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Het Woeden der Gehele Wereld (film)
Encyclopedia
Het Woeden der Gehele Wereld is a 2006
Dutch
film
, based on the novel of the same name
by Maarten 't Hart
. It was directed by Guido Pieters
and produced by Rob Houwer
. The title translates as "The fury/rage/raging of the whole world" and is derived from a song with lyrics by René-François Sully-Prudhomme, set to music by Gabriel Fauré
.
and Leiden, in the time of the German occupation (see The Netherlands in World War II
) in the 1940s, and in the 1950s. It is about the coming of age
of Alex Goudveyl (Maarten Heijmans
), and about a murder.
For profit, in May 1940 Joost Vroom takes refugees (mainly Jews) on his boat to escape to England. However, the boat is attacked by the Germans. They survive, but the escape fails and the boat and the money is lost.
The Goudveyl couple has a business of second-hand goods, and profits from the persecution of Jews by cheaply buying goods of Jews who have to flee the country.
Vroom becomes police officer, first under the German occupation. He betrays Jews for profit, to recover his loss on the boat. After the war he remains police officer.
Alex loves playing piano, and is very talented. Very inconsiderately his father sells the family's piano when he is offered a good price for it, much to Alex's regret. Sometimes Alex can play piano or organ elsewhere.
Vroom is ephebophile and, for example, pays Alex for simulating masturbation with an eel
between his legs substituting for his penis, so that Vroom can film it (in the book Vroom pays for seeing and touching boys' penises; the film's variation may have been chosen to allow visualisation, while keeping it decent). Alex has a gay friend William Keenids, who sometimes likes to cross-dress. We see a scene where William is in Vroom's home, with the little film of Alex being projected on a screen, and William willingly starting to undress while Vroom is filming. It is not revealed whether this is for money. In another scene, William tries to have some physical intimacy with Alex, but Alex rejects it, arguing that he is not Vroom.
Aaron Oberstein's wife died in the war. He does not know what happened to his baby son. In 1956 Vroom claims he knows who and where he is and offers to tell it for a large sum of money. Aaron brings the money at the agreed place, the warehouse of the Goudveyls. An evangelisation campaign is going on outside, while Alex plays the piano inside. Vroom is murdered by a gunshot. Alex is witness of the murder, and is afraid he will be killed later because of that.
As a student, Alex has sex with Yvonne, assistant of the professor, in an empty lecture room, at her initiative. At first Alex is willing, but when she wants more he walks away. On a second occasion, when he has Joanna Oberstein as girlfriend, he refuses sex with Yvonne. Now she threatens him with a knife. Then her boss enters the room and Alex can escape. Yvonne is fired.
Alex's parents confess to Alex that in the war they could buy their business cheaply, because the owners were deported Jews. The parents say there is another important thing to tell, but they hesitate and do not tell it yet. Soon after this, Alex's parents die of carbon monoxide poisoning
.
It turns out that Alex's parents were not his biological parents. His biological mother died in the war, his biological father is Aaron Oberstein, the father of Alex's girlfriend. Thus Alex's girlfriend is his half-sister.
Aaron did not know that Alex was his son. The Goudveyl couple was childless, and Alex was illegally supplied to them by Vroom for profit. The couple was blackmailed by Vroom regarding this. Therefore Alex's foster mother murdered Vroom. Since she is dead now, the case is closed.
.http://www.filmcommission.cz/madecr.php?p=182&dt=1&dyg=13&m1=2&m2=1
is depicted, just like it is described in the book.
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
Dutch
Cinema of the Netherlands
Because the Dutch film industry is relatively small, and there is little or no international market for Dutch films, almost all films rely on state funding. This funding can be achieved through several sources, for instance through the Dutch Film Fund or the Dutch public broadcast networks...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, based on the novel of the same name
Het Woeden der Gehele Wereld
Het Woeden der Gehele Wereld is a 1993 Dutch novel by Maarten 't Hart. The title translates as "The fury/rage/raging of the whole world" and is derived from the text of the poem Au bord de l'eau by Sully Prudhomme, set to music by Gabriel Fauré...
by Maarten 't Hart
Maarten 't Hart
Maarten 't Hart is a Dutch biologist who studied zoology and ethology at the University of Leiden and taught that subject before becoming a full-time writer in the 1980s. He is the author of many novels, including Het Woeden der Gehele Wereld and De kroongetuige...
. It was directed by Guido Pieters
Guido Pieters
Guido Pieters is a Dutch film director.His films include:*Op Hoop van Zegen*Het Woeden der Gehele Wereld-External links:...
and produced by Rob Houwer
Rob Houwer
-Awards:*1999 Bavarian Film Awards, Best Production -Selected filmography:* Hunting Scenes From Bavaria * Man on Horseback * Business Is Business * Turkish Delight * Katie Tippel * Soldier of Orange...
. The title translates as "The fury/rage/raging of the whole world" and is derived from a song with lyrics by René-François Sully-Prudhomme, set to music by Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
.
Film plot
The film is set in MaassluisMaassluis
Maassluis is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 32,847 in 2004, and covers an area of 10.11 km² .It received city rights in 1811...
and Leiden, in the time of the German occupation (see The Netherlands in World War II
The Netherlands in World War II
The history of the Netherlands from 1939 to 1945 covers the events in the Netherlands that took place under the German occupation that started on May 10, 1940 with the Battle of the Netherlands. The Netherlands hoped to stay neutral when World War II broke out in 1939 but this failed to happen when...
) in the 1940s, and in the 1950s. It is about the coming of age
Coming 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...
of Alex Goudveyl (Maarten Heijmans
Maarten Heijmans
Maarten Heijmans is a Dutch actor.In 2007 he graduated from the Amsterdamse Toneelschool & Kleinkunstacademie where he studied Drama for four years-Work:...
), and about a murder.
For profit, in May 1940 Joost Vroom takes refugees (mainly Jews) on his boat to escape to England. However, the boat is attacked by the Germans. They survive, but the escape fails and the boat and the money is lost.
The Goudveyl couple has a business of second-hand goods, and profits from the persecution of Jews by cheaply buying goods of Jews who have to flee the country.
Vroom becomes police officer, first under the German occupation. He betrays Jews for profit, to recover his loss on the boat. After the war he remains police officer.
Alex loves playing piano, and is very talented. Very inconsiderately his father sells the family's piano when he is offered a good price for it, much to Alex's regret. Sometimes Alex can play piano or organ elsewhere.
Vroom is ephebophile and, for example, pays Alex for simulating masturbation with an eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
between his legs substituting for his penis, so that Vroom can film it (in the book Vroom pays for seeing and touching boys' penises; the film's variation may have been chosen to allow visualisation, while keeping it decent). Alex has a gay friend William Keenids, who sometimes likes to cross-dress. We see a scene where William is in Vroom's home, with the little film of Alex being projected on a screen, and William willingly starting to undress while Vroom is filming. It is not revealed whether this is for money. In another scene, William tries to have some physical intimacy with Alex, but Alex rejects it, arguing that he is not Vroom.
Aaron Oberstein's wife died in the war. He does not know what happened to his baby son. In 1956 Vroom claims he knows who and where he is and offers to tell it for a large sum of money. Aaron brings the money at the agreed place, the warehouse of the Goudveyls. An evangelisation campaign is going on outside, while Alex plays the piano inside. Vroom is murdered by a gunshot. Alex is witness of the murder, and is afraid he will be killed later because of that.
As a student, Alex has sex with Yvonne, assistant of the professor, in an empty lecture room, at her initiative. At first Alex is willing, but when she wants more he walks away. On a second occasion, when he has Joanna Oberstein as girlfriend, he refuses sex with Yvonne. Now she threatens him with a knife. Then her boss enters the room and Alex can escape. Yvonne is fired.
Alex's parents confess to Alex that in the war they could buy their business cheaply, because the owners were deported Jews. The parents say there is another important thing to tell, but they hesitate and do not tell it yet. Soon after this, Alex's parents die of carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
.
It turns out that Alex's parents were not his biological parents. His biological mother died in the war, his biological father is Aaron Oberstein, the father of Alex's girlfriend. Thus Alex's girlfriend is his half-sister.
Aaron did not know that Alex was his son. The Goudveyl couple was childless, and Alex was illegally supplied to them by Vroom for profit. The couple was blackmailed by Vroom regarding this. Therefore Alex's foster mother murdered Vroom. Since she is dead now, the case is closed.
Cast
- Alex Goudveyl - Maarten HeijmansMaarten HeijmansMaarten Heijmans is a Dutch actor.In 2007 he graduated from the Amsterdamse Toneelschool & Kleinkunstacademie where he studied Drama for four years-Work:...
pic - father Goudveyl - Peter Drost
- mother Goudveyl - Ottelien Boeschoten
- Joost Vroom - Cees GeelCees GeelCees Geel is a Dutch television and film actor. His notable credits include in the TV miniseries :Anne Frank: The Whole Story and in the film :Simon .-Filmography:...
- Aaron Oberstein - Bart de Vries
- Ruth Oberstein - Viviënne van den Assem
- Joanna Oberstein - Anna Speller
- Judith Oberstein - Nyncke BeekhuyzenNyncke BeekhuyzenNyncke Beekhuyzen is a Dutch actress.Beekhuyzen was trained at the Amsterdamse Toneelschool & Kleinkunstacademie. In 2003, Beekhuyzen joined the medical television series IC, as Linda Ramirez...
- Arnold Oberstein - Frederik Brom
- Yvonne Varekamp - Esther Waij
- reverend Meewers - Peer Mascini
- Inspector Graswinckel - .
- Inspector Douvetrap - Frank LammersFrank LammersFrank Lammers is a Dutch television and film actor.-Television series:*The Enclave Winner of the National News Quiz 2009 in Holland.-Feature films:*Shouf Shouf Habibi!...
- William Keenids - Bob Radstaak
- Elisa Becker
- Frederik Braem
- Ruben Brinkmann
- Reinout Bussemaker
- Thomas de Bres
- Mirijam De Rooij
- Cas Enklaar
- Marcel Faber
- Hugo Haenen
- Ad Hoeymans
- René van 't Hof
- Rosa Knaup
- Frits Lambrechts
- Kim PietersKim PietersKim Pieters is a painter, musician and video artist from New Zealand.Pieters was born in 1959 in Rotorua, New Zealand. She began her career as a visual artist in the early 1980s...
- Tatiana Radier
- Miryanna van Reeden
- Arthur Roffelsen
- Lizelotte van Dijk
- Michel Visser
Location of filming
The filming was partly done at the Barrandov StudiosBarrandov Studios
Barrandov Studios is a famous set of film studios in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest film studio in the country and one of the largest in Europe.Several of the movies filmed there won Academy Awards...
.http://www.filmcommission.cz/madecr.php?p=182&dt=1&dyg=13&m1=2&m2=1
Differences with the book
- (incomplete)
- Joost Vroom is called Arend Vroombout in the book.
- The book does not reveal who is the murderer.
True event
In 1956 a murder was committed in Maassluis during an evangelisation gathering, when Maarten ’t Hart was 12 years old.Comments by Maarten 't Hart
Maarten 't Hart commented that the film is quite different from the book. He is fine with the film, but, apart from the fact that it was based on his book, he was not and did not want to be involved in it. He especially likes how Inspector Douvetrap with his son with Down syndromeDown syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
is depicted, just like it is described in the book.
External links
- Official homepage at United International Pictures NetherlandsUnited International PicturesUnited International Pictures is a joint venture of Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios , to distribute some of the two studios' films theatrically outside the United States , Canada, and the Anglophone...