Spetters (1980)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writer:

Gerard Soeteman (scenario)

Release Date:

28 February 1980 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Sport

Plot:

A Dutch film, post-Saturday Night Fever, which follows the lives of three young men who are amateur dirt-bike motorcycle racers...

Plot Keywords:

Accident | Wheelchair | French Fries | Love | Motorcycle

Cast

Hans van Tongeren	...	Rien
Renée Soutendijk	...	Fientje
Toon Agterberg	...	Eef
Maarten Spanjer	...	Hans
Marianne Boyer	...	Maya
Peter Tuinman	...	Jaap
Saskia Ten Batenburg	...	Truus
Yvonne Valkenburg	...	Annette
Ab Abspoel	...	Rien's vader (as Albert Abspoel)
Rudi Falkenhagen	...	Hans' vader
Hans Veerman	...	Eef's vader
Ben Aerden	...	Oude Homosexueel
Kitty Courbois	...	Doctor
Margot Keune	...	Meisje op bromfiets
Jonna Koster	...	Gerrit's vrouw

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | Norway:18 (cut) (1983) | UK:18 (cut) | USA:R | Netherlands:16 | Canada:R | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | Argentina:18 | UK:18 (video re-rating) (uncut) (2004) | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2005) | West Germany:18 (original rating) (1980) | Finland:K-16 (1995)

Filming Locations:

Burgwal, Delft, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Endemol Entertainment

Trivia:

This is the first film Paul Verhoeven made that was not an adaptation of a novel.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Fientje confronts the journalist, she pulls her big blue Chevy right in front of the journalists sports car from his left side. He even leans on her car just a few feet away from his car while talking to her. Moments later, they both get into his sports car and he drives forward and to the left, exactly where her car should be.

Movie Connections:

References Grease (1978)

Soundtrack:

Eagle

A Slice of Dutch teen-life: SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER Style!

I really found much to like about this hard-edged drama. For one thing; its impressionable cast with characters like Rien and Fientje; and sharp cinematography make it a real winner. I enjoy watching this as a double bill with SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER; there are strong similarities between the two. The scenes are shot with a lot of earnestness and validity. I find it ironically saddening that the man who played Rien (Hans van Tongeren) committed suicide in 1982 two years after he played this role at the young age of 28. It's nice to know that Verhoeven has a gift with drama as he does with big action movies like ROBOCOP and BASIC INSTINCT. If you have the means, choose this movie.