The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short (1965) User Reviews

Man asleep

[rserrano · 8/10 · 28 March 2013]

There is an old Sufi saying that goes "Man is asleep in a nightmare of unfulfilled desires". Never has a film been made that better captured this sentiment.

To say much more would detract from the experience of appreciating the movie, except perhaps pointing out the following: This film is listed in "1001 Movies you must see before you die". Like many of the more obscure films that make the list, this one is saturated in mood. This particularly unique mood is exuded from the first frame to the very last. It draws you in and will likely stick with you long after the viewing.

A Lolita story with a Flemish touch and twist.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 8/10 · 29 October 2011]

Belgian cinema isn't exactly world renowned but this is one pretty classy and well made, little, unknown movie that is definitely worth seeing.

It's a movie told in a very simplistic form, with only a handful of characters and a pretty straight-forward story. I don't say this as a negative aspect really, since it actually is what makes this movie so great and powerful to watch.

I loved the inner conflict of the main character. He's a middle-aged, married with children, very average looking schoolteacher, that has fallen in love with one of his young students (played by a 28-year old by the way). He knows that it's wrong, which is also one of the reasons why he doesn't pursue her but that doesn't make him less in love with her of course. He wants to tell her everything and be next to her all the time but yet he is holding back, even on graduation day, when he knows that afterward she will be gone from his life. It's like his heart and mind are in constant battle with each other and his reasoning keeps wining it. However because of this he also is never truly happy.

And this are only the first 15 minutes of the movie or so. It's a very rich movie, filled with all different kinds of psychological dramatical elements, that mostly play out in the main character's mind, without given him that much dialog. In that regard it also is a real subtle movie, filled with some subtle little characteristics and mannerisms that show what must be going on in the main character's mind at the moment. A great accomplishment- and collaboration between director André Delvaux and actor Senne Rouffaer.

During some of the movie its scenes, you could also definitely tell André Delvaux had a background in documentary film-making. The movie has some beautiful looking and setup moments, that also at the same time feel like something highly unusual and original, especially for its time. It helps to give the movie some unforgettable moments and help to make it all work out all the more powerful and effective.

The movie also has some twists in it, that really come out of nowhere but therefore of course work out all the better. It makes the movie its script also more intelligent than it perhaps might seem at first sight. It's a powerful and multi-layered movie, that however luckily never becomes an heavy or difficult one as well to watch.

A movie well worth searching out.

8/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Go the way of all flesh

[ulicknormanowen · 7/10 · 6 May 2022]

The first film by André Delvaux already showed his touch : a fascinating blend of dream and reality ;even the most mundane scene looks strange :the hairdresser, the graduation ceremony ;as for that in which the lawyer meets the beautiful woman who's become a famous actress ,it may be only a dream ,or should I say a dream which turns nightmare ...The scene in the cemetery ,the autopsy, which takes place in real time ,is the turning point of the movie ; a somber meditation on life and death follows ;even beauty goes the way of all flesh in what is finally a story of amour fou. The movie in which Govert may (or may not) see Fran,is it reality ?;a fascination for celluloid pictures will come back in "un soir un train" , one of my all time favorite films ; to a person who would like to discover André Delvaux , I suggest he begin with this latter movie, more accessible ; then "rendez-vous à Bray"; and to complete this trilogy of dreamlike movies, this one.

The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short

[jboothmillard · 7/10 · 9 April 2017]

This is one of the most literal titles I remember reading in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, it is obvious something that happens in this Belgian film from the title, but I didn't know anything else about it, I hoped it would be worthwhile. Basically Govert Miereveld (Senne Rouffaer) is a schoolteacher, he is entranced by one of his students, young woman Eufrazia 'Fran' Veerman (Beata Tyszkiewicz), and has been for some time. In his head, Govert pretends he is talking to Fran, wishing he could express and give into his feelings of love for her, but his professional position makes this impossible. Govert being unable to have his love fulfilled tries to leave, to move house, to find a new job and escape his infatuation. Govert finds employment working for the justice department, a coroner invites him to join a post mortem examination, which unintentionally leads him to an encounter with his former student. It is impossible for Govert to escape his love for Fran, the opportunity comes when they are alone in a room together, he finally tells him about his feelings for her, but he is devastated when she tells him that his already in love with another school teacher, however, it is unclear if this is reality or his disturbed mind. Also starring Hector Camerlynck as Professor Mato, Hilde Uitterlinden as Beps, Annemarie Van Dijk as Corra, Hilda Van Roose as Teacher Freken and Maurits Goossens as the Principal. Tyszkiewicz gives an interesting performance as the schoolteacher with an obsession for the young female student, you can almost sympathise with him, but his narration of his true obsessive thoughts get you questioning his mentality, it a very simple story, the scene of the title is just a distraction from the true plot, it is an interesting drama. Very good!

haunted by love, haunted by reality, no escape

[rustique · 9/10 · 14 July 2006]

summary: A schoolteacher (Miereveld or "nest of ants") is entranced by one of his students (Fran). Not being able to have his love fulfilled he tries to escape it and moves house and job. Working for the justice department he is invited by the coroner to join a post mortem examination which leads to an encounter with his former student and the possibility to no longer escape his love.

review: The theme of escape is very prevalent throughout all facets of this movie. The off-voice narration creates a sort of detachment that reflects the detachment of the character with reality and even with the feelings inside him. Seldom the characters speak while facing the camera and the music is a wonderful accompaniment to the narrative: fairy-like and enchanting or confusing and detached. As the inner feelings and reflections of the characters are the main subject of this movie, it is strongly narrative driven rather than driven by actions and therefor it might not suit every 21st century viewer. But I strongly urge people to allow themselves to follow the reflections and balance on the stream of consciousness of the characters and see where it takes them. Near the end different elements fall into place although it may be a place that not everyone likes or even understands. Strong visuals, strong music, strong acting, but not suitable for a day when you're on the couch struck by the flu.

eros and thanatos

[myriamlenys · 9/10 · 17 March 2018]

The late Senne Rouffaer was known to generations of Flemish children for his role in the television series "Kapitein Zeppos", which, by the way, was an excellent series. However, he was an outstanding dramatic actor, capable of performances of great power and subtlety. "De man die zijn haar..." contains one of these stellar performances.

"De man die zijn haar..." is a much underrated gem from Belgian cinematic history. Subtle, enigmatic and restrained, it tells the story of one man's slow descent into ever deeper hells of loneliness and amorous obsession. Generally speaking I try to avoid spoilers ; in keeping with this modest policy, I'll just say that the central horror of the story, like a well-planted knife near the spine, takes some time to make its presence known. The eventual impact of the knife is, of course, grievous and shattering in its violence...

This is a movie for fully grown adults with patience, just as it is a movie for fully grown adults with strong nerves : there is a masterfully directed autopsy scene, for instance, that says more about the inevitability of death and the gruesomeness of decay than a whole library filled with religious sermons.

So this is a strong, accomplished movie, well-written, well-directed and well-acted. If you watch it with the careful attention it deserves, it will reward you with a memorable and unusual viewing experience. (I was less fond of the musical score, although the movie contains at least one good musical joke : in the beginning, at the graduation ceremony, there is a rendition of the Belgian national anthem so godawfully incompetent that it could qualify as high treason.)

"With respect to doctors the work of a barber is also an art,we're closer to the people, skin against skin."

[morrison-dylan-fan · 9/10 · 14 August 2019]

After recently viewing the very good film Meeuwen sterven in de haven (1955-also reviewed) I left the stream on and went to sort out a few small things round the house. Getting back,I found that a interesting looking Dutch film (with Eng Subs) that I've never heard of was streaming, this led to me going for a haircut.

View on the film:

Originally planned to be a TV movie until praise at festival screenings led to it being put on the big screen instead, co-writer (with Anna De Pagter)/director Andre Delvaux subtly displays Miereveld's detachment via framing group shots where Miereveld stays alone in the background/in the empty side of the frame. As the years roll by, Delvaux brings out the heaviness Miereveld's obsession with Fran has on him, in long tracking shots (backed by a pretty flute score from Frederic Devreese) of Miereveld walking the streets on his own, twirling into shiny, elegant panning shots towards Miereveld meeting the adult Fran.

Leaving the school to get away from the sight of Fran, Pagter & Delvaux adaptation of Johan Daisne's novel take a excellent, forensic approach to the balding Miereveld, whose OCD at first becomes hair-raising during a trim from the hairdresser, and continues to consume Miereveld as he becomes delusional with life. Moving on to doing autopsies for the police over a decade whilst nursing his obsession for Fran, the writers unleash an astonishing, double locking twist ending in the reunion between the duo, which keys into the unreliability of Miereveld's memory, with the decades Miereveld has wanted to express his for her, being wiped by the perfect Fran he has seen, proving to be a image of his own desires.

At a distance from the obsessive Miereveld until the final entanglement, Beata Tyszkiewicz gives a outstanding, thoughtful performance as Fran, whose polite talking style,sweet smile and thoughtful in keeping her personal life private, is interpreted by Miereveld in a unique way. Uncomfortable in his own skin, Senne Rouffaer gives an extraordinary turn as Miereveld, thanks to the restrained shell appearance he wears being used by Rouffaer to bottle up the obsession with Fran and the gallons of necrotic filling him up,pouring out when Miereveld has his hair cut short.