This movie is very typically Dutch. Set in te depression years most of the Dutch had no jobs or money. People tried to better their situation by means of strikes and demonstrations, often ended by violent police interventions.
Ciske is an 11 year old boy growing up in these conditions of common hardship, but is raised by a mother who doesn't even care about him. His mother is a barmaid and, as Ciske's father is a sailor and hardly ever home, she seeks solice with other men. Most of the time these men don't care much for Ciske and he often gets a beating by these men or his mother.
At school things are no different, he's an outcast and they call him Ciske the rat and often beat him up. His teachers don't like him and see him as a troublemaker and lost cause, destined to end up in jail as a criminal.
The longer you watch this movie the more sympathy you get for Ciske. He's dealing with a lot in his young life. Untill one day at yet another new school, a new boy is put in his class. He's a sickly boy that has to be moved in a wheelchair, but somehow Ciske starts to care about and for him at school.
As the class is preparing a fieldtrip to the sea, Ciske had a hard time to convince the parents to let his new friend come along, but succeeded. This turns out to be a fatal mistake for Ciske's friend.
After the death of his friend the situation turns very dark as for his mother destroys the one thing Ciske really cares about, making Ciske so angry he does the unthinkable for a 11 year old boy and ends up in the worst possible place.
This movie has a really good 1930's feel and a lot of effort was put in to have cars, homes, furniture, clothing, streetscenery and more to make it look like the '30s. The story is somewhat predictable but is made right by the charm of the young actor who plays Ciske.
It's a drama with an endeering lead actor. This really is a feel good movie in the end, but it deals with harsh reallities from that timeperiod. Foul language, violence and even murder is not shunned in this movie so this makes it that it's not suitable to watch for children, although a lot of children are in it.
This is a very pleasant movie to watch, and although it doesn't have the Hollywood style with death defying action scenes, fast pace or famous glamorous moviestars, it has a good sense of reallity as to how it was in 1930's Holland. This period was bleak, depressing, simple and without much color. People were fighting for existense but still there was a very fine silver lining to be found among all the hurt.
In my opinion you must have seen this movie at least once, especially if you're Dutch, living in the Netherlands or of Dutch decent.
Ciske is an 11 year old boy growing up in these conditions of common hardship, but is raised by a mother who doesn't even care about him. His mother is a barmaid and, as Ciske's father is a sailor and hardly ever home, she seeks solice with other men. Most of the time these men don't care much for Ciske and he often gets a beating by these men or his mother.
At school things are no different, he's an outcast and they call him Ciske the rat and often beat him up. His teachers don't like him and see him as a troublemaker and lost cause, destined to end up in jail as a criminal.
The longer you watch this movie the more sympathy you get for Ciske. He's dealing with a lot in his young life. Untill one day at yet another new school, a new boy is put in his class. He's a sickly boy that has to be moved in a wheelchair, but somehow Ciske starts to care about and for him at school.
As the class is preparing a fieldtrip to the sea, Ciske had a hard time to convince the parents to let his new friend come along, but succeeded. This turns out to be a fatal mistake for Ciske's friend.
After the death of his friend the situation turns very dark as for his mother destroys the one thing Ciske really cares about, making Ciske so angry he does the unthinkable for a 11 year old boy and ends up in the worst possible place.
This movie has a really good 1930's feel and a lot of effort was put in to have cars, homes, furniture, clothing, streetscenery and more to make it look like the '30s. The story is somewhat predictable but is made right by the charm of the young actor who plays Ciske.
It's a drama with an endeering lead actor. This really is a feel good movie in the end, but it deals with harsh reallities from that timeperiod. Foul language, violence and even murder is not shunned in this movie so this makes it that it's not suitable to watch for children, although a lot of children are in it.
This is a very pleasant movie to watch, and although it doesn't have the Hollywood style with death defying action scenes, fast pace or famous glamorous moviestars, it has a good sense of reallity as to how it was in 1930's Holland. This period was bleak, depressing, simple and without much color. People were fighting for existense but still there was a very fine silver lining to be found among all the hurt.
In my opinion you must have seen this movie at least once, especially if you're Dutch, living in the Netherlands or of Dutch decent.