I have never seen a Dutch movie, much less the one that won the Oscars (1998) for best foreign films. It is definitely not a movie, I would have picked myself. But then I usually pass on movies, only to return to them and enjoy them tremendously. Karakter (or Character) should really be called Characters, because the movie contains one too many 'characters'. Or is it meant to say 'building' character?
Summary: Based on the novel "Karakter" by Dutch novelist Ferdinand Bordewijk, the story is set in Rotterdam during the 1920s. The love-hate relationship between the father Dreverhaven (played by the Flemish actor Jan Decleir) and the son Jacob Katadreuffe (Fedja van Huet) works very well. Both have extremely strong characters and their ambitions make them blind for the possibilities of love. Right from the early childhood, Jacob feels the abandonment from his father, his mother and school friends. The estrangement, slowly deepens into hate and strong will to fight every step of the way for Jacob. At almost every step of the way, Jacob finds himself checkmated by his father. But he is not willing to throw in the towel. Against all odds, he strives and struggles to become a lawyer and succeeds in it.
It was wonderful to watch the characters develop, and in a word - 'strangle' each other emotionally, until the end.
Perhaps the best moment is when early in the movie, Jacob storms into Dreverhaven's office and address the latter:
Jacob: Today I have been made a lawyer. You no longer exist for me! You have worked against me all my life!
Dreverhaven: ...... or for you!
I loved that exchange, because the exchange completely captures the resentment and hate between the two and also the strong undercurrents of character building by fire.
It was indeed powerful. Watching this movie comes at a very interesting timing. I think, I want, a vacation and I think it is going to be Netherlands. This movie is set in Rotterdam, Netherlands. So, maybe that is why I was receptive to watching this movie in the first place. Definitely a good movie to watch, but not a Friday night flick.