his father's restaurant, but he's the local hero and actually has a chance to get out so he's not interested. Hans (Maarten Stanjer) is pretty much a loser when it comes to racing even though it's always the fault of his equipment, but the only one that isn't bothered in some way by a family member. Eef (Toon Agterberg) is a good mechanic, but he's too selfish to be relied upon and the strict religious upbringing of his father continues to screw him up. They all look up to Gerrit Witkamp (Rutger Hauer), the professional champion who lets them worship him, but would laugh at them a lot quicker than he'd help them. The final main character is Fientje (Renee Soutendijk), an attractive golddigger who all three bikers are immediately interested in when they see her selling French fries and hotdogs with a special ingredient that we later find out is really for the dogs. In spite of this lame job she shares with her homosexual brother, she is actually quite smart and feisty. She gets what she wants at the time through sex, but she never gets anywhere because she finds the wrong guys and/or has no luck. She is a person that's capable of caring, but who won't open up or stick with anyone unless they can provide for her in a big way."



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