Character

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Character

R,

1998,

2h 0m,

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

91%

23 Reviews

Tomatometer

92%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Young lawyer Katadreuffe (Fedja van Huêt) is the chief suspect in the murder of the cold-hearted bailiff Dreverhaven (Jan Decleir). The two have long been rivals, waging personal battles through the courts, and Katadreuffe was observed leaving the scene of the crime. Giving his testimony to police, Katadreuffe effectively tells his life story, in which his ambition for success in the legal world was driven by a hatred of his biological father -- who was, secretly, Dreverhaven.

Daniel Fienberg

Zap2it.com

Sep 17, 2005

2/5

Very well shot, but narratively it's pretentious, wannabe Kafka, heavyhanded dreck. Not sure how it won an Oscar.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Jan 1, 2000

3.5/4

It is dark, bitter and fascinating, as all family feuds are -- about hatred so deep that it can only be ended with a knife.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Mar 27, 2025

3.5/4

This delicious Dutch import cleverly uses every facet of its meticulous production to maximize its dramatic worth.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Aug 14, 2011

B+

This powerful family melodrama from the Netherlands won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar

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Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Jun 27, 2007

4/5

A remarkably stylish, well-crafted film that constantly surprises on the level of cinematic creativity alone.

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Maria Garcia

Film Journal International

Jan 5, 2007

Predictable and dreadfully misconceived.

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Theodore L

Jul 25, 2017

Still my favourite Dutch movie. Famous Belgian actor Jan Decleir once again gives a powerhouse performance that completely dominates the screen in any scene he appears in, which of course is fitting for the character he plays. Fedja van Huet als performs brilliant from a completely opposite mindset but no less compelling. The cinematography is breathtaking and I don't think Rotterdam ever looked so beautiful. It's a perfect adaptation of one of the best Dutch novels.

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Mike van Diem

Director

Fedja van Huêt

Jacob Katadreuffe

Jan Decleir

Dreverhaven

Betty Schuurman

Joba

Victor Löw

De Gankelaar

Tamar van de Dop

Lorna te George

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Synopsis

Young lawyer Katadreuffe (Fedja van Huêt) is the chief suspect in the murder of the cold-hearted bailiff Dreverhaven (Jan Decleir). The two have long been rivals, waging personal battles through the courts, and Katadreuffe was observed leaving the scene of the crime. Giving his testimony to police, Katadreuffe effectively tells his life story, in which his ambition for success in the legal world was driven by a hatred of his biological father -- who was, secretly, Dreverhaven.

Director: Mike van Diem
Producer: Laurens Geels
Screenwriter: Ferdinand Bordewijk, Mike van Diem, Laurens Geels, Ruud van Megen
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Almerica Film
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Dutch
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 27, 1998, Original
Release Date (DVD): Feb 4, 2003
Box Office (Gross USA): $743.9K
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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