Rating: 
Summary: A raw, gritty human drama
Review: "Spetters," directed by Paul Verhoeven, tells the story of three young working-class Dutchmen who are into motorbike racing. Their lives are all impacted by a vivacious gold-digging blonde who rolls into town with her mobile fast food stand. Before the film ends the characters' lives take some unexpected, and even shocking, twists. The film is in Dutch with subtitles."Spetters" is a remarkable film--a raw, gritty ensemble drama that is superbly acted. The large, multigenerational cast includes familiar faces Jeroen Krabbe (as a sleazy sportscaster) and Rutger Hauer (as a racing champ idolized by the film's young characters). This film is packed full of life and energy--from a disco dancing homage to "Saturday Night Fever," to the motorbike racing scenes, and to the shockingly graphic [physical] scenes. Also interesting is the film's exploration of religious faith and other sociological issues. The film dishes out ample servings of both humor and tragedy; the unsettling scenes of violence are offset by some moments of real sweetness and tenderness. The DVD contains a fascinating commentary track by Verhoeven. His comments offer a window not only into the making of the film, but also into 20th century Dutch society. He discusses in detail the actors, how various scenes were filmed, the challenges involved in getting the film made, the controversy the film ignited, etc. He places the film in context of his larger body of work. Often hilarious, sometimes touching, and consistently engrossing, this is a superb commentary that makes me appreciate the film even more. "Spetters" is a thought-provoking and touching film that is ultimately curiously satisfying. It drips with blood, sweat, and tears; Verhoeven never flinches from showing the human condition in both its beauty and ugliness. It's a triumph of fearless, in-your-face filmmaking, and an essential entry in Verhoeven's remarkable body of work.
Rating:
Summary: A raw, gritty human drama
Review: "Spetters," directed by Paul Verhoeven, tells the story of three young working-class Dutchmen who are into motorbike racing. Their lives are all impacted by a vivacious gold-digging blonde who rolls into town with her mobile fast food stand. Before the film ends the characters' lives take some unexpected, and even shocking, twists. The film is in Dutch with subtitles. "Spetters" is a remarkable film--a raw, gritty ensemble drama that is superbly acted. The large, multigenerational cast includes familiar faces Jeroen Krabbe (as a sleazy sportscaster) and Rutger Hauer (as a racing champ idolized by the film's young characters). This film is packed full of life and energy--from a disco dancing homage to "Saturday Night Fever," to the motorbike racing scenes, and to the shockingly graphic [physical] scenes. Also interesting is the film's exploration of religious faith and other sociological issues. The film dishes out ample servings of both humor and tragedy; the unsettling scenes of violence are offset by some moments of real sweetness and tenderness. The DVD contains a fascinating commentary track by Verhoeven. His comments offer a window not only into the making of the film, but also into 20th century Dutch society. He discusses in detail the actors, how various scenes were filmed, the challenges involved in getting the film made, the controversy the film ignited, etc. He places the film in context of his larger body of work. Often hilarious, sometimes touching, and consistently engrossing, this is a superb commentary that makes me appreciate the film even more. "Spetters" is a thought-provoking and touching film that is ultimately curiously satisfying. It drips with blood, sweat, and tears; Verhoeven never flinches from showing the human condition in both its beauty and ugliness. It's a triumph of fearless, in-your-face filmmaking, and an essential entry in Verhoeven's remarkable body of work.
Rating:
Summary: It's a bit like American Pie really
Review: Although having said that it has much darker tones and hasn't got the syrupy ending that most American films have when dealing with teenage lives. I got a friend from Holland to buy me this as it hasn't been released here in Ireland ( or the UK ) yet. As a result I'm listening to the whole thing in Dutch and have no subtitles to guide me along the way. But I can pick out the odd Dutch word here and there such as " godverdomme " " klootsak " and " dood ". But then I don't really need the subtitles. I can get the meaning ( or my interpretation of it ) without them such is the strength of the film. Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbe are the usual suspects in Verhoeven's Dutch movies ( which I haven't seen but for sure I'm interested in seeing ). Here they play very small parts but they play them well. Hauer is good as Gerrard Witkamp who is the idol of the three teenage wannabe dirtbike riders. He plays the role with such cockiness that you sometimes get the feeling that he IS that person. The film takes on a darker edge when one of the bikers who had just got a contract from Honda sees his career ruined when a German tourist ( this is what it's supposed to be they say - for all I know it could have been another Dutch person ) absent mindedly throws out rubbish out of his car window and leads the biker off road. His career is ruined and effectively feels that his life has become worthless The gang rape scene is one of the most explicit depictions of gang rape for it's time. And it's amazing to think that in Holland you can get this on a 12 certificate while here in Ireland you'd be lucky to get an 18 certificate. But needless to say you have to a bit of a strong stomach for it all. There are some obvious scenes as well such as the boys measuring up to see who has the bigger penis. And there's one where......Nah I shouldn't say more. I'd end up ruining the film for you and that's not what you want But when the film plunges into so much darkness you are kinda confused at how it could come into such a happy ending. It's not a syrupy happy ending with loads of schmaltz added on.....it just IS a happy ending. A sort of signal to say " Life goes on. C'est la vie "
Rating: 
Summary: Gritty, Fresh and Fascinating
Review: An original and harshly realistic saga about a group of urban teenagers growing up in Holland. It portrays their withering hopes and sad compromises without any of the sentimentality one finds in American films on this subject. The usual conflicts--son against father, boy against girl, all of them in some way against society--are given an original and believable twist. If it has flaws, they would be the film's humor, which is sometimes juvenile, and a certain heavy-handedness in its criticism of organized religion and the Bourgeosie. Also, it should be noted that Rutger Hauer has only a small role in the movie, and is in fact outshone by the other, younger performers. This isn't a freewheeling caper like most teen flicks, nor a sugary or vulgar sex farce. It's ideal for when you're in a contemplative mood and need a laugh that leaves a bit of an ache behind.
Rating:
Summary: Verhoeven dazzles with his cynical vision
Review: I first saw this movie when i was 15 and it left me confused. But somehow this film sticked to my mind when i discussed underrated movies with other people. After 6 years, i saw it again recently and again it left my stomach in a cramp, but I was still fascinated by this film. It's cynical, unforgiving, harsh, crude, but also uncompromising and true-to-life. It's something that Verhoeven tried to make again in America, which would become Showgirls which was so ridiculed at. The strange thing is that Verhoeven got the same criticism in Holland when Spetters came out (some journalists openly declared him as a moron). Now this film is being looked at by many reviewers in Holland as one of the best Dutch films ever made. It's full of action, great performances and makes a few hard points about being young, unsure and not-rich in a cruel society. Although Verhoeven got attacked by feminist groups for representing women in a bad way, what striked me as obvious is that it is the other way around and that men are the lustobjects that eventually get toyed with by women and gay men. Anyway, just see it. It won't make you happy, but you'll have something to think about....
Rating:
Summary: It's amazing
Review: I love paul verhoven's movies after seing The 4th Man and Flesh and Blood. So i tried to check this one,it's amazing. It potraits of dutch youth in 80's period. It has complex story about friendship, ambition, and sex. Well done for the actors and actress, and so for directing. It's suprising, this movie contain full frontal nudity, and explicit oral sex. Just check it out!
Rating:
Summary: Spetters is life...
Review: I saw this film in college on the big screen twice. I bought it later on VHS format. My friend stole my tape and won't give it back. I'd buy it again on DVD in a heartbeat. The best "young people growing up movie..." I've ever seen. Rutger Hauer and Paul Verhoeven before they came to Hollywood. How can you not like this film... well maybe you won't like it if you've had a sheltered life!
Rating:
Summary: Verhoeven's 'too shocking for TV' teen-film.
Review: It is important to note that Verhoeven was already considered a major filmmaker in his native Holland (as well as critically acclaimed across Europe and the US) by the time he came to make this film, Spetters. He'd already won a clutch of awards and positive notices for films like Business is Business, Turkish Delight and The Soldier of Orange respectively and, had even been contacted by Spielberg, who wanted him to direct a film for his Amblin subsidiary, as well as the follow up to Raiders of the Lost Arc. It was only after George Lucas saw this film that the negotiations were halted and Verhoeven's brief-association with Spielberg became one of cinema's great 'could-have-been' scenarios.
This back story is important as it gives us an idea as to how and why the controversy of this picture developed, with the Dutch press at the time writing the whole thing off as an exercise in melodrama and perversion. It isn't hard to see why they would be so outraged, with Verhoeven, then considered the enfant-terrible of European cinema following the visceral, big-budget Dutch/UK co-produced war-epic, Soldier of Orange, turning down the chance to create another serious historical project with international appeal, to direct a very Dutch social-realist 'teen-flick' with explicit content that would see it banned (or at least, heavily edited) in the UK and US for the best part of twenty-years. Because of this, many hail Spetters as its maker's lost classic, going out of their way to make sure that those who appreciate Robocop and Total Recall are aware that Verhoeven was once responsible for serious, challenging works of high-drama (...or high-art?).
For me, Spetters isn't quite on a par with Verhoeven's follow up, the twisted erotic-noir The Fourth Man, but it does have a certain (low-budget) charm about it, reminding me of an X-rated Mike Leigh in the way the characters just seem to turn up and stumble through various escapades (both comic and tragic) whilst the director tries to capture the whole thing without getting in the way. Therefore, the story is simple, concerning three young friends obsessed with motor-cross (and even more obsessed with the mysterious stranger, Renee Soutendijk), who find out the shocking parallels of life in the strangulating hold that their small-town has over them. As the film progresses, the three friends each get involved with the mysterious girl (who lives in a mobile fish and chip shop with her brother) and, with an uncompromising attention to detail and cinematic boundary breaking, each once succumbs to misery, misfortune or worse.
Verhoeven's aim isn't always clear, as the film moves uncomfortably from light-comedy to graphic, heart-wrenching tragedy, but, on the whole, the film reminded me of Ken Loach's work, or some of those made-for-TV kitchen-sink dramas so prevalent in Great Britain in the 70's, with the viewer leaving the film shaken, depressed and filled with thought. It's a definite film to ponder... though as others have said, it won't be for all tastes. Verhoeven demonstrates that his capacity for shocking scenes of sex and violence was even more apparent in his pre-Hollywood work, in which the relaxed attitude of the Dutch censor meant that he could get away with certain scenes here (in a teen-film) that would have been questionable even in porn.
In fact, Spetters is still too-shocking for TV, with UK channel film four being forced to 'optically blur' (as they had done with Lars von Trier's great film The Idiots) scenes of 'excited-male-members' (particularly when the boys whip them out to see who has the biggest!) and another scene, in which Soutendijk's character lays atop a naked Hans van Tongeren, lending a 'hand' (sic) in regards to his physical stimulation. Despite this self-censorship however, the even more shocking scenes (particularly a two seconds shot of unsimulated oral-sex between two men and a graphic male gang-rape) were left intact. I presume that the copy of Spetters released on this DVD will be the uncut version, meaning that fans of Verhoeven will be able to see just what the mad-Dutch man really had in mind... whist more conservative viewers might want to give it a miss.
Spetters is, admittedly, not Verhoeven's best work (for me, that's either The Fourth Man or Robocop), but it is an interesting curio, impeccably directed and superbly acted (featuring many stars now huge in their native Holland, as well as cameos from Verhoeven regulars Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbe), particularly by the young van Tongeren as central character Rien, who tragically committed suicide shortly after Spetters' (much-picketed) release. Spetters is a challenging, uncompromising and often enjoyable film that tackles a number of serious issues with depth and intelligence. It is most likely to appeal to those familiar with its director's early works... or a fondness for challenging European cinema in general.
Rating: 
Summary: A strange movie
Review: It's difficult to speak about a movie so strange. When I saw Spetters, I thought that the director was a genius. He maked some scenes very hard, but without courtesy. The story too was very interesting. The director, infact, become very important and famous.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: Neat teenage movie. Didn't have to fast forward scenes and dialogue
|
