A Flight of Whimbrels (1981)

Directed by: Ate de Jong | 93 minutes | drama, comedy | Actors: Jeroen Krabbé, Marijke Merckens, Henriëtte Tol, Claire Wauthion, Huib Rooymans, Willeke van Ammelrooy, Rijk de Gooyer, Femke Boersma, Loes Luca, Simone Kleinsma, Margot Keune, Elja Pelgrom, Peter Tuinman, Paul van Gorcum, Hans Veerman

The Dutch writer Maarten ‘t Hart has an extensive oeuvre to his name, but if you ask people to name one book by him, there is a good chance that they will answer ‘A flight of whimbrel’. Apparently the book still has a special appeal, which has made it adorn the reading lists of high school students for decades (the book was published in 1978). Whether director Ate de Jong had foreseen this remains to be seen. The fact remains that very soon after the work was published, he started working on a film adaptation, which was allowed to hit Dutch cinemas in 1981.

In ‘A flight of whimbrel’, 34-year-old professor of cell biology Maarten (Jeroen Krabbé), who lives with his sick mother, receives a message from God at night. That he has seven days to finally go to bed with a woman or else he will die. Maarten is a total klutz when it comes to women, so it seems like an almost impossible task. His alter-ego (also Jeroen Krabbé, but now with a dirty porn moustache) assists him with advice and assistance, but also takes pleasure in making Maarten completely ridiculous. Initially Maarten does not really want to. But he soon begins to see divine omens and decides to announce that he only has a few days left to lose his virginity.

It produces many curious and above all very laughable situations, without being distressing. Now and then Krabbé is dabbling, but above all he has visible fun in his double role. The film feels a bit dated, but not in a disturbing way. He especially breathes the kind of carefreeness that you could still taste in the early eighties.

Maarten has only one friend, or rather: only one person (besides his mother) who accepts him as he is. Jacob (a beautiful natural Huib Rooymans) has been friends with Maarten since high school and when it comes to women, he is the exact opposite of his comrade. He is an important pivot in the story, because the sister of Maarten’s great childhood sweetheart shows up at his wedding. Which triggers a tidal wave of memories (in flashback). Interesting is the choice to have the voices of the young Jacob and Maarten recorded by the old actors. It works surprisingly well.

The film differs from the book in many ways, but largely follows the same kind of story. While ‘t Hart pays a lot of attention in his book to the strictly Reformed environment in which he grew up, this is only reflected in a few scenes in the film. But Maarten’s social isolation is credibly designed, which gives the almost impossible mission the necessary tension. All in all, still a very nice film that continues in a pleasant way.