8. The Netherlands — The Vanishing
1988, directed by George Sluizer
Stanley Kubrick famously said this was the most terrifying film he had seen. I saw The Shining before I was 10 years old, so I’m more frightened of the supernatural varietal of horror. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown to appreciate the horror of the everyday world and the horrors of mankind, which is what this movie concerns.
The Vanishing or Spoorloos (literally “traceless” in Dutch) seems like a simple thriller on its face. But what unfolds is unlike any film I’ve seen in the well-worn lady-vanishes or girl-taken movie path. (Some spoilers for 32 year old movie ahead, so be warned.)
Shockingly, you know the kidnapper in the first 15 minutes, so it’s not a whodunit. Most of the middle part is a procedural from a kidnapper’s perspective, which was an awesome breath of fresh air. I love almost any finely tuned procedural in general. Like all sociopaths or serial killers, he obsesses and plans meticulously. At first, he’s bumbling and amateurish, but through trial-and-error and a scary amount of time and dedication, he gets better at it. The kidnapper is perfectly played; he’s at once goofy and lame, but sinister and determined. He says the ultimate kidnapping of the girl Saskia was destiny, but really it is just chance. The fact is that if you meticulously plan, practice, and try to achieve something, it might eventually fall onto your lap one time. Some of the later armchair psychologizing can be too much: He rescues a drowning girl in a river; so he decides, because I’m capable of great good, I must be capable of great evil too?
What’s so scary about The Vanishing? The realism, the casualness, the monotonous ordinary life of someone planning to kidnap and kill a random stranger. The surreal quality of certain sequences, especially those of haunting old memories, and the exquisitely unsettling set-up for a crime which we saw at the beginning without any context. That ending. Inevitable, but terrifying nonetheless. Finally, the horror of what we don’t see. As many great horror filmmakers know, the horror of our imaginations is greater than what can be put on the screen.
Saskia’s boyfriend obsesses over the mystery of what had happened to her and is driven by guilt. An obsession as consuming as that which drove the kidnapper. It almost makes that character’s ultimate decision somewhat understandable, even if still infuriating to the invested viewer. I guess the point is that people don’t act always rationally, which is a good point. The missing girl is played a little too idealized and ethereal, and the couple’s relationship is unique, especially in the dialogue, to say the least. The director remade this movie in Hollywood with Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock; unsurprisingly, it was a total flop.
A few words about Dutch cinema. Although Dutch films have been made since the early days of cinema, it is a small industry reliant on government funding, which is well-provided. The most famous Dutch director is probably Paul Verhoeven, who is more well-known for his Hollywood films like RoboCop. I had considered exploring one of his early career films made in the Netherlands, but decided instead on The Vanishing based on a friend’s recommendation.
This is the first film of the project made before 2000, which is quite surprising and accidental. Admittedly, recent films are easier to access on streaming, and are more relevant in developing cinemas. Moving forward, I certainly want to consider a more balanced mix of both contemporary and classic cinema.
I saw The Vanishing on DVD from the Arlington Public Library. You can find it on streaming platforms.
This is #8 in my World Tour of Cinema project. Read my introductory post here.
