Most discussion around this film centres on the ending (which I'm not going to give away, don't worry!), but, to me, this is far from being the focal point. True, I do like non-Hollywood endings (see "The Wicker Man"), but I think this movie simply MUST end the way it does. It is the logical conclusion, as all the themes in the story are pulled together.
Two key themes are those of coincidence and predestination: The series of events that conspire to ensure that Saskia becomes the victim, causes us to ponder the fragile nature of all human existence; The key scene in the film is the flashback to when, as a child, Raymond jumped from a balcony simply to prove that his free-will could overcome predestination or the rules of conventional behaviour. This is sociopathic behaviour, rather than psychopathic, but potentially just as dangerous. This leads on to what I think is the main theme of the movie, namely the almost limitless capacity of human beings to perform extraordinary acts. Whether they be motivated by passion, obsession or cold-blooded decision.
The screenplay is adapted from a story called "The Golden Egg", and the literary origin is reflected in the fractured time line in the narrative, and the slow, sparse nature of many of the scenes, including lots of silence (a staggeringly effective device, which Hollywood seems to have completely forgotten about), in which to ponder the abovementioned themes. This is about as far as it is possible to get from an action-packed, score-driven, star-name-laden blockbuster - like a cool, green oasis in a featureless desert.
The three main characters are all splendidly acted, particularly Saskia, which is a shame since she doesn't feature that much. Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu as the frighteningly ordinary Raymond, creates a most memorable and believable villain. The scene in which Raymond finally initiates his abduction by chloroforming Saskia, with the camera fixed on her face as realisation, panic and despair appear in her eyes, is the most chilling and horrific thing I've ever seen on a movie screen. A haunting, thought-provoking and original masterpiece.
P.S. Goodness only knows what possessed George Sluizer when agreeing to direct the remake - presumably a VAST amount of money, but it would've been nice to think that there was still such a thing as artistic integrity or, at least, personal dignity (the same question arises with Robert Rodriguez's remaking of "El Mariachi").
Two key themes are those of coincidence and predestination: The series of events that conspire to ensure that Saskia becomes the victim, causes us to ponder the fragile nature of all human existence; The key scene in the film is the flashback to when, as a child, Raymond jumped from a balcony simply to prove that his free-will could overcome predestination or the rules of conventional behaviour. This is sociopathic behaviour, rather than psychopathic, but potentially just as dangerous. This leads on to what I think is the main theme of the movie, namely the almost limitless capacity of human beings to perform extraordinary acts. Whether they be motivated by passion, obsession or cold-blooded decision.
The screenplay is adapted from a story called "The Golden Egg", and the literary origin is reflected in the fractured time line in the narrative, and the slow, sparse nature of many of the scenes, including lots of silence (a staggeringly effective device, which Hollywood seems to have completely forgotten about), in which to ponder the abovementioned themes. This is about as far as it is possible to get from an action-packed, score-driven, star-name-laden blockbuster - like a cool, green oasis in a featureless desert.
The three main characters are all splendidly acted, particularly Saskia, which is a shame since she doesn't feature that much. Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu as the frighteningly ordinary Raymond, creates a most memorable and believable villain. The scene in which Raymond finally initiates his abduction by chloroforming Saskia, with the camera fixed on her face as realisation, panic and despair appear in her eyes, is the most chilling and horrific thing I've ever seen on a movie screen. A haunting, thought-provoking and original masterpiece.
P.S. Goodness only knows what possessed George Sluizer when agreeing to direct the remake - presumably a VAST amount of money, but it would've been nice to think that there was still such a thing as artistic integrity or, at least, personal dignity (the same question arises with Robert Rodriguez's remaking of "El Mariachi").