To Play or to Die

I agree with other comments that Kees is not seeking revenge, as stated on the DVD jacket, but that Kees is deeply in love with Charel. The movie is a psychological study of a young boy unable to deal with his emotions and unable to express his feelings. One of the most striking moments in the movie could easily escape notice: when the boys are headed outside for exercise, Kees finds himself falling further behind and, to his dismay, calls out to Charel for no apparent reason. This deeply-felt, yet unexplainable reaction speaks volumes. He longs for, but cannot attain the object of his desire. The distance of a few feet sends distress signals throughout him, so that he is unable to control his reaction. Charel is equally unable to deal with the feelings he suspects Kees has for him; he responds not with compassion and understanding, but with rejection and defiance.

The acting is compelling and the characters are appealing. I watched this short film more than once and was fascinated with the nuances of expression and the dynamics of the contrasting main characters. I found it easy to relate to the characters and a social situation that precludes the natural expression of certain emotions. Although some technical aspects of the film could be improved, the subject and its impact are masterfully presented.

"To Play Or Die" is an intense story about loneliness.

It is about Kees, an introverted boy who is constantly being picked on at school. Knowing his parents will be away for the day he has decided to invite Charel, one of the bullies to visit him at home after school. The DVD packaging says he is searching for revenge by doing this, but it's clear to me that Kees actually likes Charel.

During the day Kees endures a particularly humiliating experience in the school gymnasium locker room. Still, Charel does show up at Kees' home later on. It goes badly from the start and soon they get into a fist fight because Charel thinks Kees isn't manly enough.

After that, Kees goes completely berserk and self-destructs. I think that the reason for this is a combination of loneliness, self-hatred and frustration. It's a powerful film. I can't bring myself to watch it again. And I can't help thinking about it either.

A gay film from 1990 made in the Netherlands that was one of the first gay films I have seen. I don't see it on many watchlists or talked about much so I consider it obscure. Fairly short film but very intense and very well made. Illustrates the loneliness and victimization of gay teen, especially prior to the 2000s. Story involves Kees who attends an all-boys school where bullying is the norm. Kees has a secret crush on Charel, one of the bullies. The bullies torment Kees in the lockerroom at school one afternoon, forcibly stripping him of his underwear as they mock him. Kees later devises a plan of revenge (or is it?) in which he invites Charel over. A fairly intense ending to a glimpse into the life of an introverted gay teen male. Parental advisory: full frontal of Kees in the locker room scene where he is stripped by bullies. Geert Hunaerts does an outstanding job as the tormented youth Kees. Worth a watch.

On the VHS version I saw, only the Dutch words spoken during the French class were translated into the English subtitles. And if even if other versions do translate the French, it would be really hard to do it justice.

The French class scene would have been really hard to follow if I were relying on the subtitles. Early on, Charel copies or borrows Kees's homework. The sentence the teacher asks Charel to read aloud (and praises because another boy has mispronounced it) translates as "It is worth it for me to do my own work." The teacher clearly has it in for Kees. She purposefully makes him translate aloud the sentence "I follow a blind ass." Kees is a dutiful good student and doesn't realize (the way the teacher must) that he will be making an ambiguous statement in French sort of like "I see Uranus" in English is also "I see your anus". "I follow" in French sounds the same as "I am". So all the other kids laugh at him because the teacher has just made Kees say, "I am a blind ass."

To fully appreciate this short film (40 minutes) one has to closely identify or empathize with its young hero. This lad is quiet, intense, and emotionally not the most stable of personalities. He focuses his attention on a significant other -- a student in his class with a contrasting personality. This results in a conflicting relationship, leaving the young hero distraught to the point of being suicidal.

It's not a very optimistic short story told here, yet one which creates a definite mood and sustains interest throughout its brief running time. Very well acted, "To Play or Die" is a minor effort, noteworthy for its unusually short duration. There are not many short stories filmed with running times of under 45 minutes, that are independent and not part of any kind of series.