Spetters (1980)

How sad is this?

Absolutely Fantastic

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The film in question is a good proof of changes in mentality and values, it is currently awkward to state that it caused so much fuzz and protests. However, Paul Verhoeven has included too many topics with his own approach full of anxiety, sexuality and violence; as for evenness, versatility is seldom a solution, as viewers see too many sidelines, focusing on main themes is vexed: ridiculing the police and the press, for example, provided no additional value to this coming of age story of three young men dreaming of an escape from their provincial surroundings. Gay theme could have been avoided as well... As for the cast, I liked Renée Soutendijk most, those depicting lads were uninviting to me. Unfortunately, Jeroen Krabbé and Rutger Hauer had too small, although colourful roles.Nevertheless, Spetters gives a realistic picture of the Dutch youth and values in the end of 1970ies, strongly influenced by disco music, Grease and rise of sexual self-awareness among women. And it was pleasant to watch beautiful Dutch cities without cars parking everywhere, disturbing the view onto canals and houses...

Yesterday I saw Spetters again after a long long time, and it still does it for me. It's even become a trip down memory-land back to the good old eighties when I was a teenager myself.It's a story that could have happened in real life. It shows the conservativeness of the heavily reformed Christians in the Netherlands in an excellent way and it still goes like that nowadays. The Netherlands are well known for it's liberality, but be aware, there is a other side to the Netherlands to that isn't liberal at all and it's shows in this movie. The way Eef's father is raising him and the way Eef is resisting his father is something i've seen a lot in real life.One slight downfall from the movie is the way Eef found out he was gay. As he didn't actually seem to have any problems with the ladies, it's hard to buy that he suddenly became gay after he was raped. There were not any signals before. As for the homophobic humor, well, we all like to think we have the biggest one and the way it was handled is typical dutch. We are liberal about sex and like to joke about it. You feel for the characters and it's got heart. And that's always a hell of a achievement.Furthermore i was surprised to see so many high raids by people outside the Netherlands. It's a typical liberal dutch story, so i'm surprised to see that people outside the Netherlands seem to understand the movie better then the people that commented the movie from the Netherlands.

I tried to be open minded, but basically, there are but three reasons to see this film: 1.) for a time-capsule view of political incorrectness, 2.) to see how much less sexually liberated American movies are (and Americans in general), and 3.) to see men get equal time (if not more time) in the full-frontal nudity department. Otherwise, it's hard to find anything redeeming about this. This film goes almost as far as the French film, "Romance", yet it was made two decades earlier. The difference is, "Romance" actually wrapped an interesting story around its explicitness, with more compelling characters and greater emotional depth. At the same time, this movie isn't bad enough to be "so bad it's good" either. Plus you've got the patented Verhoven too-much-testosterone curse, plus really unlikable characters, except maybe one. As usual, women's roles here are thankless, and the main female character seems to feel the only way she can get ahead is with a man she's boffing. This film also deals with gay-bashing and homosexuality as a subplot but it does not handle it sensitively (not surprisingly). An ultimately unpleasant viewing experience, I kinda felt sorry for the actors who appeared in it (one of whom later committed suicide--not to imply it was because of this film). (P.S. There's nothing any more brutal here than what was in "The Accused.")

I found "Spetters" was one of the most true to life "teen" to adult coming of age films made in the 1980's that didn't get the credit or respect it deserved."Spetters" takes an ensemble cast and manges to touch upon each piece of the joys and anguish of growing up at this age in a small town. What appeals the most to me about Spetters, is that even though this is filmed in Europe, the locations/cinematography is small town "anywhere"! The ensemble cast is also small town "anyone", and very appealing.The ages 19 and 20 are one of the first notable "changes" of your life, and "Spetters" addresses those turning point decisions well. 19 is the end of the "teen" years, and 20 is not quite yet the adult so for these two years you are seriously thinking about how to make your way in the world - what is your talent, have you made the right decision to go into business, stay at home, finish college, date heavily, marry and most of all you are both questioning and coming to grips with WHO YOU ARE. In "Spetters" some are running away from who they are, others are embracing it, while still others are met with an unexpected future that destroys all of their future hopes and dreams.At 19 and 20 - we all think we are indestructible. "Spetters" addresses this and the subsequent handling of tragedy and loss both physical and mental. Add in the "outside factors" of friends, sexuality, family, community, religion --- each (and more) shape in how these decisions play themselves out in their lives."Spetters" is filmed like you are watching life as it progresses day by day - it begins in the same place as it ends. "Spetters" is about three young men who live in a small town yearning to get out the only way they know how: via motor cross sport. All three men think they have the talent to make an be a champion in the sport like their hometown hero, and one in fact does posses the talent to go far, while the other two are placed in subordinate positions just to look from the outside in. Insert a smart, pretty and sexy young woman and her brother who have gone from town to town selling 'questionable' food snacks at the races. The woman also secretly yearns for something as well: real love, financial security and permanence. While at a stop over in this town, she sees potential in one of the men and takes it for all she's got the only way she knows how."Spetters" does have explicit sexual situations that drive the film in my opinion. And I'll admit, prior to seeing this film, there is much I had no idea took place. I would assume this might make the film as shocking for some viewers as it was for me. The frame of mind, surviving daily in this small town, and other growth situations of this group of characters are very important so their sexual development/exploits regardless of how shocking, are there to remind you of how these characters 'live'. And be warned, the sexual situations are heterosexual as well as homosexual, rape and consensual."Spetters" is a brilliant film of daily life, love and tragedy. If you can get the uncut, un-rated version in its original language, do. That is the first way I saw on on the Los Angeles based "Z" Channel and I am for all foreign director's visions to be seen uncut, unedited, undubbed and experienced in the vision of which they wanted to present it. A strong NC-17 (USA Code) film.