Customer Reviews

The Assault (1986) [VHS]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I echo the strongly positive reviews of others on this thought-provoking and powerful Dutch film starring Derek De Lint ("Soldier of Orange," "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"). It thoroughly deserves the Academy Award it received in 1987 as Best Foreign Language Film.

My only concerns are that this fine film is only available in the US in a dubbed version and on VHS. Why -- since it won an Oscar as best foreign language film -- is it not available in the US in the original Dutch with English subtitles? And why -- since it has already been released on DVD in the Netherlands (Region 2/ Dutch only sound track/ Dutch only subtitles), is it not yet available here on DVD?

One can only hope that an eventual US (Region 1 - NTSC) release on DVD will be forthcoming -- in multiple languages (Dutch/Eng/Fr/Sp/Port please), AND multiple subtitles (Dutch/Eng/Fr/Sp/Port). As a well-deserved Oscar winner, the film should be made accessible to as wide an audience as possible.

In short, a compelling film that, along with "Soldier of Orange" gives real insight life in the Netherlands under German occupation in World War II.

In case you couldn't tell, I absolutely loved this movie. In fact, I watched it like 12 times in a row. It was the first Dutch film ever to win an Academy Award for best Foreign Film.

It's basically a story of the effects of trauma onthe human mind. At first it's set in Nazi-occupied Holland in 1945, but the movie basically deals with the entire life of one boy, Anton Steenwijk. In 1945 his family was murdered, and not surprisingly, it affects everything in his life afterwards.

This movie is full of extremely talented actors, namely Derek de Lint who plays Anton as an adult. To really understand this movie, you have to pay attention to details, because it's got an intricate plot. But it's a wonderful and touching story.

I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone, no matter what their interests, because it is such a beautiful film. END

THE ASSAULT is one of those movies that one hears about, makes a mental note to check out sometime and then promptly forgets. If there hadn't been a VHS copy of this Oscar winning film available in my local library, I doubt that I ever would have otherwise stumbled across it. So far, it is not available on DVD. Nor is the original Dutch language film available in any format in this country.

And yes, I like to think that those of us who are "subtitle snobs" at least have a point. There's something about hearing the actual language (even when you don't happen to speak it) that gives a viewer a feel for the setting, the culture and the true nature of the dramatis personae. Or maybe it's just that in this particular case, the dubbed in English voices seem all wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't actually use the original Dutch actors (many of whom would likely be fairly fluent in English), but that is hardly any guarantee that the dubbed version is going to work.

In the case of THE ASSAULT, one often gets the feeling that the actors providing the spoken language are hamming it up, while those handling the body language may be underplaying it. The effect is jarring.

At other moments, the English language version just doesn't make sense. When our grown up hero meets the woman who is to become his first wife in London, there are only a few words exchanged. The scene barely makes sense spoken in English in an English speaking city. Until, that is, you pull back and realize that the young woman, who overheard our hero muttering something to himself in Dutch, apparently responded in that language, thereby signalling herself to be a countrywoman--as well as being an attractive young woman almost any handsome young heterosexual man would flirt with.

I suspect that many English speaking viewers will find this film a bit sketchy at moments. The story of the lifetime effects of the trauma experienced by a young boy in occupied Holland certainly needs to be compressed, but it also needs to be paced effectively. My sense was that the filmmakers could have done a much better job on that score. The movie hints at the damage done to the young 12 year old Anton, but we could use a little more exploration of his psyche.

That's difficult in film, and it is likely that the Harry Mulisch novel that inspired the movie does a more thorough job. The film version made me want to read the book--for a better understanding of Anton's character--but shouldn't a movie work on its own terms?

But then again, maybe the original film did. I got the feeling, watching this, that I was only seeing half a movie. I could only begin to guess how THE ASSAULT might affect Dutch viewers of the original. The cinematography was quite striking, the music effective--and the storyline has a certain inherent fascination. So maybe the fault is in the dubbing.

One thing the movie does very well is its portrayal of all its characters as "victims of history." We see how the War and the post-War tensions have shaped the lives of millions. Yes, human beings--especially children--are often remarkably resilient in the face of such devastation. But the scars are there too, for anyone who cares to look for them.

THE ASSAULT, whatever its flaws, is well worth seeing. Should the Dutch version ever become available on the US market, I would welcome the chance to finally see that version. I suspect it works a lot better.

Halfway through viewing The Assault in a theater I realized it was one of the best movies I had ever seen. A couple of years later it became the first VHS cassette I purchased. What a disappointment! Not only, as other reviewers have noted, is the VHS version dubbed, but 23 minutes have been cut out of it! The film is supposed to run 149 minutes, not 126. Curses to MGM/UA Home Video, who presumably were so cheap they cut the film so it would fit onto one tape.

5 stars to the film version.
4 stars to the book.
3 stars to the VHS version.

The dubbing was done badly in the UK, sounded like they had 2 or 3 readers multi-tasking. Sad fate for a fantastic movie. Make sure your purchase is subtitled and unedited.

This is an incredible movie. It will make you think and have you sit in suspense as all the story unfolds. I recommend this to anyone looking for a thought provoking, emotional and suspensful film.

this movie shows to us all what relative small impact during the years growing up might have on our being adult whow what a powerful movie