To Play or to Die (1990)
In this short motion picture, schoolboy Kees is intelligent, introvert and sensitive, but gets ridiculed verbally and physically at an all-boys school by mindlessly cocky class mates and even insensitive teachers, especially in gym, where his physical weakness is mercilessly abused to make him a defenceless laughing stock in front of his smirking peers. His awakening sexual interest goes to boys, and in particular to Charel, a beautiful athletic classmate who probably feels an undetermined interest but would never risk admitting (possibly not even to himself) having any gay or bi appreciation, least of all for a 'sissy', and thus remains unresponsive to shy Kees' overtures. When the hunk finally comes over to Kees' place while his parents are away, a desperate disappointment with a tragical twist is in the making…
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I love this movie so much
Too much of everything
Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.
Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.
A gay film from 1990 made in the Netherlands that was one of the first gay films I have seen. I don't see it on many watchlists or talked about much so I consider it obscure. Fairly short film but very intense and very well made. Illustrates the loneliness and victimization of gay teen, especially prior to the 2000s. Story involves Kees who attends an all-boys school where bullying is the norm. Kees has a secret crush on Charel, one of the bullies. The bullies torment Kees in the lockerroom at school one afternoon, forcibly stripping him of his underwear as they mock him. Kees later devises a plan of revenge (or is it?) in which he invites Charel over. A fairly intense ending to a glimpse into the life of an introverted gay teen male. Parental advisory: full frontal of Kees in the locker room scene where he is stripped by bullies. Geert Hunaerts does an outstanding job as the tormented youth Kees. Worth a watch.
A very beautiful movie, very intense. The two boys were 18 at the time of filming (1990, both born in 1972). They both did a very excelling performance.The colors are beautiful, the filming is excellent. The "light" is superb Some situations are so recognizable, and so understandable.The issue of the situation is shocking, but that is what movies are made for This 45 minutes short is like watching a "full" movie", and raises many questions. I enjoyed it very much. PS, If ever there was a question of "revenge": do a "google pictures" for both actors :-)
On the VHS version I saw, only the Dutch words spoken during the French class were translated into the English subtitles. And if even if other versions do translate the French, it would be really hard to do it justice.The French class scene would have been really hard to follow if I were relying on the subtitles. Early on, Charel copies or borrows Kees's homework. The sentence the teacher asks Charel to read aloud (and praises because another boy has mispronounced it) translates as "It is worth it for me to do my own work." The teacher clearly has it in for Kees. She purposefully makes him translate aloud the sentence "I follow a blind ass." Kees is a dutiful good student and doesn't realize (the way the teacher must) that he will be making an ambiguous statement in French sort of like "I see Uranus" in English is also "I see your anus". "I follow" in French sounds the same as "I am". So all the other kids laugh at him because the teacher has just made Kees say, "I am a blind ass."
"To Play Or Die" is an intense story about loneliness.It is about Kees, an introverted boy who is constantly being picked on at school. Knowing his parents will be away for the day he has decided to invite Charel, one of the bullies to visit him at home after school. The DVD packaging says he is searching for revenge by doing this, but it's clear to me that Kees actually likes Charel.During the day Kees endures a particularly humiliating experience in the school gymnasium locker room. Still, Charel does show up at Kees' home later on. It goes badly from the start and soon they get into a fist fight because Charel thinks Kees isn't manly enough.After that, Kees goes completely berserk and self-destructs. I think that the reason for this is a combination of loneliness, self-hatred and frustration. It's a powerful film. I can't bring myself to watch it again. And I can't help thinking about it either.