Les habitants

De Noorderlingen was a pretty good Dutch film that was a bit like Bunuel, set in an interesting landscape, which follows the inhabitants of the rural mini-town in which they reside. The iron-fisted hunter, the kid who paints his face to be like an African revolutionary, his father the butcher who seemingly gets more sinister as his wife gets more saintly, the quirky postman, a mysterious forest nymph, etc... what transpires is a humorous black comedy that works, pointless in a non-bad way, but ultimately isn't amazing like Bunuel's "The Discreet Charm..." or anything. Still it's a good flick.

6.5 out of 10

Great film, yes, humorous and clever. I spent a few months in Holland and saw the great contrasts between liberal Amsterdam and the almost Aamish conservatism of the countryside and its small villages. This film is an indictment of the religious puritanism and hypocrisy of the ' blind' , represented by the manic huntsman. It's rare to wish to see another human being blinded but here it feels like a much-awaited catharsis and it says something great about a Director who can make such extreme violence part of what the viewer himself feels is justified. Unlike Von Trier, who's violence disgusts and seems arbitrary and just stemming from his own mental illness, this Director here is fully in control of himself and his vision ( basically humane). For me the most irritating person is not the butcher, because while he is meant to seem animalist and piggish, his 'frustration' can be understood and is human. I don't really understand what his wife is meant to represent, and the prayer scenes outside their house, except to show religious extremism as hypocritical, inhuman and destructive of healthy love. It seems that only the boy, the dead girl, the black boy and the postmen are the only human beings worthy of that name in the village.

Bleak, funny yes, but very dark. Ultimately , DEPRESSING. Doesn't make me want to live in Holland. In fact, this seems like a film made by a Director very unhappy with the State of his own country, and very alienated. It is the humour of desperation and the end of the film is messy and offers no hope. The postman returns, meets the boy , and so what? What then? Back to a "happy life" in that village from Hell?

In the Dutch Dogville?

I don't think so.

I think this is the first of Warmedam that I have seen, but I immediately want more.

How wonderfully well Marlies plays the spoiled brat who pushes her staff to the limit and humiliates them.

Over the course of the film you discover that there is more to it in terms of relationship and family and the story takes a somewhat unexpected turn.

I think it was a twist that was a bit disappointing in terms of ending, but I thought the film as a whole was successful.

I actually expected that eventually someone from the staff would blow the fuse, but that turned out differently, a plot twist that left me with some mixed feelings.

Alex van Warmerdam is one of the very few Dutch directors whose films I can bear to watch. He has created a number of very good absurdistic movies (Abel, de Noorderlingen, de Jurk, kleine Teun), of which I liked de Noorderlingen best; its weird scenes are evidence of a wonderfully imaginative and free mind. Van Warmerdam has something of a voyeur, a trait which influences all his movies; what better setting could he choose than a hideously Dutch, `modern' village where all the people are continually spying on each other through their large front windows. Yet if you expect that all magic would have disappeared from such surroundings, think again.... there are fairies in the woods nearby and one inhabitant turns out to be holy.

I can tell you from personal experience that there exist Dutch people with a sense of humour, but if you don't believe me be sure to go and watch this movie.

don't try to understand this movie if you haven't lived in holland for a considerable time, this movie portrays in a very ironical way, the narrowminded attitude of the dutch people in the 60's. it is sharp and down to earth at the same time. i don't think non-dutchman will appreciate this movie, but you can always try! i am from holland and i thought it was a brillant satire, with good perfomances of a few well known dutch actors (including the director who also plays the role of the postman).i give it an 8 out of 10.