OFF-SCREEN
Netherlands, 2005, 86 minutes, Colour.
Jeroen Krabbe, Jan Decleir, Astrid Joosten.
Directed by Pieter Kuijpers.
Off Screen is an impressive drama. It won the main prize at Montreal Film Festival in 2005. Running under ninety minutes, it has strong character performances as well as an intriguing plot. Belgian actor Jan Decleir (Daens, Molokai) won the best acting award. He is well supported by Dutch actor, Jeroen Krabbe (The Fourth Man and numerous American films).
The film can be seen as a realistic story of a desperate man, not wanting to be retired from his role as a bus driver, indulging his passion for electronics and confronting the head of Philips in Amsterdam. The film then takes on the atmosphere of a terrorist siege. However, clues are given about the mental state of the central character and audiences have to decide what actually happened and what is happening in the man’s mind and imagination. Many audiences saw it as completely realistic and then were surprised to find this extra dimension to it, needing to see the film again.
It takes its place amongst the many films which show madness, a mind disintegrating, a mind creating its own reality. Films like this range from Fight Club to Guy Ritchie’s Revolver.
Succinct, clear, well acted, intriguing, this is an excellent drama.
1. A psychologically gripping film? A psychological portrait? Contemporary multinational conspiracies? Sanity and madness? Contemporary media and technology?
2. The Amsterdam setting, the new buildings, homes, the countryside? Authentic? The moody score?
3. The title, information about screens, television, transmissions, audience effect? The irony of the title?
4. The structure of the film: John and his beginning the siege, the flashbacks and the technological technique to place them? Their being placed throughout the siege – and the cumulation of John’s memories? The realism? The madness and illusion? Which was which? How did they blend?
5. John’s back-story: thirty-six years driving the bus, his marriage of thirty-four years? His being terminated yet his wanting to work, insisting on his contract? His wife having left him? His love for his wife, his granddaughter? With his colleagues, with the fish tank? The discussions with Leo about his work, being re-rostered?
6. His wife, her character, her saying she was afraid of him, not letting him in, saying he was thinking too much? His gift from Gerard? The phone call, his granddaughter telling him not to ring? The birthday invitations and their not coming?
7. His living alone, his lifestyle, the television, answering all the quiz questions, knowledgable? His attitude towards Philips, his continued writing letters about the wide-screen televisions, the bars and codes? The woman who fell, his courtesy, bandaging her leg, his complaining about Philips’ goods, her writing the letter of complaint?
8. The role of Philips, the real-life company, the multinational, the headquarters in Amsterdam? The comment on their goods, good and bad? The personnel? Their transferring to the bigger building? Philips and power, control, intrigue for power?
9. John, his life, at home, driving the bus, the young boy and his demanding the tickets, eating the sandwich? The boy later returning and stabbing him? Gerard on the bus, their talking, the briefcase left behind, John examining it, finding his own letters? His going to the building and returning it? Gerard and his talk, being busy, giving him the gift for his wife? His reappearing in the bus, talking, admitting that he had purposely come, praising John for his intelligence? The discussion about the codes, the need for John’s assistance, in confidence? The outing in the woods? The birthday party and his coming with the television interviewer, his wanting his help? Going to the laboratory, the test, urinating and vomiting, the sexual urge, desperation? The role of the codes – just the images of the goldfish? The aftermath, telling him of the power struggle and his being ousted?
10. Gerard as a character, nice, talking, the case, his mother? His being interviewed on television, called the killer? Taking John into his confidence, sharing, the needs, the experiment itself? His coming to the birthday party with the television announcer? The power struggles in the company?
11. The siege itself, John and his quiet manner, the gun, the gift of the gun by Gerard for his birthday, going to the shooting range with the television interview and practising? Paul and Helene at the desk, the phone calls, the police, setting up the television, the press conference? His waiting, remembering? Going to the wrong building? Seeing Gerard on TV? Gerard and his suave manner, denying knowledge of John? Asking the police to do their job?
12. John going to the toilet afterwards, Gerard as nice, explaining the power struggle, the issue of fear, the psychological impact of fear – John threatening him with the gun, killing himself?
13. The scene in the street, John and his approaching his wife, the grandchild, the happy reconciliation?
14. What was the audience left with in terms of a psychological portrait of a loner, of madness? Of power struggles in big business? On the use of violence?
