The Vanishing (1991)

A Dutch couple, Rex Hofman (Gene Bervoets) and Saskia Wagter (Johanna ter Steege), are on vacation, driving through France. They pull over at a busy service station where Saskia goes to the shop for drinks, but she never returns, having been abducted by calculating chemistry teacher Raymond Lemorne (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu). Three years pass and Rex is still obsessed with finding out what happened to Saskia, so when Raymond contacts him, he agrees to anything in order to learn the truth.I'd read that the ending to The Vanishing was a real shocker, but to be honest, I saw it coming a mile off and it had very little impact on me other than to make me think how stupid Rex must be to agree to the villain's terms. The rest of the film is a leisurely study of two characters, and is reasonably entertaining, but far from the gripping, creepy and disturbing tale that many claim it to be. Perhaps I've just seen too many really messed-up movies in my time, but I won't be losing any sleep over this one.

Wow. Honestly when I started reading reviews for this movie I was skeptical after watching Martyrs, being afraid of going through the same experience. The best thing anyone can do is watch this blindly, and so I did. I went in, expecting to watch the victim being tortured on a new level. But this wasn't the case. This was not even the point of this film.After I finished watching, I told myself its not really as scary as other movies because the victim's fate is not as horrible as other victims in other movies. Sure, it's horrifying, but you don't really see it happening on a full length, so it affects you less.But my, oh my, what happened later, really hit me hard like a truck, and I realized what I just saw.This movie comes to let you understand, acknowledge and be warned, that everywhere can be dangerous, even in the most idyllic environments and the 'safest' places. You are never safe, always watch your back.The most horrifying experience is understanding what this movie showed you. It showed you the true meaning of a sociopath. Right after the moment he admits that he is a sociopath, I googled it to see the full meaning.The most horrifying thing about this movie, is the way the villain acted. He had a relaxed posture throughout the entire movie, and was actually nervous and he acted like any other sane person would act. He is your everyday nice guy who tries to help everyone, a great father to his children and a husband to his wife. To understand and review it back, and then remember the chilling, horrible thing he did to the victim, you truly understand the meaning of sociopath.This movie has one, clear message for you: No one IS SAFE10/10, watch this blindly!

Compelling film that still resonates with me decades later. Even re-watching it whilst knowing the story does not spoil the experience.It is more compelling than enjoyable - so you need to be in the mood to be challenged. It leaves you with a reinforced impetus to enjoy the minutes that you are given, whilst looking out for loved ones. Every one fits their roles and the sum makes a greater film than the original parts.Total Film reviewed it in their 'Classics' section in the issue July 2016.The Hollywood remake is laughable - it just shows the difference between challenging original and the comforting remake.

The basic storyline of 'The Vanishing' involves a Dutch couple namely Saskia and Rex who have come to France as tourists with the intention of spending their vacation together. But they get separated when Saskia suddenly vanishes in thin air. Rex obsessively tries to find out what happened to her over the next few years while experiencing constant frustration and the film comes to a terrifying conclusion.I am writing this review after watching this for the 2nd time. After my first viewing I remember liking this very much. But after having watched this again, I have no hesitation in stating that I now love this film. There are so many things that I missed on my first viewing which I noticed now. Even though I knew what was coming and what the final climax will be all about, but I still think that the my 2nd viewing was more stimulating than the first one.First of all, 'The Vanishing' is a very visual film. There are so many visual metaphors and symbolism that the perceptive and attentive viewer will notice. Saskia tells Rex in the initial part of the film about one of her nightmares and after knowing the ultimate denouement, that dream seems like a premonition. The central theme of the film is destiny. The film explores whether you can defy what is predestined or will destiny always have the last laugh. One of the best things about the film is that we already know who the kidnapper of Saskia is right from the get go. He is not a Hollywood bad guy. He is almost the antithesis of every Hollywood villain. He is just an average guy who has a loving family, but his mind and his logic work in the most deranged way. In a great sense, this film is more about the exploration and the study of this kidnapper than anything else. The director takes his time to follow this character and observe his actions and the processes he employs and his experiments and his rehearsals to get ready for the actual kidnapping. 'The Vanishing', I think involves one of the most deep character studies of a psychopath and the climax which is the ultimate revelation is one of the most chilling and horrifying climaxes ever.The screenplay which gets non-linear at times is brilliantly written and it beautifully complements the visual style of the direction and the cinematography. The film takes its time to build up the characters and story instead of truckloads of forced exposition. So much about the characters and story is revealed with subtle movements of the camera or a subtle facial gesture or a subtle word that gets spoken. It really has all the understated subtlety that you expect from a European art-house film. The Vanishing is a beautifully made film that has everything that you want from a thriller, but it delivers all of that in a very visually artistic way. Highly recommended.