Word: antone
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...adult Anton (Derek de Lint) tries to bury his past and his feelings. Tellingly, he becomes an anaesthetist. But history keeps intruding upon his life. The Korean War draft, the 1956 anti-communist riots in Amsterdam, the funeral of a famous Resistance leader in 1967, and the present-day anti-nuclear movement all strike Anton close to home, figuratively and literally...
With each of these historical events comes a reminder of the inescapable past; it seems that nearly everything from cigarette lighters to aircraft, and nearly everyone from old neighbors to his new friend, Cor Takes (John Kraaykamp), reminds him of that terrible day long ago. Objects Anton sees physically become the objects they make him remember. Even Anton's first wife, Saskia, bears a striking resemblance to the woman he met in jail (both are played by Monique...
Like a documentary, the year of the episode flashes on the screen, followed by the voice-over narration and actual footage of historical events from that year, beginning on the geopolitical scale and swiftly narrowing down to events in Anton's front yard. Such narrative techniques may seem overly obvious or literary--and literal-minded--but they are surprisingly effective in showing how history and memory intrude into Anton's life...
...film is also daring in its confrontation of the subject of the European post-war mentality. Takes, the veteran of the Resistance who is always reliving the war and "would do it all over again tomorrow, if [he] had to," stands as a foil for Anton, who denies his past and buries his guilt. Over the years, Anton's suppressed feelings put him under increased strain, which manifests itself physically as seizures and toothaches...
Although he does not want to, he--and the film--must eventually piece together the memories, clues, and chance meetings to confront the question, "Was there a reason?" Was there a reason that the Steenwijks were singled out for destruction, or a reason that Anton alone survived? These questions imply the larger question of the meaning and legacy of the war itself for Europeans, who are still living through its aftermath. The film deserves praise for asking this question and for offering no easy answer, despite the film's cathartic ending...