Spetters
Encyclopedia
Spetters is a Dutch
film released in 1980 directed by Paul Verhoeven.
Spetters led to many protests across the board about the caricatural manner in which Verhoeven portrayed gay
s, Christian
s, the police, and the press. Although Verhoeven made one more film in the Netherlands, the response to Spetters led to his leaving the Netherlands for Hollywood. Despite the large amount of controversy surrounding it the film proved to be a box office hit gaining 1,124,162 admissions in the Netherlands alone.
The careers of Maarten Spanjer and Renee Soutendijk were launched by this film, but it did not do much for the other young lead actors. Hans van Tongeren eventually committed suicide
in 1982.
The film was only as small success in the United States
but it did help the launching of the careers of director Paul Verhoeven and the actors Jeroen Krabbé
, Rutger Hauer and Renée Soutendijk
in Hollywood.
story which centers on three young men dreaming of an escape from their provincial surroundings by means of a motorcross career: young motocross
racing champion Rien , another racer who thinks he has the goods, Hans , and the son of a Bible thumping Calvinist, the mechanic Eef . Their only escapes include alcohol, drugs, and weekend visits at a local disco
nightclub
.
When they run into a young seductress , her homosexual brother, national motorcross champion Witkamp and the national press that follows in his wake, their futures change drastically.
word hunk
. It also means "splatters" and thereby refers to the chips stall where Soutendijk's character works, when she lowers the chips into the frying pan.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
film released in 1980 directed by Paul Verhoeven.
Spetters led to many protests across the board about the caricatural manner in which Verhoeven portrayed gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
s, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s, the police, and the press. Although Verhoeven made one more film in the Netherlands, the response to Spetters led to his leaving the Netherlands for Hollywood. Despite the large amount of controversy surrounding it the film proved to be a box office hit gaining 1,124,162 admissions in the Netherlands alone.
The careers of Maarten Spanjer and Renee Soutendijk were launched by this film, but it did not do much for the other young lead actors. Hans van Tongeren eventually committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 1982.
The film was only as small success in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
but it did help the launching of the careers of director Paul Verhoeven and the actors Jeroen Krabbé
Jeroen Krabbé
Jeroen Aart Krabbé is a Dutch actor and film director who has appeared in many Dutch and international films.-Biography:...
, Rutger Hauer and Renée Soutendijk
Renée Soutendijk
Renette Pauline Soutendijk, known as Renée Soutendijk, is a Dutch actress. She was a favorite star of director Paul Verhoeven's films and is perhaps best known for her work in his 1980 release Spetters. Her good looks and striking blond hair secured her status as a Dutch sex symbol in the 1980s...
in Hollywood.
Plot
The film, which is violent and sexually graphic, is a high-speed coming of ageComing of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
story which centers on three young men dreaming of an escape from their provincial surroundings by means of a motorcross career: young motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
racing champion Rien , another racer who thinks he has the goods, Hans , and the son of a Bible thumping Calvinist, the mechanic Eef . Their only escapes include alcohol, drugs, and weekend visits at a local disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
.
When they run into a young seductress , her homosexual brother, national motorcross champion Witkamp and the national press that follows in his wake, their futures change drastically.
Trivia
The word "spetter" (plural: "spetters") is a (now outdated) word with the same meaning as the EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
word hunk
Beefcake
Beefcake is a term denoting the use of nude or semi-nude male bodies. It can refer to a genre or a person. It often is used to denote male sexual attractiveness stemming from physical build but the definition has expanded to include anyone interested in physical fitness, bodybuilding and weight...
. It also means "splatters" and thereby refers to the chips stall where Soutendijk's character works, when she lowers the chips into the frying pan.
Film Rating
- The film is classified as R18 in New Zealand.
External links
- Symbolic Power and Religious Impotence in Paul Verhoeven’s Spetters in Journal of Religion and Film, October 2003