De vierde man
De vierde man (The Fourth Man) is a 1981 novel by Dutch author Gerard Reve, the basis for the film of the same name by Paul Verhoeven. Among Reve's works, it stands out as one of only a few novels to have a heterosexual theme.
Genesis
The novel's origins lie in a commission by the Dutch foundation
Reve published De vierde man with Elsevier/Manteau in 1981.[2][3]
Synopsis
The novel is a
Critical reception
On the whole, Dutch critics were pleased with Reve's "in-between" novel, with the notable exception of Alfred Kossmann. One critic, Ivan Sitniakowsky, commented that this was Reve without chitchat, which many of his recent novels had been full of. That same critic considered De vierde man to be a true Dutch gothic novel.[2]
Film version
Paul Verhoeven's adaptation makes some changes to the original: the horror effects are emphasized, and the gay affair with Laurens is scrapped. In addition, the film adds an encounter between Gerard (played by Jeroen Krabbé) and Herman (Thom Hoffman), and a sex scene in a tomb between them. The tomb also contains urns with the ashes of the former husbands of Christine (Renée Soutendijk).[2] This film, seen as a revenge on the critics who criticized his Spetters (1980) as "filthy, violent, and even boring",[4] was Verhoeven's last film in Dutch until Zwartboek (2006).[5]
References
- ^ "Gerard Reve, de zelfbenoemde volksschrijver" (in Dutch). Nieuws.nl. 9 April 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ ISBN 9789089643087
- ISBN 9780810856271. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ Rijpma, Matthijs (7 September 2006). "film: De films van Paul Verhoeven - Eigengereid in Holland en Hollywood" (in Dutch). 8weekly. nl. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ "Zwartboek verkocht aan vijftig landen" (in Dutch). Film1.nl. 22 August 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2012.