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Spetters
Spetters
	Theartical release poster
Directed by	Paul Verhoeven
Written by	Gerard Soeteman; Jan Wolkers (uncredited)
Produced by	Joop van den Ende
Starring	Hans van Tongeren; Renée Soutendijk; Toon Agterberg; Maarten Spanjer; Marianne Boyer; Jeroen Krabbé; Rutger Hauer
Cinematography	Jost Vacano
Edited by	Ine Schenkkan
Music by	Ton Scherpenzeel; Kayak
Distributed by	Tuschinski Film Distribution
Release date	25 February 1980;
Running time	120 minutes
Country	Netherlands
Language	Dutch

Spetters (English translation: Splashes) is a Dutch film released in 1980 and directed by Paul Verhoeven.^[1] The film follows the lives of three young men who have little in common but their love for dirt-bike racing. Set on the outskirts of Rotterdam, the film depicts three characters who are hoping to escape a dead-end, working-class existence.

Each of the boys is seduced by a young woman who, with her brother, sells French fries and kroket at the races. She is looking for the person who will help her get out of the business and away from her brother. The motocross racers want to make their marks as professional racers, but their hopes don't go according to their plans.

Spetters led to protests about how Verhoeven portrayed gays,^[2] Christians, the police, and the press. Although Verhoeven made one more film in the Netherlands, the response to Spetters led him to leave for Hollywood. Despite the large amount of controversy surrounding it,^[2] the film proved to be popular,^[3] with 1,124,162 admissions in the Netherlands alone.

The film was a small success in the United States, and it helped launch the Hollywood careers of Verhoeven and some of the actors, including Jeroen Krabbé, Rutger Hauer and Renee Soutendijk.^[4]

The town of Maassluis was the setting for the movie.

Plot

Two young motocross racers, Rien (Hans van Tongeren) and Hans (Maarten Spanjer), and their mechanic, Eef (Toon Agterberg), dream of fame, fortune and casual sex. Their hero is legendary motocross champion Gerrit Witkamp (Rutger Hauer), who inspires their competitive rides. Their lives are changed when they meet a young seductress named Fientje (Renée Soutendijk). Eventually, she makes the three men face the reality of success, defeat and homosexuality.

Cast

Hans van Tongeren as Rien
Renée Soutendijk as Fientje
Toon Agterberg as Eef
Maarten Spanjer as Hans
Marianne Boyer as Maya
Peter Tuinman as Jaap
Saskia van Basten-Batenburg (credited as Saskia Ten Batenburg) as Truus
Yvonne Valkenburg as Annette
Ab Abspoel (credited as Albert Abspoel) as Rien's Father
Rudi Falkenhagen as Hans' Father
Hans Veerman as Eef's Father
Ben Aerden as Elderly Homosexual
Kitty Courbois as Doctor
Margot Keune as Girl On Moped
Jonna Koster as Gerrit's Wife
Gees Linnebank as Homosexual
Hugo Metsers as a Hell's Angel
Peter Oosthoek as Priest
Jeroen Krabbé as Frans Henkhof
Rutger Hauer as Gerrit Witkamp
Bruni Heinke as Mother In Car
Herman Vinck as Driver

Title

"Spetter" (plural: "spetters") means 'good looking boy or girl', comparable to the American hunk and babe. It also means "splatters" and thereby refers to dirt splattering up while motorcrossing as well as the oil splattering when Soutendijk's character lowers the chips into the frying pan at the chips stall where she works.

Film rating

The film is classified as R18 in New Zealand.

References

^ The New York Times
^ ^a ^b Chen, Nick (7 March 2017). "Six of Paul Verhoeven's most controversial moments". lwlies.com. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
^ Smith, Adam; Williams, Owen (31 August 2016). "Triple Dutch: Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi trilogy". empireonline.com. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
^ Dutch Centre for international cultural activities website: Dutch cinema: less sex and violence Archived 2010-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, published 2008, visited 9 October 2010