Rating: 
Summary: Dynamic drama packs a punch
Review: While the American 'teensploitation' picture was dominated throughout the 1980's by a series of lowbrow comedies (PORKY'S, MEATBALLS, REVENGE OF THE NERDS, etc.), Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven took the familiar themes of this critically reviled subgenre and transformed teen angst into high drama with SPETTERS (1980), an exploration of youthful idealism and the journey from adolescence to maturity. Though the three main characters - ultra-confident Rien (Hans van Tongeren), closet case Eef (Toon Agterberg) and clumsy loser Hans (Maarten Spanjer) - are just as raucous and oversexed as their American counterparts, the screenplay (by Verhoeven's longtime writing collaborator Gerard Soeteman) locates their activities within a conservative small-town environment where their friendship is tested by a selfish young gold-digger (Renée Soutendijk) who seizes an opportunity to benefit from their mutual ambitions. But the narrative takes a darker turn during the latter half of the picture, where the protagonists are forced to confront such hot-button issues as sex, disability, religious faith and homosexuality. In a commentary recorded for this DVD release, Verhoeven reveals how the film was originally condemned in Holland for its perceived 'misogyny' and 'homophobia' (similar accusations were also levelled against some of the director's Hollywood features, including BASIC INSTINCT and SHOWGIRLS), but none of these complaints can withstand close scrutiny. True, Soutendijk's heartbreaker is portrayed as little more than an avaricious trollop, but - as Verhoeven demonstrates - she's the only one who exhibits genuine loyalty towards van Tongeren following a horrendous accident which changes his life forever. It's also true that Agterberg's sexuality is only awakened by a brutal assault which occurs late in the film, but his character is ultimately redeemed by the brave stand he takes against his ultra-conservative father in the aftermath of his sexual awakening. Beautifully filmed and acted (there are extended cameos from Verhoeven regulars Jeroen Krabbe and Rutger Hauer), the movie benefits from an extraordinary sexual candor, a million miles removed from the cowardly R-rated rubbish flooding American cinemas at the time. And though the sexual imagery here is only fleeting, it's also remarkably potent, and the actors are to be commended for their bravery. Sadly, Verhoeven's commentary reveals that van Tongeren - a hugely talented actor with a bright future in international cinema - committed suicide two years after completion of the film. MGM's region 1 disc is a bit of a mixed bag. For some unaccountable reason, the company refuses to provide anamorphic enhancement for widescreen movies that were projected theatrically at anything less than 1.85:1, and SPETTERS - photographed by Jost Vacano (DAS BOOT, ROBOCOP) at 1.66:1 - is duly presented in the lesser ratio, letterboxed only. And while the image here is perfectly acceptable, it would have benefitted enormously from the added clarity of anamorphic encoding. Viewers with 16:9 monitors can blow up the image to fill the screen, cutting off part of the top and bottom, but this option obscures a number of important visual details (such as an early sexual encounter during which Agterberg is masturbated on-camera by a female one-night-stand, where the focus of the shot is located at the very bottom of the frame). That aside, the disc preserves the unrated director's cut - running 122m 15s (minus the MGM logos at beginning and end) - and the mono Dutch soundtrack is supplemented by optional English subtitles and closed captions. A trailer is also included. NB. The film's title - which goes untranslated in this DVD presentation - is Dutch slang for handsome, arrogant young men.
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