Customer Reviews

Character

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A few remarks and additions to the reviews so far. - The place where the story is situated is near and in the old harbour in Rotterdam (the Netherlands). It was filmed partially on the fifth floor of an old harbour building, with additional scenes in Antwerp (if i recall it correct), in Germany and in Poland. In Rotterdam, i was part of one scene. As a professional calligrapher, i had earlier prepared several properties for the film, and then was asked to be on stage, too. Mike van Diem made a lasting impression, a friendly and capable director indeed. The hours of waiting, the minutes of shooting, resulted in a few seconds of appearance in the final version of the movie - that's obviously the way it goes. In the last half minute, the hand of Jan Decleir (seemingly - it's actually my hand) writes the signature of the testament. It was a small contribution to a masterpiece, which is strongly based on two novels of F. Bordewijk, 'Karakter' and 'Katadreuffe'. Charakter is the kind of movie that is worth to have on video. Be it for the enticing music (Paleis van Boem), be it for the convincing main characters (the divinely beautiful Tamar van den Dop, the talented Fedja van Huet, the majestic Jan Declair), or the intriguing story. Even my critical son of 19 could admit the permeating quality, which is remarkable for someone who mainly grew up with Quentin Tarantino and similar. - Having seen this film several times, the tragedy of the bailiff Dreverhaven appeared in a new light. The ruthless tyrant was deeply unsatisfied with himself, and he who punished so many, beseeched to be punished himself - the natural law of balance. Who else than his own son could be the executor, in the moment of his greatest triumph, when he achieved to be an attorney. That is where this oscar-winning movie ends... and begins.

CHARACTER is all about tough love. Extremely tough. It is about family. In this instance, an extremely distant pair of parents and a young man seeking his identlty. It's also about great psychological drama, superior period design and unbelievably assured freshman filmmaking from director Mike Van Diem. It's also, as the title implies, about "building character." The father, Dreverhaven, has some unusual character building techniques, to put it mildly. He at one point tells the young man's mother that he will strangle 9/10s of the life out of son Jacob, but the remaining 1/10ths will make him strong. And just for good measure, he may take the last tenth as welll.
Jan Decleir, as Dreverhaven, is a revelation. He's built like Gerard Depardieu and is even more preposessing than that fine actor on screen. He would make a great Javert or Lear in some future production. Victor Löw, as Jacob's mentor and elder friend, De Gankeelar, is unlike anyone you will have seen on screen or stage. With an impossibly jutting jaw and unique mode of speech, he is the ultimate character actor. The entire cast is splendid. I'm not at all familiar with Dutch Cinema, and am not even entirely sure the term isn't an oxymoron. This film, however, can stand beside anything in contemporary cinema. Now I just have to dig up the novel by Ferdinand Borewijk, from which the movie was adapted. It's such a compelling story that I'm sure the novel will be excellent, as well.

Five Stars and counting.

BEK

It's ironic that "Character" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film the same year that "Titanic" won for Best Picture. "Character" makes "Titanic" look like a grade-school production of "Gilligan's Island." One of the most powerful films I've ever seen, it was painful and difficult to watch, and absolutely brilliant. With not a false note anywhere, the epic scope of the story, the acting and the cinematography drew me in and broke my heart. Not to be missed.

Without attempting to recount or even summarize the plot of CHARACTER, let me simply say that it is a stunning work of art. The acting is arresting and utterly convincing. Each character represents heartbreak and tragedy. Even the cold, hard father, Dreverhaven (brilliantly played by Jan Declier) is revealed to have a human side...albeit a terribly flawed and scarred humanity. There is tremendous pathos in the final scenes between Dreverhaven and his son, Katadreuffe (the amazing Fedja van Huet). Even as Katadreuffe explodes in violence and rage, the sorrow and sense of loss is powerfully palpable. Van Diem's direction is flawless. He allows the actors to say so much without using many words. The slow, steady pace allows the plot to simmer before reaching a boil. The longing between Katadreuffe and his lovely co-worker is incredibly heartrending. Katadreuffe's complex relationships with his mother and his mentor are also quite striking. Van Diem gets the most out of very simple gestures...a look, a smile, a touch...perhaps the most dramatic and emotional moment in the film is when Dreverhaven extends his hand to Katadreuffe or when he later whispers, "Help me, Jacob." Reviewers have invoked Kafka, Dickens, Shakespeare, and Oedipus in attempting to describe this film. All of those apply, and I don't think it's a stretch to say that this film belongs in the worthy company of those great stories. (Let me say that the father-son relationship here reminds me in a strange way of a certain famous Johnny Cash song, though I will let you guess which one.) CHARACTER is not a good "popcorn movie," or even really a good "date movie." But it is a great film; the emotions unleashed and the questions raised will stay with the viewer long after the credits have rolled.

CHARACTER is all about tough love. Extremely tough. It is about family. In this instance, an extremely distant pair of parents and a young man seeking his identlty. It's also about great psychological drama, superior period design and unbelievably assured freshman filmmaking from director Mike Van Diem. It's also, as the title implies, about "building character." The father, Dreverhaven, has some unusual character building techniques, to put it mildly. He at one point tells the young man's mother that he will strangle 9/10s of the life out of son Jacob, but the remaining 1/10ths will make him strong. And just for good measure, he may take the last tenth as welll.

Jan Decleir, as Dreverhaven, is a revelation. He's built like Gerard Depardieu and is even more preposessing than that fine actor on screen. He would make a great Javert or Lear in some future production. Victor Löw, as Jacob's mentor and elder friend, De Gankeelar, is unlike anyone you will have seen on screen or stage. With an impossibly jutting jaw and unique mode of speech, he is the ultimate character actor. The entire cast is splendid. I'm not at all familiar with Dutch Cinema, and am not even entirely sure the term isn't an oxymoron. This film, however, can stand beside anything in contemporary cinema. Now I just have to dig up the novel by Ferdinand Borewijk, from which the movie was adapted. It's such a compelling story that I'm sure the novel will be excellent, as well.

Five Stars and counting.

BEK

I visit CHARACTER,1997 Foreign film of the Year,ever so often and never tire of it.This Netherlands-made Mike Van Diem written and directed thriller based out of a 1938 novel entitled "Katadreuffe und Dreverhoeven en Karakter" ages like a fine wine and gets deeper and more character complex every time I view it.
CHARACTER was released the same year as fellow epics TITANIC AND AMISTAD;and in the Foreign category,CHARACTER brought home another Oscar just as two years prior another Netherlands film,the amazing ANTONIA'S LINE,had been victorious.The fact that CHARACTER beat out BEYOND THE SILENCE from Germany and FOUR DAYS IN SEPTEMBER from Brazil put this masterpiece in really fine company that year.
As INSUFFICIENTLY stated IMO by Amazon's reviewer, CHARACTER is really a three way struggle between Father,Son and Mother in a battle of stubborn pride, obsession and control.All three main characters are all caught in this cat-and-mouse,dog-eat-dog psychological thriller set in 1923 Rotterdam.This screenplay/book is right out of the Charles Dickens mode full of bleak beginnings and endings,class struggles,acceptance,greed,lust,pride and vengeance that is particularly reminiscent of Dickens' NICHOLAS NICKLEBY IMO.Will good come out of all of this suffering???
Dreverhoeven is the court bailiff who is as "Scroogesque" as one can be.He forecloses on everyone without blinking an eye.He has a housekeeper who never speaks to him,neither him to her;yet he "fornicates" (why we are never certain why either of them do this)with her one evening.Six weeks later,with child,Miss Katadreuffe resigns as housekeeper.She wants nothing from Dreverhoeven.He proposes marriage 13 times and she quietly refuses proudly and stubbornly each time.A son is born named Jacob Willem.He catches glimpses of this "father" here and there,but has only one constant thought of him planted in his brain by his hardened mother:"We have need of nothing from him." As Jacob grows,the deafening silence that exists with his mother and now the involvement here and there with his father as a money lender increases Jacob's fierce and independent spirit to live free of both of them.This he continually finds impossible to do.The mother is austere and silent;the father is cruel and calculating;the son has terrible problems with both of them,yet is generally favored well by all of his coworkers.Things many times throughout this film come to a boil and the viewer is asked to consider the character motivation of each of the three principles, all the while realizing that the stress and strain is building Jacob into a strong and confidaent man.These are REAL and ALIVE and TREMENDOUSLY INTERESTING characters for those who love this kind of a film.It is nail-biting and tense,and yet has an underlying sweetness AND sadness about it.The film is first rate in all departments from it's look, to it's editing to a wonderful soundtrack by Het Paleis Van Boem.
14 time nominee,4 time winner Jan Declair (ANTONIA"S LINE ,DAENS etc.) is the bailiff/tyrant Deverhoeven; Freja Van Huet portrays Jacob Willem and Betty Schuurman is Miss Katadreuffe.All three are multiple European actor winners.This is a first rate acting job in a first rate film.The fact that Award winning director has done nothing since CHARACTER is a mystery to me.Imdb stops his resume with his triumph here.



1997 was a great year for films.Watch CHARACTER and you will surely agree.EXTREMELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Character is another great achievement by actor Jan Decleir who, also through films such as Daens and Antonia's Line, has proved to belong to the top international league. He's a class act! Can't wait for Decleir's excellent performances to be released on DVD.Van Diem proves to be a skillful director.Just to refer to the viewer in Liege: Thank God we don't live in France where good films are destroyed because the French consider it necessary to dub them. (And that's the country that claims to have the greatest respect for the film-maker as an artists??!)

This film contains all of the best features that a moviegoer relishes in a superior dramatic film. The story grabs you suddenly at the beginning and takes you through the frustrations of a hard-working young man. I don't want to give any of the plot away, so I can't say too much about the storyline. When I originally watched this film, it seemed like it was paced too slowly, but near the end I began to see that the pacing had purpose--and ended satisfactorily. Must see.

For some reason the review I submitted right after seeing this DVD didn't make it onto the website so I'm writing another. Since it's not fresh in my mind I'll just add my "vote" to the others who recommend this.

To me, some stories are worth telling and some aren't. This is one that is! And it's brilliantly filmed and acted. Others' have recounted the story so I won't repeat it. But it's a tale of substance, worth your time and attention.

This film is probably the best movie I've ever seen in my life. The direction is impeccable as well as the acting. The art direction is also fabulous.