''Ciske de Rat'' is a 1984 Dutch drama film based on

the novel ''The Novel'' (1991) is a novel written by American author James A. Michener. A departure from Michener's better known historical fiction, ''The Novel'' is told from the viewpoints of four different characters involved in the life and work of ...

by Piet Bakker. Ciske is played by 13-year-old

Danny de Munk Dennis "Danny" de Munk (born 19 February 1970 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch actor, singer, musical actor and former child star. Career De Munk started acting at the age of 13 as the leading role in the film Ciske de Rat (Ciske the Rat), directed by ...

who also sang the title song ''Ik voel me zo verdomd alleen'' ("I feel so damned alone") which scored a number one hit in the Netherlands. In 1985 the film won a

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

Award at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

. With more than 1.5 million admissions it was one of the most successful Dutch films of all time although did not surpass the 1955 version. Two years later, an extended version of the film was turned into a four-episode TV series.

Storyline

Ciske, nicknamed ''the rat'', grows up in

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

as a street-kid in need of parental love. Because his seaman father Cor is largely absent, he is forced to live with his mother Marie who abuses him. Ciske has been expelled from a few schools till he joins Master Bruis' class; Bruis manages to win Ciske's trust and make him feel at ease. Meanwhile, Cor begins a relationship with laundry lady Aunt Jans, fuelling Ciske's hope of a better future than at home with his mother. Marie refuses to cooperate in a divorce, not to mention Bruis' application for guardianship. Instead she chooses to destroy a present (a copy of ''

Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', or ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'' is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan ...

'') that Ciske got from his one friend Dorus who was terminally ill. Ciske retaliates by grabbing a knife and stabbing his mother to death. Ciske is sentenced to detention, struggling to survive among elder inmates. Upon his release, everyone has gone off him; even Aunt Jans, by cancelling her wedding because she does not want to build a future on someone else's loss. All ends well when Ciske saves a bullying classmate from drowning; he is welcomed back at school. Cor and Aunt Jans make amends, and decide to marry after all.

Cast

- Ciske Vrijmoeth / Ciske de Rat *

Willeke van Ammelrooy Willy Geertje van Ammelrooij (born 5 April 1944), known as Willeke van Ammelrooy, is a Dutch actress and director. Life and career Willeke van Ammelrooy was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She attended drama school in Amsterdam. Van Ammelr ...

- Mother Marie * Herman van Veen - Master Bruis *

Willem Nijholt Willem () is a Dutch and West FrisianRienk de Haan, ''Fryske Foarnammen'', Leeuwarden, 2002 (Friese Pers Boekerij), , p. 158. masculine given name. The name is Germanic, and can be seen as the Dutch equivalent of the name William in English, Gu ...

- Uncle Henri *

Peter Faber Peter Faber (french: Pierre Lefevre or Favre, la, Petrus Faver) (13 April 1506 – 1 August 1546) was a Jesuit priest and theologian, who was also a co-founder of the Society of Jesus, along with Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier. Pope Fra ...

- Father Cor *

Rijk de Gooyer Rijk de Gooyer (17 December 1925 – 2 November 2011) was a Dutch Golden Calf-winning actor, writer, comedian and singer. From the 1950s until the early 1970s, he became well known in The Netherlands as part of a comic duo with John Kraaijkam ...

- Detective Muyskens * Carolien van den Berg - Aunt Chris *

Linda van Dyck Linda Marianne de Hartogh (18 May 1948 – 17 December 2023), known by the stage name Linda van Dyck, was a Dutch actress. Biography and death Van Dyck was the daughter of actor Leo de Hartogh and actress Teddy Schaank. Sometimes she was ref ...

- Aunt Jans

References

External links

* 1984 drama films 1984 films Dutch children's films Dutch comedy films Films based on Dutch novels Films set in Amsterdam Films shot in Amsterdam Films set in the 1930s 1980s Dutch-language films Films directed by Guido Pieters {{Netherlands-film-stub

Storyline

Cast

See also

References

External links