In 'Maldoror', director Fabrice du Welz tackles one of Belgium's darkest pages in recent history. The abduction and death of several teenage girls by Marc Dutroux caused a national trauma in 1996. The fact that local police forces and criminal investigators hardly cooperated during the investigation, may have cost the girls their lives. This failure led to a thorough reorganisation of law enforcement.
The movie tells the story from the viewpoint of a police officer, Paul Charlier, who searched the cellar where the girls were hidden. He heard them whisper, but couldn't find them because of the limited search warrant. These events happened in reality, but Du Welz mixes facts and fiction in his film. He portrays the police officer as a typical streetwise cop, who prefers his gut feelings over rules and procedures. Charlier knows he is right, but his superiors have other priorities. Ultimately, his perseverance and lack of respect for authorities lead to his downfall, the end of his marriage, but also to his ultimate moral victory.
The movie is at the same time an exciting police thriller and a character study of Charlier. His strong will is the result from his upbringing: his parents were far from law-abiding. He is determined to be 'on the right side', but for him hunting down criminals is what counts. If rules and regulations stand in the way, he ignores them.
Visually, the film is a joy to watch. The desolate industrial wasteland of Charleroi, where the abductions took place, is used to the maximum. Also, the hopelesness of the city, where unlawful activities seem to thrive, adds to the gloomy atmosphere.
The film documents an important part of Belgian history, and for those who followed the events at the time, it is an interesting interpretation. But some events are clearly fictional. In order to make an exciting police thriller with political elements, the movie abandoned historical accuracy.
