A Question of Silence
| A Question of Silence | |
|---|---|
 VHS cover | |
| Directed by | Marleen Gorris |
| Produced by | Matthijs van Heijningen |
| Written by | Marleen Gorris |
| Starring | Edda Barends |
| Music by |
Lodewijk de Boer Martijn Hasebos |
| Cinematography | Frans Bromet |
| Edited by | Hans van Dongen |
| Distributed by | Quartet Films (USA) |
Release dates | 18 February 1982 |
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Language |
Dutch English |
A Question of Silence (Dutch: De stilte rond Christine M.) is a 1982 Dutch drama film written and directed by Marleen Gorris. It is Gorris' debut film. It stars Edda Barends as Christine M. The plot is about three women, are strangers to each other, who kill a man they do not know. It was highly controversial but also highly acclaimed at the time of its release, and is now hailed as a feminist classic.[1][2]
Plot
Housewife Christine M. tries to shoplift some merchandise from a boutique in a shopping mall but is caught by the male shopkeeper. Christine and two other customers, waitress Annie and secretary Anna, beat the man to death, witnessed by a large group of other female shoppers. They are tried with murder and deny the plea of insanity that the male prosecutor and judges assume they should plead. The female criminal psychiatrist assigned to ascertain their level of sanity comes to identify with the women's situations and concludes that they are not insane but have been driven to murder by the strain of living in a patriarchy.[3][4]
Cast
- Edda Barends as Christine M.
- Nelly Frijda as Annie
- Henriëtte Tol as Andrea
- Cox Habbema as Janine van den Bos
- Eddie Brugman as Ruud van den Bos
- Hans Croiset as Rechter
- Erik Plooyer as Officier van Justitie
Distribution
A Question of Silence was shown at the 1982 Toronto Festival of Festivals. That year it won the Grand Prix at the Créteil International Women's Film Festival and the Golden Calf at the Nederlands Film Festival.[5]
References
- ↑ Kamir, O. (2006). Framed: Women in Law and Film. Duke University Press. ISBN 9780822336242. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
- ↑ Birch, Helen (1996-09-18). "Over stepping the line". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ↑ Maslin, Janet (1983-03-18). "SILENCE OF KILLERS". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ↑ Erickson, Hal. "De Stilte Rond Christine M". Allmovie. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ↑ "Awards for Stilte rond Christine M., De". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-12-23.