How bad are Belgian Movies?


When I look at the films of Hugo Claus, the well respected writer that converted himself to the craft of filmmaking, I either fall asleep or want to change the channel. Not just because the movies are so terrible (as well in acting, dialogues as in production design), but because I feel ashamed that this is again Belgian movie-crap. We are hopefully not as bad as Canada, but we are getting close.

Give a filmstudent 1/4 of all his actors he used in "The Leeuw van Vlaanderen" and 50% of the budget, and he would still make a better film. It has nothing to do with the lack of means, but everything with the lack of cinematic vision. I have made a shortfilm about 'World War I', with maybe 20 actors. I can assure you that we never have the impression that they are standing alone. In "De Leeuw van Vlaanderen" we have a textbook example of how not to choreograph a battle sequence.

When I think about worst director, I think about Hugo Claus. Who do you think is worst director and why?

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Couldn't agree more, although Julien Vrebos and Guido Henderickx are doing a pretty good job in this department as well. Where are the new Belgian directors??? Maybe we should start investing more in short movies !!!

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If you do not appreciate this masterpiece of Belgian cinematic history. Check out "Samson" and "FC de Kampioenen", you will probably like them more.

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you can call it a masterpiece of Belgian cinematic history, but it has to be said the dialogs are very textbook it's like they had a auto cue to read there lines. The battles are not realistic if you compare this with films from today. This movie is 23 years old, we are used to see realistic battles but 23 years ago for belgium cinema this movie was great. You have to place it in his time.

Never the less Belgium cinema is dead. It never lived actually.

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"Never the less Belgium cinema is dead. It never lived actually. "

Check out C'est arrivé près de chez vous and L'Enfant. After that you might feel different.

"What If" is a game for scholars.
Timothy Dalton, The Lion in Winter (1968)

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True, those are good.

I think it's only the Flemish movies that suck.

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Belgian or Flamish.....?

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The OP said Belgian, so I guess that includes the French speaking area too.

"What If" is a game for scholars.
Timothy Dalton, The Lion in Winter (1968)

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Then it is an even bolder statement.

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Well what do you expect buddy?

This movie is old, and did not have a big budget like all them Hollywood films. Plus technology was not as advanced as it is now.
You probably compare it to Braveheart, Lord of the rings etcetera.

At least 'De leeuw van vlaanderen' contained humans as soldiers, not them freaking computer animations and copies of soldiers to make a huge army like in LOTR.

They made a very good job making this film, i know that i saw it each year when i was little and innocent. Some months ago i saw it again after not having seen it for 10 years, and i was not dissapointed at all. Great, historic cinema!

Maybe you should watch some more 'Familie' or 'Wittekerke'.

Waiting for: Alien: Colonial Marines, God of War 3, Midnight Club 4, GTA4: Vice City (hoping).

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