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Spoorloos (1988)
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Overview
Release Date:
27 October 1988 (Netherlands) morePlot:
Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia is abducted. After three years and no sign of Saskia, Rex begins receiving letters from the abductor. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
6 wins & 2 nominations moreUser Comments:
An absolutely chilling, deeply unsettling horror masterpiece moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu | ... | Raymond Lemorne | |
| Gene Bervoets | ... | Rex Hofman | |
| Johanna ter Steege | ... | Saskia Wagter | |
| Gwen Eckhaus | ... | Lieneke | |
| Bernadette Le Saché | ... | Simone Lemorne | |
| Tania Latarjet | ... | Denise Lemorne | |
| Lucille Glenn | ... | Gabrielle 'Gaby' Lemorne | |
| Roger Souza | ... | Manager | |
| Caroline Appéré | ... | Cashier | |
| Pierre Forget | ... | Farmer Laurent | |
| Didier Rousset | ... | TV Journalist | |
| Raphaeline | ... | Gisele Marzin | |
| Robert Lucibello | ... | Teacher | |
| David Bayle | ... | Lemorne (16 Years) | |
| Doumee | ... | Lady 'Prisunic' (as Doumée) |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Homme qui voulait savoir, L' (France)The Vanishing (International: English title)
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Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
107 minColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
Finland:K-11 (2005) | Iceland:16 | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | UK:12 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Australia:MMOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Goofs:
Continuity: When in the car with his daughter, Raymonde leans over and locks the passenger door, but seconds later the button is no longer pushed down. moreFAQ
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The Vanishing is a movie only those with ice in their veins can ever forget. The direction is absolutely brilliant, from the opening frames until the very end. I felt Saskia's fright when she thought she lost Rex initially, and her description of her dream made me feel chills. When she disappeared, Rex's combination of rage, frustration, anxiety, and grief was torture to watch. A particularly powerful moment was when he slammed the car door shut so hard the window crumbled into pieces.
Watching Rex become consumed in every way by his quest to find Saskia was also extremely difficult to watch, although it was certainly inevitable. I found the professor's description of his actions appalling in many cases, the most notable one being when he fixates on Saskia and we see his POV. Seeing Saskia warmly respond to him was devastating, knowing what would happen. Throughout the film there was an overwhelming sense of doom and isolation, like this was a cruel world where even in the most idyllic settings evil lurked everywhere and attempting to fight it was futile. Rex undergoes one of the most harrowing emotional ordeals of any movie character ever, and when he is at the end of his rope his crucial decision would seem so insane out of context but viewers understand that it really is his only choice. The shock ending, especially the way it was done, almost made me scream, and I will never forget the final shot. The Vanishing could be shown in any film class on direction, as an example of perfection. Material that could have been turned into just a mediocre thriller with would have seemed like a lame twist was turned by George Sluizer into an utterly harrowing filmgoing experience. And that is the right word, because a movie like The Vanishing is not just watched-it is experienced.
I estimate I have seen around 700 movies in my life, and horror is my favorite genre. I have only seen two films that left me so scared that after they ended I couldn't even move. One was Psycho, which I saw 10 years ago when I was only 12. The other one was just this year-The Vanishing.