THE VANISHING Movie Review

Spoorloos

A Dutch couple is on holiday when they stop for gas. While in the gas station getting snacks, the wife disappears. For the next three years, the woman's husband doggedly searches for any clue to her whereabouts. Ultimately, in a climactic sequence that can only be called unforgettable, he learns the truth. When critics write about thrillers, they frequently toss around expressions like “it will give you nightmares,” when nothing could be further from the truth. In the case of The Vanishing, however, nothing could be closer to the truth. The film is structured like a long, horribly sadistic practical joke, but it's irresistibly seductive. Much has been written about the power of the movie's ending, but what makes The Vanishing especially chilling is the concept and casting of the film's villain, and the methodical way in which he goes about his business. Nothing in the movie seems fantastic, and it's the logical progression of each horrifying step that chills you to the bone and becomes even more upsetting when remembering the film years later. (The director, George Sluizer, did an American remake starring Jeff Bridges and Kiefer Sutherland. It's just awful.)

NEXT STOP … The Lady Vanishes, Psycho, Diabolique

1988 107m/C NL FR Barnard Pierre Donnadieu, Johanna Ter Steege, Gene Bervoets; D: George Sluizer; W: Tim Krabbe; C: Toni Kuhn; M: Henny Vrienten. VHS FXL