Customer Reviews

The Fourth Man

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I first saw this film at a wonderful old art house theater which no longer exists. It was run by a film professor and its loyal audience saw just about everything that played the art house circuit. At the end of this film, the audience burst into applause, which I'd never seen it do before and never saw it do again. Hubby and I were madly clapping along with them because we all knew we'd just seen bravura, breath taking film making. Renée Soutendijk plays a blonde hairdresser (DVD cover) who meets gay writer Jeroen Krabbé and lures him into her black widow like web. Krabbé becomes haunted by visions of his own death and Soutendijk has perhaps already had that terminal effect on three prior husbands. If you are thinking that maybe this is like the American "Black Widow," it is not except in the essence of idea. This film takes that basic idea and makes it high art, exploring the dream, surreal world adjacent to the real world. Jan DeBont's cinematography is a surreal painter's delight come to life. Director Paul Verhoeven showed the wit, style, and right-brained art making that he gave up when he came to the USA to make American films, such as "Basic Instinct." The two films are similar in that both have a female messing with the mind of a male in murderous connotations but "Basic Instinct" has all of the flash and style of "Fourth Man" but none of its art. This film also is more sexually daring than "Basic Instinct" with its exploring both gay and straight sexuality. Krabbé lusts after Soutendijk's boyfriend, who is much younger than he. It also contains full-frontal nudity of both men plus the woman. I really wish Verhoeven had remained a Dutch filmmaker, doing more of this kind of work, rather than "going Hollywood" with his films upon coming here to the USA.

Previously dismissed as a soft porn filmmaker in Europe, Verhoeven decided to make a film so overloaded with symbolism and foreshadowing that the gullible critics would call it "high art". And they did.

The plot is simple but fun, including all Verhoeven's specialties - sex, frontal nudity, explicit gore (castration-ouch!), etc. When the main character (a drunken poor writer) is determined to meet a young man he cruised at a magazine shop, he also discovers the woman who helped organize his book readings is dating the youngster. He's off and manages to get both in the sack. One example of symbolic overkill: The writer discovers three black film canisters in her house revealing the "accidental" deaths of her three previous husbands. Later, after he gets the young man to have sex in a mausoleum, he spots three black urn canisters containing the woman's three prior husband's ashes! Now come on! I won't even get into the 'Virgin Mary' sightings!

However, despite the overload on ALL levels, it makes for a great art-house film and one you'll watch over and over. (If your eyeball doesn't get poked out - movie hint - more symbolism).

This film enabled Verhoeven to proceed to make such classics as "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls". Trivia: Main actor Jeroen Kraabe was the evil doctor who framed Harrison Ford in "The Fugitive". Best extra is the inclusion of Verhoeven's director's commentary. He is one clever personality!

Miss SHARON STONE - look no further - THIS the definitive sequel to "Basic Instinct"!

Of course, Dutch film-maker Paul Verhoven made this movie long before "Basic Instinct", but this is the genesis of that [rather sterile by comparison] movie - who knows - you might even get the fabulous, risk taking, and sadly neglected JEROEN KRABBE to repeat his role! Made in 1983, this movie has is not dated.

SYNPOSIS: Bi-sexual writer Gerard/Krabbe fantasizes about "offing" his current, boring lover. He had been invited to speak at a literary gathering - somewhere "up the coast". At the train station while "crusing" the newsstand he sees an appealing young lout - who gives him the brush-off. The rail journey is mundane, interspersed with strange nightmarish visions - Bunuelish eyeballs, etc. feature prominently. Queer, odd......Dali-esque images ......

At the gathering, he meets an intriguing young blonde [cool ala Hitchcock Renee Soutendijk], "chemistry happens" and he is in bed with her, enjoying much deserved release, when, on her night stand, he notices a photograph of the young punk who gave him the brush-off at the station! This young hunk is Soutendijk's clumsy lover: She invites Krabbe to stay with them for a while - to teach the young man a few "pointers" about love-making! Hmmmmmm! Kinky? Uhuh!

[Co-incidentally, she's a hairdresser; spiders, webs and glistening, very pointy scissors feature prominently, especially during a graphic castration sequence - fortunately just a fantasy.] Our young man is also quite a contradiction - when alone with Krabbe ...... AND then there is also the question : Who will be her next husband/victim? She's disposed [?] of three already......

A bold movie for that period, confusion between male and female images [the voyuer sequences], full frontal nudity, masturbation, it's all here, tasteful, but for the sophisticated viewer. Highly recommended for your collection!

The title sequence is superb [won't spoil that for you]; art direction by Roland De Groot very effective [one expects the "DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS" hotel to be in the immediate vicinity - an excellent companion piece!] Music by Loek Dikker is aptly bleak, and the cinematography by JAN DE BONT is perfect!

Pity that Mr. Verhoven has veered away from this most creative period of his career, he showed such great promise!

Companion pieces: "Matador" [Almodovar]; prime! Second choice? "Sea of Love" Barkin/Pacino.

Now, call Sharon Stone, and get her to be in this remake - please!

For me this film held the most interest in the respect that it was early Paul Verhoeven, something I had never seen before. This was a quality experience that gave insight into his later work and created more curiosity for me about his earlier work. It does have a little trouble taking flight at the beginning, but once it does it provides the viewers with a worthwhile script and an intriguing ending. The story follows Gerard as he travels by train to give a literary speech. Once in the new town he hits it off with a good looking blond named Christine who has femme fatale written all over her. If only our hero had had the opportunity to see "Basic Instinct" before this journey of his perhaps he would have used more common sense. This controversial author with a focus on death gives in to her sexual demands even though he is quite clearly a homosexual. He decides to stay in her house for a few more days as a sort of live in sex toy. This leads to something of a problem as his snooping ways get the best of him and he soon discovers that Christine has been married three previous times. Plus, all of her exes have died and she has some very suspicious videos of them immediately before their deaths. Paranoia grows on top of paranoia in his mind after he concludes (rightfully) that all of her previous beaus have passed. I should point out that this whole Sherlock Holmes thing he is doing is not just out of innocent curiosity. No, you see, it is all part of a master plan to get close to Christine's other lover who Gerard has a thing for. . .real bad.

The thing that pushed this film over the edge from an OK one to a good one is the ending. It is left up to you to decide the truth about the situation. This is a tricky device to use as nobody really wants to spend two hours just to be left in the dark. The title refers to Gerard's theory that Christine plans on killing four men, and by the end of the film a fourth man connected to her has died. But is he truly the 4th Man? Or is it all part of a terrible run of luck for her? What about the film reels he finds? And what about the final death which certainly looks orchestrated by nobody other than fate. There are other questions to be found here as well. The whole film has a nice surreal quality to it. The dream sequences are disturbing and morbid. Many of them foretell the future, but we of course don't know it at the time. I also liked the way it swam in its own delicious sleaze. For instance, near the end Gerard and his object of lust find themselves in a tomb on the verge of sex. But it's not just any tomb, it is the tomb of Christine's three dead husbands. Oh please. Like they would really be buried together and like these two guys would just accidentally stumble in there for some recreational activities. I also liked the way they played with out perceptions of reality. We all see what we want to see. But Gerard is a drunk, Catholic writer, so he really sees what he wants to see. So I ask you, what did he see? Was he a crazed madman with no feel for truth or a perceptive onlooker who spoke the truth when nobody else dared to? ***1/4

Verhoeven's last Dutch movie was made out of spite. Increasingly lambasted for his films in his native Holland for being too perverted and desperate to make the move to Hollywood, this was the movie he made to show off potential executives in the USA. There were movie offers that he was interested in, in America, but due to one reason or another, he ended up frustrated with the whole process of waiting.

Often cited as a prototype of Basic Instinct, this can easily work on its own levels. Sure there are similarities ie is there murder involved? What is the lead character hiding? Bisexuality etc. but it's a different movie with a different feel to it.

The story starts out that Gerard Reve is a bisexual author who believes his stories " lie the truth." It is an interesting statement at a lecture he gives but what I found more interesting was that after stating he was a Catholic and goes on to say that " science is Catholic." Given that anyone I know who is deeply religious is against the very notion of science because " they are trying to play God." I'm not one bit religious but it provides a thought provoking question in " Is science an extension of Christianity." Believe it or not I spent half the night thinking over that one over since it had stuck in my head.

The great thing about Verhoeven's pre-Hollywood movies is their ability to insert glorious visual treats. The visions that Gerard gets at times are distinctly creepy. While on a train he notices a picture of a hotel and is transported there while daydreaming. He goes to the door and is about to open the door when he sees an eye pop out of the door and ooze it's way down leaving a bloody smear across the door. Some may see shades of Bunuel and Dali in that shot alone.

Ingmar Bergman, a director Paul Verhoeven frequently cites as an influence, also shows. The opening image of a spider preying on a fly as it's victim is also startling in it's detail. How it creeps around and wraps the fly around in it's web so it can't move. As I say it's fascinating in it's detail.

Gerard falls for Christine, a hairdresser left a fortune from her dead husband. But is she hiding a secret from Gerard. The plot slowly unravels as does Gerard's sanity while his mind is giving him clues as to what might be the truth ( or a lie of the truth as it were ). Whether Christine is what Gerard thinks she is is up to you.

If I were to compare this to Basic Instinct ( which is inevitable really ), I would have to say that this lays more intrigue on the viewer and in a certain way is like the spider laying a web whereas Basic Instinct is a lot more blunt and obvious. Apart from some homoeroticism which borders on blasphemy if you are particularly religious in The Fourth Man, Basic Instinct has lesbianism which is a lot more palatable for Americans. There are calls of misogyny and it is true there are instances in The Fourth Man where that occurs but it is not as crude as Basic Instinct. In contrast to Basic Instinct, yes there are similarities but this feels like a completely different movie and has a different feel to it as well. While The Fourth Man is an atmospheric chiller that grips the viewer, Basic Instinct, despite the plot that revolves around it, feels a bit like a soft porn parody. However that is only my view of things. All in all this movie should be seen by those who like a sense of adventure in their movies.

The director, Paul Verhoeven, creates a profoundly Christian movie and presents it to a bored post-Christian world disguised as a cheap sex comedy with special effects. He must be laughing bitterly now, to see us avert our eyes from this tale of sin and redemption. Hard to imagine, isn't it? Show me a man more more sunk in degradation than our eminent Dutch writer and drunk and lecher and thief, masterfully played by the actor Jeroen Krabbe. Who would die to redeem this failure of a human being? Yet someone does die an ugly vicious death. And the world continues on its path, untouched, as Verhoeven no doubt expected.

The more films I see by Verhoeven the quicker he becomes one of my all time favorite filmmakers ever. Just watched this several days ago and it is a real cinematic treat full of brilliant performances, dizzying camera work and comical, radical, shocking and thought provoking dialogue and imagery. This is a real master at work. Verhoeven is one of the best directors ever and this is one of his finest achievements.

Homoeroticism, religious themes and symbolism, supernatural overtones and dark mystery pulsate through this excellent thriller from Dutch director Paul Verhoeven. Bisexual alcoholic novelist Gerard Reve (Jeroen Krabbe') attends a speaking engagement and meets a beautiful woman, Christine (Renee Soutendijk) who is filming him. She invites him home with her, they have sex and he stays on to work on his next novel. She says she is a widow and gives him clothes and a haircut (her home is also her salon, Sphinx---she's a hair stylist) and some pampering. But Gerard can't forget a sexy young man he saw at the train station. He discovers that Christine knows the guy and is having an affair with him as well. Gerard is also having disturbing psychic visions of death that seem to be omens for him. When Christine brings the young man home to meet Gerard (Christine and Gerard have worked out an odd arrangement) things start happening. Gerard discovers Christine has had THREE husbands who all died in "accidents". His visions come full circle and another grisly "accident" sends him over the edge. References to Samson and Delilah, spiders who devour their mates, blood---everything but the kitchen sink is thrown in to keep you guessing about Christine. Even the name of her salon---Sphinx (which spells "spider" in Dutch when the neon lights blink off)---casts occult laced mystery on her. Soutendijk is mesmerizing as Christine, an icy blonde beauty with secrets. Krabbe' is very good as Gerard who, as the images in the opening credits suggest, may be the fly caught in the Black Widow's web. Fascinating viewing all the way. The DVD from Anchor Bay is superb. Not for every taste, of course, but if you're a Verhoeven fan---this is an adult must see. Based on a novel by..."Gerard Reve"!

Gerard Reve (Jeroen Krabbe) is a bisexual writer with who is obsesssed with religious imagery, who arrives in Amsterdam to give literary lectures.
There he meets a beautiful female psychiatrist named Christine (Renee Soutendijk)and he spends the night with her, because despite his sexual preference he finds her figure to be like a boy's (I didn't think so). But it soon becomes apparent to Reve that he should have stuck with men so he predictably dumps her. But what Gerard doesn't know is that Christine may or may not be a serial killer who has murdered her three previous husbands and that he or his gay lover may become the fourth man of the title. Things get worse when he has hallucinations (or are they premonitions?) in which he is castrated with a pair of scissors. Funny seeing as Christine is also a hairdresser. Later in the movie Gerard has more hallucinations, which seem real even to the viewer. Are we going mad with him?
I've seen all Paul Verhoeven's movies from FLESH + BLOOD onward, so this is quite different from his later stuff. THE 4TH MAN is a successful take on film noir, but it's pace dwindles at times. However, I still highly recommend this movie. There is also a notable secne involving an eyeball squelching through a keyhole early in the movie, which makes sense later on. Worth a look.

The director's commentary on the DVD is very informative. In fact, though I'd had the video for many years there were aspects that - even after repeated viewings of the film - I'd never realized before. The commentary is also interesting because it seems - like the original FRANKENSTEIN and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN films - this film is to be taken not literally, but with a high dosage of humor. Knowing that makes the film even more enjoyable; almost a guilty pleasure, with its moments of high camp and yet serious tone and definite sophistication. It's intriguing the title character is based upon the actual writer of the novel - Gerard Reve - and his own stories, and that actually puts me off. I wonder about someone who places himself as the lead character in a story and is even protrayed by an actor in the film. The performances are uniformly good, with two leads and one supporting lead. All of the actors are - or became - well known in European films. Personally I'm not a fan of Paul Verhoeven's BASIC INSTINCT - in fact, I don't think I've ever been able to sit through all of it. I find this film to be particularly good at working on various levels, however it could be typed as misogynistic in its attitude towards its lone female lead, and if you're put off by male-male kissing (the lead male character lusts after a younger man, the boyfriend of the lead female character) or full-frontal nudity (both males and the female) then this is not the film for you. However, the overall film is very funny; very stylish; and too high class to be termed campy.