06/05 (2004)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Theo van Gogh

Writers:

Theo van Gogh (dialogue)
Tomas Ross (dialogue & scenario)

Release Date:

23 February 2005 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A fictional version of the events that led to the assassination of the Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn on May 6, 2002. The movie is based upon the book "The sixth of May" by Tomas Ross.

Plot Keywords:

Politician | Investigation | Murder | Helicopter | Flashback

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Thijs Römer	...	Jim de Booy
Tara Elders	...	Ayse Him
Cahit Ölmez	...	Erdogan Demir
Jack Wouterse	...	Van Dam
Johnny de Mol	...	Redacteur NRC, John
Caro Lenssen	...	Marije de Booy
Marcel Hensema	...	Wester
Gijs Naber	...	Wouter Heemskerk
Marlies Heuer	...	Thera
Georgina Verbaan	...	Birgit Maas
Ariane Schluter	...	Ex Jim
Tooske Breugem	...	Grondstewardess
Peer Mascini	...	Buurman
Marijke Veugelers	...	Buurvrouw
Reinout Bussemaker	...	Volkert van der G

Also Known As:

06/05: The Sixth of May (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

Netherlands:117 min

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch | English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Column Productions

Trivia:

Marcel van Dam, a well-known Dutch TV personality, made an unsuccessful attempt to have his presence removed from the movie before the premiere. The movie uses an excerpt from a discussion program in which he calls Pim Fortuyn "an inferior human being" in his face.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The wide shot of the Media Park in Hilversum shows building cranes. At the time of the murder these weren't there and the trees next to the parking lot where Fortuyn was murdered, which are visible in news footage in the movie, were later cleared and dug out to make way for new buildings.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "5 jaar later: (#1.2)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Broad Daylight

Movie nicely demonstrates current Dutch double standard and successfully feeds on ultra-right fear-mongering

You've got to hand it to him, the movie has succeeded in it's attempt. The movie was made as a monument to the embodiment of the Anti-Moslemism: Pim Fortuyn. Don't be distracted by the goal on the surface, which is to suggest that Dutch secret service knew about the murder and let it happen. The ulterior motive of this movie was to create a more anti-Moslem, anti-foreigner, anti-immigration sentiment in the Netherlands.

The effect of this movie (we can't call it 'film', it's too bad a plot for that) can still be felt today. Nowadays it's very popular to take the p|ss on foreigners in the Netherlands. Not just the man in the street does it, politicians do it even more so. The ultimate success of this work is evidenced by the fact that the country's most popular politician is extremely harsh towards foreigners, pounding on them relentlessly every chance she gets (She wants to extradite Iranian homosexual men to "gay-friendly" Iran with the advise to pretend they're heterosexual! Being homosexual is a capital offense in Iran).

I have to agree with others that technically and plot-wise the film is below par. The acting is not that bad, but the significance of this work lies in the political message. It's often said that Fortuyn, despite all his shortcomings, woke up the silent minority, and that he lead the masses to the ballot box. If all he did was wake up the racists, the xenophobes, the anti-immigration crowd, please let these people go back to sleep again.

Another flaw of this movie is the part about the Demonizing: the movie suggests that Fortuyn was Demonized, and thus, left-wing politicians are morally responsible for his murder. This is also known as the 'He Started The Fight When He Hit Me Back'-defense, or put more succinctly, Hypocrisy. The movie supports Fortuyns double standard: it's okay to say the most heinous and harsh things about Moslems, but when Fortuyn is criticized for that by left-wing politicians and even those from the center, all of a sudden they're accused of Demonizing??!