Cast: Johanna ter Steege, Guy van Sande, Els Dottermans
Director: Heddy Honigmann
Producers: Suzanne van Voorst
Screenplay: Heddy Honigmann and Helena van der Meulen
Cinematography: Stef Tydnik
Music: Walter van Bemmel
In Dutch with subtitles
Love is an aspect of the human experience that just about everyone has had some experience with. That single emotion has probably caused more joy and agony than any other, and has been responsible for countless follies and triumphs throughout the history of humankind. It's not surprising, therefore, that the motion picture industry embraces romance, whether it's of the transcendent, tragic, or comic type. Love doesn't just make the world go 'round -- it brings in money at the box office. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be many new stories to tell, and most screen romances are bland and forgettable. Au Revoir, from Dutch director Heddy Honigmann, is a rare, and very special, exception.
The plot doesn't sound remarkable at all: a happily-married man, Jan (Guy van Sande), falls for a beautiful blonde, Laura (Immortal Beloved's Johanna ter Steege). Their mutual attraction is overpowering, and, after they make love for the first time, they can't keep away from each other. But Jan loves his wife (Antonia's Line's Els Dottermans), and the pain of continuing the deception eats at his conscience. For her part, while Laura doesn't have another romantic entanglement, the uncertainty of her relationship with Jan leaves her life in a profound state of disarray.
With such a time-honored storyline, what makes Au Revoir noteworthy? Heddy Honigmann's direction, for one thing. The "reality" of the characters greatly exceeds that in all but the best love stories. You can experience Jan and Laura's passion and pain from the often-distant vantage point of a theater seat. Au Revoir is completely engrossing -- once you enter this world, you won't emerge until the final credits roll. The script (co-written by Honigmann) is smart and well-balanced. It doesn't condescend to either character, and never pretends to have a facile resolution to the devastating central problem.
Technically and artistically, Honigmann makes some fascinating choices. There is no dialogue in the film's opening fifteen minutes. Jan and Laura's meeting, playful flirtation, mutual seduction, and frenzied initial sexual encounter occur without either character uttering a word. Everything is accomplished with body language and smoldering glances. Honigmann also likes to use long, uncut takes -- the first lovemaking scene is an example of this technique.
Actors Johanna ter Steege and Guy van Sande are perfect as the leads. Both are charismatic in their own right, and, together, they're magical. They also allow themselves to be photographed in less-than-flattering circumstances. There is one scene in particular, where Laura's flushed face is twisted into an expression of silent anguish, with tears and sweat streaking her features, that stands out in my memory. The normally-beautiful actress doesn't look at all attractive in this sequence, but there are few better examples of acting in the film.
Au Revoir involves the audience in the characters' plight, and this results in an emotionally-exhausting two hours. The movie takes on the qualities of the affair it portrays: sometimes playful, occasionally tragic, often erotic, and always intense. It's a remarkable motion picture that defies and transcends common romantic melodrama, reaching a level that few similar films attain. In the United States, Au Revoir does not yet have a distributor, but it will be playing the film festival circuit, and is well worth seeking out.
© 1996 James Berardinelli