'Teensploitation' pic with heart and soul

Libretio

SPETTERS

Aspect ratio: 1.66:1

Sound format: Mono

Whilst standing at the crossroads of their lives, three oversexed teenagers (Hans van Tongeren, Toon Agterberg and Maarten Spanjer) are driven apart by a beautiful gold-digger (Renée Soutendijk) who seeks to benefit from their mutual ambitions.

Maverick filmmaker Paul Verhoeven turns the much-reviled 'teensploitation' subgenre on its head with this uncompromising depiction of three naive young men and their difficult journey from adolescence to maturity. Rebelling against their conservative small-town upbringing, the protagonists are forced to reap the whirlwind of their actions, leading to tragedy for some, redemption for others. Verhoeven's script (co-written with his regular collaborator Gerard Soeteman) tackles hot-button issues like sex, disability, religious faith and homosexuality in an up-front manner, leading some Dutch critics to berate the film's alleged 'misogyny' and 'homophobia' (similar accusations were levelled against some of Verhoeven's Hollywood features, including BASIC INSTINCT and SHOWGIRLS), but these complaints become diminished under scrutiny: True, Soutendijk's heartbreaker is little more than an avaricious trollop, but she's the only one who remains loyal to van Tongeren in the wake of a devastating accident which changes his life forever. It's also true that Agterberg is driven out of the closet by a vicious sexual assault which occurs late in the film, but this episode represents his passage into adulthood, giving him the courage to confront his demons, including his brutal, ultra-religious father.

Beautifully filmed, and acted with conviction by a sterling cast (there are extended cameos from Verhoeven regulars Jeroen Krabbé and Rutger Hauer), the movie benefits from an extraordinary sexual candor, light years removed from the cowardly R-rated rubbish flooding international cinemas at the time (PORKY'S, MEATBALLS, etc.). And though the sexual imagery here is only fleeting, it's also remarkably potent, and the actors are to be commended for their bravery. Sadly, van Tongeren - a hugely talented actor with a bright future in international cinema - committed suicide two years after the film was completed.

NB. The film's title is Dutch slang for handsome, arrogant young men.

(Dutch dialogue)

score 6/10

Libretio 8 June 2005

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1098584/