De vierde man (1983)

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writers:

Gerard Reve (novel)
Gerard Soeteman (writer)

Release Date:

24 March 1983 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Christine is young, beautiful and rich. Her three husbands all died tragically. It's time for Christine to find her fourth man.

Plot:

The morbid Catholic writer Gerard Reve that is homosexual, alcoholic and has frequent visions of death...

Plot Keywords:

Vision | Spider | Catholic | Nightmare | Alcoholic

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jeroen Krabbé	...	Gerard Reve
Renée Soutendijk	...	Christine Halsslag
Thom Hoffman	...	Herman
Dolf de Vries	...	Dr. de Vries
Geert de Jong	...	Ria
Hans Veerman	...	Begrafenisondernemer
Hero Muller	...	Josefs
Caroline de Beus	...	Adrienne
Reinout Bussemaker	...	Eerste echtgenoot
Erik J. Meijer	...	Tweede echtgenoot
Ursul de Geer	...	Derde echtgenoot
Filip Bolluyt	...	Surfer
Hedda Lornie	...	Verkoopster boekhandel
Paul Nygaard	...	Violist
Guus van der Made	...	Treinkelner
Pamela Teves	...	Verpleegster
Hella Faassen	...	Vrouw bij lezing
Helen Hedy	...	Verkoopster AKO

Directed by
Paul Verhoeven

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gerard Reve		novel
Gerard Soeteman		writer

Produced by
Rob Houwer	....	producer

Original Music by
Loek Dikker

Cinematography by
Jan de Bont

Film Editing by
Ine Schenkkan

Art Direction by
Roland De Groot

Costume Design by
Elly Claus

Makeup Department
Patrick de Loor	....	hair stylist
Kathy Kühne	....	hair stylist
Kathy Kühne	....	makeup artist
Christopher Tucker	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Remmelt Remmelts	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jindra Markus	....	assistant director

Art Department
Strengholt Laurens	....	props

Sound Department
Meep Mulder	....	re-recording mixer
Ad Roest	....	adr mixer
Ad Roest	....	foley mixer
Ad Roest	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Tholen	....	sound recordist
Tom Tholen	....	sound
Math van Duurling	....	sound recordist
Math van Duurling	....	sound recordist: effects and atmosphere

Special Effects by
Harrie Wiessenhaan	....	special effects supervisor

Stunts
Dickey Beer	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Tom Erisman	....	lighting technician
Hugo Van Baren	....	key grip

Other crew
Frank Herrebout	....	production assistant
Marjan Taconis	....	location manager
Jelte Velzen	....	assistant to producer
Ineke van Wezel	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• Rob Houwer Productions
• Verenigde Nederlandsche Filmcompagnie (VNF)

Distributors

• International Spectrafilm (1984) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Media Home Entertainment (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Arcade Movie Company (1995) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• EuroVideo (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• Mainline Pictures (UK)
• Media Home Entertainment (video)
• Xenon Entertainment Group (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Optical Arthouse  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

The 4th Man (USA) (video box title)
The Fourth Man (USA)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:R | South Korea:18 (1995) | Argentina:18 | Hong Kong:III | Netherlands:12 | UK:18 | West Germany:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Central Station, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Rob Houwer Productions

Trivia:

Director Paul Verhoeven frequently claimed that he made this film, overdoing the symbolism and bible references intentionally, just to please the snobbish Dutch critics, who had dismissed his previous work as shallow sensationalism. In recent years however he has moderated his views on the film, declaring himself quite satisfied with it.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: At the beginning of the movie, as Gerard is getting out of bed, the boom mic is visible in a mirror behind him.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Allemaal film: Verander de wereld (#1.4)" (2007)

One of Verhoeven's best

In Holland a gay writer Gerard (Jeroen Krabbe) gives a lecture. He stays overnight with a beautiful woman Christine (Renee Soutendijk) and has sex with her (by imagining she's a boy). He plans to leave the next day, but gets a look at a picture of Christine's hunky boyfriend Herman (Thom Hoffman) and decides to stay to have a try at him. Then things get strange.

A big X-rated art house hit in the US in 1983. Why was it X rated? Let's see...there's strangulation, full frontal male and female nudity, castration, mutilation, simulated sex, a scene in a church with a cross that will shock most people, a gay sex scene in a crypt...and it's all a comedy!!!!! Paul Verhoeven made this after "Spetters". "Spetters" was attacked by the critics for it's extreme sexual sequences and denounced as trash. So, Verhoeven filled this film with very obvious symbolism thinking the critics would think it was art and praise it. He was right! Critics loved the film not realizing that Verhoeven was playing a big joke on them. Still, it's a great film.

It's beautifully shot by Jan de Bont (now a director himself) and there's so much symbolism and obvious "hidden" layers in the dialogue that you're never bored. All the acting is great--Krabbe plays a thoroughly despicable character but (somehow) has you rooting for him; Soutendijk is just stunning to look at and plays her part to perfection--the little smile she gives when Gerard agrees to stay with her is chilling; Hoffman is extremely handsome with a great body--he deserves credit for doing the church sequence and going at with Krabbe in the crypt.

This is not for people easily offended or the weak of heart, but if you like extreme movies that playfully challenge you (like me) this is for you! A 10 all the way.