ANTONIA'S LINE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.5 Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****
Netherlands/Belgium/UK, 1995
U.S. Release Date: undetermined
Running Length: 1:42
MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Nudity, sex, profanity,
mature themes, violence)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Willeke Van Ammelrooy, Jan Decleir, Els Dottermans, Thyrza Ravesteijn, Dora Van Der Groen, Marina De Graaf Director: Marleen Gorris Producers: Hans De Weers, Antonino Lombardo, Judy Counihan Screenplay: Marleen Gorris Cinematography: Willy Stassen Music: Ilona Seckaz U.S. Distributor: First Look Pictures In Dutch with subtitles
ANTONIA'S LINE, director Marleen Gorris' fourth feature film, won the Most Popular Film Award at 1995's Toronto Film Festival, and it's not hard to understand why. This small Dutch film is a heady, life- affirming mixture of drama, comedy, romance, tragedy, philosophy, and art. In an era when the concept of "the family" is being eroded, Gorris underlines the importance of community. And, by confronting death from the atheist's point-of-view, she shows that even though we all have only "one dance to dance", death is in one sense a new beginning, as the grave transforms corpses into fresh nutrients for the soil.
Opening shortly after the end of World War II and continuing for over forty years, ANTONIA'S LINE introduces us to four generations of women -- Antonia (Willeke Van Ammelrooy), her daughter Danielle (Jan Decleir), her granddaughter Therese (Els Dottermans), and her great- granddaughter Sarah (Thyrza Ravesteijn). The film begins in the post- war Netherlands with Antonia returning to the village of her birth. In her company is her young daughter, whose initial impression of the town is that it's an unpromising place. Antonia, who left twenty years ago, has come back to bury her mother and take over running her inherited farm.
The movie progresses by highlighting various episodes in the lives of the characters. Aside from Antonia's family, we're introduced to many of the town's other residents: Farmer Bas, who carries a torch for Antonia; Crooked Finger, a student of Schopenhauer and Nietzsche; retarded Deedee, who is raped by her own brother; Mad Madonna, who bays at the full moon; a man known only as "the Protestant", who desperately loves his howling neighbor; and many others. Together, these misfits and outcasts form Antonia's tight-knit community -- those friends and neighbors who are always ready to support one of their own, regardless of the circumstances.
Gorris imbues each of her characters with a sense of uniqueness, and we come to care about them, whether they're around for the entire film or just a small portion of it. The story flows smoothly from event to event, balancing such disparate elements as madcap humor (Danielle's vision of her grandmother rising from a coffin and breaking into a chorus of "My Blue Heaven") and shocking violence (two rapes). The only obvious flaw in the structure of ANTONIA'S LINE is its over-reliance upon a voiceover narrative; there are times when the plot is too easily advanced by telling instead of showing.
ANTONIA'S LINE is a thematically rich motion picture, with a visual style similar to that of Dennis Potter's work (PENNIES FROM HEAVEN, THE SINGING DETECTIVE). In addition to the evident message about the importance of community, the film challenges different philosophies about death, from those of Schopenhauer to those of the Catholic church. It condemns the hypocrisies of organized religion while endorsing the concept of "church" as a gathering place. It celebrates painting, math, music, and all forms of creative expression. And it gently advances the director's feminist agenda, illustrating that women can thrive (not just survive) without men. Antonia doesn't want a husband and Danielle's lover is a lesbian.
The final lines of ANTONIA'S LINE are: "And, as this long chronicle draws to a conclusion, nothing has ended." Such is often the case for life stories brought to the screen with heartfelt realism. Aided by a fine cast giving unaffected performances, Gorris has fashioned a rare and wonderful world capable of provoking both laughter and tears -- sometimes at the same time.
James Berardinelli
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