The Knife (1961 film)

Last updated

The Knife
Directed by Fons Rademakers
Written by Hugo Claus
Based on
  • "The Knife"
  • by Hugo Claus
Produced by
  • Joop Landré
  • Karel Logher
Starring
CinematographyEduard van der Enden
Edited by Henri Rust
Music by Pim Jacobs
Production
company
Nederlandse Filmproductie Maatschappij
Release date
  • 2 March 1961 (1961-03-02)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryNetherlands
LanguageDutch

The Knife (Dutch : Het Mes) is a 1961 Dutch drama film directed by Fons Rademakers. It is based on the short story of the same name by Hugo Claus from his collection The Black Emperor. Claus also wrote the screenplay for the film. The Knife is a coming-of-age story about Thomas, a thirteen-year-old boy who has a contentious relationship with his mother and starts to have conflicting feelings about his female friend, Toni.

Contents

The film was entered into the 1961 Cannes Film Festival where it competed for the Palme d'Or. [1]

Plot

Thomas is a 13-year-old boy in Limburg who lives with his mother. Since his father's death, his mother has begun a relationship with Oscar, his dad's best friend. This drives a wedge between mother and son, who thinks his mother is trying to replace his dad with Oscar. At an exhibition at a monastery, Thomas steals an antique knife. He shows it to Toni, his female friend, to impress her. Thomas uses the knife to intimidate Oscar, which ends up landing Thomas into trouble and results in Oscar confiscating the weapon.  

After this incident, the mother tells Thomas he will be sent to boarding school at the end of the summer. Thomas spends the remainder of his summer days with Toni, visiting the fair and a territory owned by young people called De Valken. On their first visit to De Valken, Thomas is publicly humiliated by other boys. Thomas vows to get revenge with his knife, which he sneaks back into his possession. Meanwhile, Oscar's relationship with the mother has become strained, and Oscar's many evenings spent at the local pub starts to give the couple a bad reputation.

On the second visit to De Valken, Thomas and Toni witness a sexual assault. Toni is repulsed by what she saw, but Thomas is fascinated by it. When Toni confronts Thomas about it, he playfully threatens her with his knife. One evening, Thomas witnesses an argument between his mother and Oscar. No longer wanting to live in the house, Thomas runs away and spends the night in a barn. He has a dream where his father shoots him. The next day, Thomas is reluctantly brought back home by a villager.

Back at home, the mother apologizes to Thomas for abandoning him. She reasons he is too young to understand why he is being sent away, but suggests it has to do with Oscar. A few days later, Thomas leaves for boarding school. On the road, he says in a voice-over that he is ready for the next phase of his life and that he has outgrown Toni and the knife.

Cast

Production

Fons Rademakers commissioned producer Joop Landré to make an adaptation of Hugo Claus's novella, thinking "it was very poetic". [2] Rademakers ended up contacting the writer himself, who was residing in New Orleans at the time. Claus immediately set to work on the screenplay, which he completed in two weeks. [2]

Reception

The film was well received by the Dutch press. A reviewer from Het Vrije Volk wrote, "The Knife is without a doubt the best film that has ever left our studios". [2] The film also received acclaim at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. [1] At Film Week Arnhem, The Knife was proclaimed the best Dutch feature film since World War II by the Dutch Cinema Association and was awarded the Silver Rose. [3] The film was not a commercial success, [4] which film historians attribute to its "poetic [subject] matter". [2]  

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Malle</span> French film director, screenwriter, and producer

Louis Marie Malle was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a filmmaker difficult to pin down", Malle made documentaries, romances, period dramas, and thrillers. He often depicted provocative or controversial subject matter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugo Claus</span> Belgian author (1929–2008)

Hugo Maurice Julien Claus was a leading Belgian author who published under his own name as well as various pseudonyms. Claus' literary contributions spanned the genres of drama, novels, and poetry; he also left a legacy as a painter and film director. He wrote primarily in Dutch, although he also wrote some poetry in English. He won the 2000 International Nonino Prize in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Ivory</span> American film director (born 1928)

James Francis Ivory is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was a principal in Merchant Ivory Productions along with Indian film producer Ismail Merchant and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. The trio is known for making film adaptations of stories by authors such as E.M. Forster and Henry James. Their body of work is celebrated for its elegance, sophistication, literary fidelity, strong performances, complex themes, and rich characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Decleir</span> Belgian actor

Jan Decleir is a prolific Belgian movie and stage actor born in Niel, Antwerp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herman Brusselmans</span> Belgian novelist

Herman Frans Martha Brusselmans is a Belgian novelist, poet, playwright and columnist. He lives in Ghent. He is one of the best-selling authors in Flanders, but controversial at the same time for his profane language and offensive comedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of the Netherlands</span>

Cinema of the Netherlands refers to the film industry based in the Netherlands. Because the Dutch film industry is relatively small, and there is little or no international market for Dutch films, almost all films rely on state funding. This funding can be achieved through several sources, for instance through the Netherlands Film Fund or the public broadcast networks. In recent years the Dutch Government has established several tax shelters for private investments in Dutch films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Calf (award)</span> Dutch film award

The Golden Calf is the award of the Netherlands Film Festival, which is held annually in Utrecht. The award has been presented since 1981, originally in six categories: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Culture Prize and Honourable mention. In 2004, there were 16 award categories, mainly because in 2003 the categories Best Photography, Best Montage, Best Music, Best Production Design, Best Sound Design were added.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hany Abu-Assad</span> Palestinian–Dutch film director (born 1961)

Hany Abu-Assad is a Palestinian-Dutch film director. He has received two Academy Award nominations: in 2006 for his film Paradise Now, and again in 2013 for his film Omar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherlands Film Festival</span> Annual film festival held in Utrecht, Netherlands

The Netherlands Film Festival is an annual film festival, held in September and October of each year in the city of Utrecht.

<i>The Sorrow of Belgium</i> 1983 novel by Hugo Claus

The Sorrow of Belgium is a 1983 novel by the Belgian author Hugo Claus (1929–2008). The book, widely considered Claus's most important work and "the most important Dutch-language novel of the twentieth century", is a Bildungsroman which explores themes around politics and growing up in Flanders around World War II. It has been described as "one of the great novels of postwar Europe".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paolo Sorrentino</span> Italian film director and screenwriter

Paolo Sorrentino is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and writer. He is considered one of the most prominent filmmakers of Italian cinema working today. He is known for visually striking and complex dramas and has often been compared to Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni. He has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, two Cannes Film Festival prizes, four Venice Film Festival Awards and four European Film Awards. In Italy he was honoured with eight David di Donatello and six Nastro d'Argento awards.

<i>The Assault</i> (1986 film) 1986 film by Fons Rademakers

The Assault is a 1986 film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Harry Mulisch. The film was directed and produced by Fons Rademakers. The main character is played by both Derek de Lint and Marc van Uchelen, whereas Monique van de Ven plays two different roles, one after the war and one in the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fons Rademakers</span> Dutch actor (1920–2007)

Alphonse Marie "Fons" Rademakers was a Dutch actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1961 Cannes Film Festival</span>

The 14th Cannes Film Festival was held from 3 to 18 May 1961. The Palme d'Or went to the Une aussi longue absence, directed by Henri Colpi and Viridiana, directed by Luis Buñuel. The festival opened with Che gioia vivere, directed by René Clément.

Like Two Drops of Water is a 1963 Dutch drama film directed by Fons Rademakers. It is an adaptation of the 1958 novel The Darkroom of Damocles by Willem Frederik Hermans. It was entered into the 1963 Cannes Film Festival and was selected as the Dutch entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 36th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

De Dans van de Reiger is a 1966 Dutch film directed by Fons Rademakers. It was adapted by Hugo Claus from his play of the same name.

<i>I Killed My Mother</i> 2009 film by Xavier Dolan

I Killed My Mother is a 2009 Canadian drama film written, directed, produced by and starring Xavier Dolan, in his directorial debut. Loosely autobiographical, it follows the complicated relationship between a young man Hubert Minel (Dolan) and his mother. The film attracted international press attention when it won three awards from the Director's Fortnight program at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. After being shown, the film received a standing ovation. It was shown in 12 cinemas in Quebec and 60 in France.

<i>The Sacrament</i> (1989 film) 1989 film

The Sacrament is a 1989 Belgian comedy film directed by Belgian author Hugo Claus. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. The film is based on Claus' own novel Omtrent Deedee and his play Interieur. The film was selected as the Belgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

<i>Vrijdag</i> 1980 film

Vrijdag is a 1980 Belgian-Dutch drama film directed by Hugo Claus, based on his 1969 play. It was entered into the 31st Berlin International Film Festival. The film focuses on a couple, Georges and Jeanne, in a quiet Dutch countryside as they cope and catch up with each other after Georges is released from jail.

<i>Ilo Ilo</i> 2013 film

Ilo Ilo is a 2013 Singaporean drama film. The debut feature of director Anthony Chen, the film features an international cast, including Singaporean actor Chen Tianwen, Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann, Filipino actress Angeli Bayani, and debut of child actor Koh Jia Ler.

References

  1. 1 2 "Festival de Cannes: The Knife". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 van Gelder, Henk (1995). Hollands Hollywood (in Dutch). Amsterdam: Luitingh-Sijthoff. p. 84.
  3. "Het mes". filmbieb. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  4. "Het mes Eye". Eye Filmmuseum - Amsterdam (in Dutch). 28 November 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2021.