'Beyond, Beyond' is an early TV film by
Paul Verhoeven. He made this movie after his most popular and best-received films
Louca Paixão (1973) and
Soldado de Laranja (1977). The film shows the experience the director gained. The film is kind of the tail of
Soldado de Laranja (1977). This is the aftermath of the Second World War. Thirty-five years after the war Ab (
André van den Heuvel) tries to get together his group of resistance friends. He needs them to settle an old score.
A few days before the end of the war, a joint friend of the group, Arie, was shot by traitor Niels, who had joined the nazis. Led by
Derek de Lint the resitance members decide to have their revenge. Just like the resistance members in
A Espiã (2006) (not surprisingly the same script writer,
Gerard Soeteman).
Dramatically the film is very effective film. The acting is excellent and the film contains subtle scenes in which interesting moral dilemmas are raised. Should they murder an old man? Should someone be punished at all costs? Ab does not get the reactions he was expecting. "I do not want to shout anyone anymore" is a remark he hears. And "every life is precious". He is accused of living in the past, and when he states that they should set an example for the children who must learn from history, he is told: "The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing".
The film contains beautiful scenes between the different, experienced actors, and manages to bring about both tension and anticipation and effective drama. Interesting visual cues can also be observed in different places. For example, a simple act like closing a robe of one of the characters is an important visual sign for a shocking event that is about to take place. Apart from a somewhat tiring running scene with clumsy, dated music underneath, there is hardly a weak moment to be discovered in the film. 'Beyond, Beyond' is a powerful, well-acted and directed drama that deserves a new life.
