Oeroeg (1993)

Directed by: Hans Hylkema | 114 minutes | drama, war | Actors: Jeroen Krabbé, Rik Launspach, Martin Schwab, Joris Putman, Peter Faber, Marjon Brandsma, Tom Jansen

Anyone who takes the trouble to read this introduction can stop now. Right, you can stop reading now. Hey, what are you still doing here in front of your PC? Now run to your local video store and ask for ‘Oeroeg’, hop hop. Oh you want to know why you should invest your precious time in this movie? Okay critical reader, that will now be explained to you in great detail. ‘Oeroeg’ offers an unprecedentedly strong Dutch film of top quality. Not convinced yet? Geez, you’re not making it easy. All right then, read on and let yourself be persuaded to check out this production by Hans Hylkema.

‘Oeroeg’ is set in Indonesia in 1946. The country is torn apart by war and a deluge of Dutch soldiers who have to put things in order. However, the soldiers are not wanted by most of the natives. Among the Dutch is also Johan ten Berghe (Launspach). This lieutenant has spent his childhood in the Asian country. Now that he returns to his real homeland years later, he notices that a lot has changed. When it turns out that his father (Krabbé) has been murdered, Ten Berghe investigates. To his horror, all the evidence seems to lead to his former childhood friend Oeroeg (Schwab). Did Oeroeg kill Johan’s father?

Despite the war setting, ‘Oeroeg’ is at its core a drama about lost innocence and a broken friendship. You get to know Johan and Oeroeg better through flashbacks. This way you will learn how they grew up and how the world around them is slowly changing. The side plots surrounding the murder of Johan’s father and the threatening situation are secondary. Although the individual sidelines create an almost unbearable tension and a very intense, oppressive atmosphere. Director Hylkema knows how to make good use of the ingenious storyline and raises the tension sky-high. ‘Oeroeg’ has become an incredibly penetrating film that does not let you go quickly.

That is due to the excellent acting, the moody music and the compelling story. Most actors have never really broken through in our country, except for Krabbé, but they play excellent roles. Launspach in particular impresses with his sensitive, natural interpretation. Without many words he knows how to express his character very well. Soon you will be happy to join him in his search for the past. The viewer gets really involved with his character thanks to Launspach’s unpolished play.

Besides Launspach, Schwab is also doing well as the mysterious Oeroeg. Like his movie friend, he also knows how to strike the right chord. ‘Oeroeg’ is not a film about heroes and villains. The movie does not think in black and white. The director moves into the twilight zone where every person is a mix between good and evil. And it is precisely this mixture that makes the characters in this film so lifelike.

Krabbé is the attraction of the film, because his fame was supposed to lure the audience to the film. As is often the case in film land, his share is not even that large. Yet Krabbé manages to stand out with his relatively small role because of his beautiful interpretation. That has been different. (‘Deuce Bigalow 2’ anyone?)

Finally, there is also an honorable mention for the soundtrack. Despite an uninspired start, the musical accompaniment of ‘Oeroeg’ has become very beautiful. Composer Henny Vrienten has delivered solid craftsmanship that subtly reinforces the emotional depth of the film. What is very unfortunate about ‘Oeroeg’ is the very dark image. Regularly you can hardly see what is happening on the screen, because everything looks so dark. The sound is also not always good. For example, voices sound very hollow and tinny and there seems to be a kind of light noise under the sound track. A shortcoming that many Dutch films suffer from. But those are just minor criticisms of a very good film.

‘Oeroeg’ is a relief. The film shows that our country is indeed capable of making beautiful things that are timeless, stylish and of high quality. You might not think so now that our country is inundated with sperm shows, real live births and third-rate TV series. Hylkema’s film is without doubt one of the best Dutch cinema has to offer. It is incomprehensible that this film has not received the classic status it deserves. ‘Oeroeg’ can be placed in the list of national toppers such as ‘Soldaat van Oranje’, ‘Turkish Fruit’ and ‘De Tweeling’.