Ciske the Rat (1955)

Directed by: Wolfgang Staudte | 96 minutes | drama | Actors: Dick van der Velde, Berta Drews, Kees Brusse, Günther Lüders, Heli Finkenzeller, Hermann Speelmans, Johan Kaart, Jan Blaaser, Dick Bos, Rob de Vries, Tjeerd de Vries, Bernard Droog, Katja Ernst, Heidi Evert, Lies Franken , Ben Groenier, Hans Kips, Annie Langenaken, Cees Laseur, Stine Lerou, Guus Oster, Kees Pruis, Joan Remmelts, Willy Ruys, Riek Schagen, Paul teenbergen, Jan Teulings, Hans Tiemeyer, Johan Valk, Bert van der Linden, Piet van Lions, Jenny van Maerlant, Frans van Schaik, Theo van Vliet, Puck Willems

‘Ciske de Rat’ is probably one of the most famous films in Dutch film history. What many people do not know these days, however, is that the 1984 version – with Danny de Munk in the lead role – is not the first film adaptation of Piet Bakker’s book. ‘Ciske de Rat’ is based on the first two parts of his Ciske triology. The first film version of this appeared in 1955. This film caused a revival of the Dutch film industry in the same year. The film industry in the Netherlands was completely dozed during the war and in the early 1950s hardly any films were made in the Netherlands. This is one of the reasons why ‘Ciske de Rat’ was special. The film won a Silver Lion for its premiere in Dutch cinemas at the Venice Film Festival. After that, the film attracted almost 2.5 million visitors in Dutch cinemas and is therefore still one of the most successful Dutch films ever.

Ciske de Rat (Dick van der Velde) is an unlucky lad who grows up in the deprived neighborhoods of Amsterdam in the 1930s. The boy seems to grow up for gallows and wheels. His mother (Jenny van Maerlant) and father (Rob de Vries) are jointly responsible for this. When Ciske enters the class with master Bruis (Kees Brusse), everything seems to be going better, until Ciske kills his terrible mother in a fit of anger.

Unfortunately, ‘Ciske de Rat’ regularly makes comparisons with the remake in 1984 and the film usually loses out against this version. For example, Jenny van Maerlant is not nearly as impressive as Willeke van Ammelrooy, who played the role of Ciske’s mother in 1984. Because Van Maerlant does not come out as strong as the bad mother, the murder that Ciske commits is less easy to understand. The implicit way of filming (and hardly any images are shown of what actually goes on between mother and son, the viewer is mostly told by master Bruis), reinforces this feeling. There is less sympathy for Ciske. That makes you regularly wonder why everyone takes such a stand for this boy. This lack of sympathy for Ciske is the film’s biggest flaw, which is also worth checking out. It is not without reason that ‘Ciske de Rat’ was such an incredible success in the 1950s. The story is moving and the playing of Dick van der Velde and Kees Brusse in particular manages to impress. Even now ‘Ciske de Rat’ is exciting enough to keep your attention for an hour and a half.