Riphagen

I had never heard of Dries Riphagen beforehand, and we came across this film accidentally on Netflix. It turned out to be a fantastic watch and one that gives a good lowdown on a wartime conman. The acting is very good indeed and the film settings are authentic.

Definitely better than I had expected going in. A tense period piece with the war as a distant background and the cat and mouse game of the Wehrmacht security forces and their collaborators against Dutch resistance fighters in the foreground.

The way Riphagen, a criminal who makes the best of the situation, plays his victims and his enemies is like watching a snake curling its way through a buffalo stampede of self-righteous characters and thoroughly enjoyable.

Especially interesting is the fast pace that allows for a second half that shows how the approaching end of the war unleashed a whirlwind of internally divided Dutch nationalism that started lashing out against anyone deemed a collaborator and was already preparing for the fight against the communists.

Fantasticly shot and directed. I couldn't fault it. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Is this person good or bad? Full of suspense throughout. Well acted by each and every actor. I wish there were more movies like this. Even with only English subtitles. Bravo ladies and gentlemen, you should be proud.

A true story that is well paced with brilliant acting. Definitely worth watching.

Another film about Holland, the Nazis, and the Resistance in World War II is this one from 2016, Riphagen. A true story, and the title character is one of the most reprehensible human beings known to man.

Dries Riphagen (excellently portrayed by Jeroen van Koningsbrugge) is a Dutch traitor who seeks out Jews who are in hiding and offers to keep their jewelry and homes safe for them until they get back. As if any of them are coming back. The slimeball puts everything in a safety deposit box, but it's all for him, not the poor people he robbed.

One interesting thing - I had just seen The Resistance Banker, about a Dutch hero in World War II, before I saw this film. In reviews of both, it was mentioned that the reviewer became confused either by the story or had trouble telling the good guys from the bad guys. I did not have this problem, and I wondered if it was because I was from another generation. I can remember watching The Constant Gardener with someone and having to explain it line by line. Is it that audiences today are used to shorter scenes, need more action, have less of an attention span, or are too easily distracted?

At any rate, this is a film rich in '40s atmosphere, wonderfully acted, and suspenseful. It is definitely worth seeing, although I don't think many people need to be reminded of how cruel and depraved human beings can be. We have enough of them around as it is.