De worstelaar (1971) User Reviews

The beginning of a successful collaboration

[dourface · 7/10 · 28 August 2018]

The first film in which Paul Verhoeven collaborated with Jan de Bont is De worstelaar (1971) (Dutch for The Wrestler). It is a charming little film of about twenty minutes. Wim Zomer is troubled by his father because he has a relationship with the wife of a great wrestler. Just like his documentaru about the Marine Corps, 'De Worstelaar' also has an attractive pace, with well-timed situational jokes, and fun interpretations. Especially the father is entertaining in his reactions to his sons behaviour. But the son is also quite nice as the riotous boy doens't know his limits.

A smooth film with slapstick moments and an attractive tone and understandably the beginning of a successful collaboration between cameraman Jan de Bont and Paul Verhoeven who would make many films together, including Turks fruit (1973), De vierde man (1983) and Basic Instinct (1992).

Funny early Verhoeven short - preparatory to features

[resborzage · 3 January 2004]

This 20 minute movie was the last of Verhoeven's shorts. It has the same super-ugly look (clashing, bleary colors, aggressively non-attractive people and compositions) that is characteristic of his early features, and the same raunchy bitterly ironic humor too. Made in 1970 - it is a typical (except anyone as talented as Verhoeven is never typical) example of swinging 60s sexual morality. Well paced, nicely amoral and with Verhoeven closet-fascist (I share his views entirely) disgust with the grossness and worthlessness of the age in which we live palpable beneath the surface. Wickedly, deadpan-ironic and confrontational as only Paul Verhoeven can be. All in all - it is a Paul Verhoeven picture and better in some ways than his early features - certainly better than the one about the Amsterdam hooker.

I'd sure love to see his other shorts - especially the one on Mussart and the Dutch Marines.

SPOILER ALERT

[excarnificar · 27 January 2004]

CONTAINS SPOILER

Paul Verhoeven's 1970 short film The Wrestler is about a young man who has an affair with the wife of a wrestler. The young man's father, named `Pa', secretly follows his son as he meets his lover, Nel, for a rendezvous in a van in a church parking lot. Pa later confronts his son, Andries, and urges him to break off his relationship with Nel, for fear of her wrestler husband finding out. Andries tells Pa that not only does he not fear Leo (the wrestler), but that he could beat him up. To prove it, Andries places himself in a wrestling demonstration with Leo, betting with his father that if he wins, he will no longer interfere with his affair with Nel. Leo does in fact win the demonstration, much to the chagrin of Pa and the delight of Nel, who also knew about the bet. During the shower after the match, we find out that Leo had let Andries win, because he had asked for a favor and was making a bet on the match, although he never tells Leo what the bet was concerning. Later, Pa intercepts Nel in the bar that she and Leo own, and urges her to break off the affair with his son, even though he had lost the bet. Nel distracts Pa from his attempts by saying how good a lover Andries is, and how he must have gotten that skill from his father. Pa (like every man) is so flattered by the compliment that he agrees to no longer interfere, even offering a ride to Nel, who was on her way to an `appointment' with Andries. Leo sees Nel leaving in Pa's car and at that moment suspects his wife of having an affair with Pa, at which point he chases the car on bicycle. After dropping off Nel at the van, where she `meets' with Andries, Pa is found by Leo and chased on foot around the parking lot. Nel and Andries hear the commotion from inside the van, and in an attempt to get a better look from the window, both fall out of the back door onto the ground, right in front of Leo and Pa. As Leo is preparing to fight Andries, a crowd has formed, and Pa assures Andries that he can beat Leo because he had beaten him in the wrestling demonstration, not knowing of course that it was fixed. After a short fight, Andries is nearly knocked unconscious, Nel `returns' to Leo stating that her husband really is the strongest after all, and Pa loses respect for his son when he realizes that he wasn't as strong as he thought. And of course, Andries realizes the error of his hubris.