DE INDRINGER (THE INTRUDER)

Belgium, 2005, 110 minutes, Colour.
Koen de Bouw, Filip Peeters, Els Dottermans.
Directed by Frank van Mechelen.

The Intruder is a strong Belgian drama. It has an air of mystery, a search for a missing girl – and the case opens up corruption and deceit, cover-up in a small Belgian community in the countryside.

The central character is a doctor who is devoted to his fourteen-year-old daughter whom he is bringing up by himself. She disappears and his world falls apart. Skilful at the hospital, he begins to make mistakes, act violently and spend his time, after being dismissed, searching the railway stations and other centres for his daughter.

The plot is complicated when he meets a young girl at the railway station who reacts to the photo of his daughter. He takes her home and wants her help – but is then arrested for taking home a minor. However, he has a friend in the police force who supports him. When he follows the girl to the village, with the friend of an old pensioner in a caravan, and the love of a teacher with whom he has a relationship, he begins to probe the deceits in the town, behaviour of parents, disappearances of children, sexual abuse – and official cover-up. During the hunting season, the doctor’s life is threatened by the local authorities and he uncovers a conspiracy.

The film is continually interesting, taking the audience into an enclosed community and exploring the universal values and fears and violence when such community turns in on itself.

1. The film based on a true story? Background of Belgium in the 90s, the scandals of abductions and sex behaviour, violence? Conspiracy theories, the police and the judiciary?

2. The Belgian setting, the city of Brussels, the forests of the Ardennes, the town? The Flemish and French-speakers? The interchange of languages? Belgian society?

3. The opening crash, Tom as a doctor, his work, collaboration with his colleagues, overtime, workaholic, going home to Louise, his devotion to his daughter, her sucking the necklace? A nice set-up?

4. Eighteen months passing, Tom as gaunt, Louise’s disappearance, at the hospital, his brutality towards the drug addict, hurting his colleague, the interview with the authorities, his being suspended? The urge to seek out a psychologist? His search for Louise, intense, asking everyone, the photo, the bars? Seeing the young girl watching the photo, talking, taking her home, her not answering questions, his frustration, the police raiding his house?

5. His being taken into custody, his police friend, their discussions? His later contact with him for information? For final help?

6. The young girl, her parents claiming her, her going home, the family life, the meals, her brazen behaviour, at the bars, flirting? Her slitting her wrists and bottling her blood? Having control over her life? The horse-riding, her relationship with her brother? With her mother, her mother wanting to accept that this was Charlotte? The encounter with Tom, his questions, his frightening her, her avoiding him? Tom finding her with her brother – and the revelation of the truth?

7. Julie, her father abusing her for twelve years, the birthmark, her going with Tom, the family offering a home, her seeing a way out? Her being a Flemish-speaker? The conspiracy in the town, her mother wanting it to be Charlotte, the brother and his sexual behaviour? A future?

8. The information after an hour about Louise, her suicide? The visuals of her death? The perspective on Tom, his refusing to accept her death, his obsession? His hunch about Charlotte, going to the town? Living in the caravan, the friendly man and his support? The forest ranger and his authority, the various people that he encountered, their suspicions and hostility? The family? Going to Gaby’s supermarket? Seeing Freddie? The bar? The generally hostile atmosphere?

9. The encounter with Erica, at the train, talking with her, a relationship, showing the photos, seeing Louise, the school expedition? The clues? Seeing Erica dance with the forest ranger and his suspicions of her? Her reassurance?

10. Hunting, the ranger showing Tom the deer, the boars? The hunting rituals, the face with the blood – and the irony of the prosecutor and later seeing him and his being part of the conspiracy?

11. The town’s feast day, the religious rituals, the church? The processions? The threat on Tom, the gas leak in his caravan, the people disguised at the procession, the bashing? His going to the dance? Suspicions of Erica?

12. The effect of the experience of the town on Tom, growing suspicions?

13. Finding the trailer, finding the remains of Charlotte? The necklace on the woman with the stroke, searching the place where it was found? The flashbacks to the school expedition, the children fooling around, throwing the necklace away, Louise and her looking for it, seeing Charlotte and Freddie? Witness to Charlotte’s death?

14. The ranger, his being Freddie’s father but not wanting it known, Gaby looking after the boy? His mental age of eleven? His hiding the body, building up the conspiracy? The small town and its participation? The eighteen months passing, finding Charlotte, bringing her back to the town?

15. Julie coming to the caravan, the pursuit by the ranger and Freddie? The shooting, the chase, Freddie’s death?

16. The grief of the ranger, the death of his son? The fact that he could have revealed everything but he did not? The consequences for Tom, for Louise, for the family? Tom talking to his police friend, the reflection that Louise was not able to communicate with her father, her suicide because the burden of what she had seen was too strong for a girl of her age?

17. The life of a small town, fellowship – but the evil of cover-up and conspiracy?