The Vanishing (1988) (Blu-ray Review)
Directed By: George Sluizer
Starring: Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets, Johanna ter Steege
Rated: UR/Region A/2:35/1080p/Number of Discs 1
Where to get it: Criterion Collection (Direct)
Rex and Saskia are on holiday, a young couple in love. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia disappears. Rex dedicates the next three years trying to find her. Then he receives some postcards from her abductor, who promises to reveal what has happened to Saskia. The abductor, Raymond Lemorne, is a chilling character to whom Rex is drawn by his intense desire to learn the truth behind his lovers disappearance. The truth is more sinister than he dared imagine.
I lost a dog once. I went somewhere and when I returned that dog was gone and to this very day I have no idea where it went or what happened to it. The Vanishing deals with something like that, only on a much more serious level. Rex is out with Saskia on a trip, Sasakia vanishes and we deal with the fall out over that and we actually find out who did it. The selling point for this movie is that is actually builds a big mystery as to WHAT happened after she was taken in the film. Rex gets to learn fist hands what happened here and the results of that is a very compelling and at times very creepy story that we watch very uneasily from the comfort of our own viewing areas. The Vanishing can hit nerves. It can make you wonder about things and creep you all. At times it can do all that all at the same time. It was a very interesting way to tell a story and it is done in such a interesting way that it lead to a remake some years later here in the states and you can kind of see why. Still, while I’m sure the remake is fine and dandy, I’d recommend you start here if you haven’t already and this release from Criterion is the way to go about it.
The Vanishing dives into the mind of a very weird character at the center of the story. We still what makes him tick, we see how he plans stuff, and we see perhaps some other deep dark things as well. You don’t usually get to know the bad guy that well in a movie like this and this movie is really an innovative film for doing just that. The movie might not be the fastest moving movie you have seen, but the whole process builds up to a grand ending that I think will get the most of you who see it. It is very frighting and haunting. Now, I know many of you are all about wanting to know how the transfer looks. It looks extremely well. There are a few spots with some grain, but more times than not you end up with a near perfect transfer that gives you just the right amount of color and detail to help bring out the nature of the somber film.
- New 2K digital restoration
- New interview with director George Sluizer
- New interview with actor Johanna ter Steege
- Trailer
- PLUS: An essay by critic Scott Foundas
