The Vanishing

George Sluizier, France/Netherlands, 1988, 106 minutes

During a road stop while travelling to their holiday destination, Saskia becomes seperated from Rex. After some intense inquiring he pieces together that she has been abducted and resolves to find her and unmask the culprit.

In a technique not unlike that used by Jarmusch in Mystery Train, time then backtracks to show the events which lead the antagonist to commit his crime - the "respectable" family (mad)man, scientifically adept and calculating in every last detail of his scheme.

Back to the future, and three years on we learn that Rex is being tormented by the villain who is sending postcards asking to meet him in public places not far from the scene of the crime and then failing to turn up. What started out as a faitthful promise of unconditional love - never to abandon Saskia - has turned into a destructive obsession, ruining relations with Rex's current and extremely tolerant girlfriend. Matters enter a deeper realm when Rex experiences the same dream Saskia had the night before she disappeared, motivating him to appeal to the culprit on national television. The villain finally discloses himself and thus begins a sinister journey to unveil the truth.

The original version of The Vanishing never opts out, retaining its gripping suspense through to the spine-tingling end. The mental duelling played out between sociopath and obsessed lover in the final drive is fascinating and not without black humour, whilst the irony of the Tour De France cycling broadcast interspersed throughout the service station scenes is just one of the many clever devices employed in the film.

Review by Kelly Steele
Taken from EUFS Programme 1994-95