'' De Mantel der Liefde '' is a 1978 Dutch

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...

anthology film An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film, package film, or portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of several shorter films, each complete in itself and distinguished from the other, though frequently tied together by a single theme ...

, directed by

Adriaan Ditvoorst Adriaan Ditvoorst (23 January 1940 – 18 October 1987) was a Dutch film director and screenwriter. He directed nine films between 1965 and 1984. His 1967 film ''Paranoia'' was entered into the 17th Berlin International Film Festival. Sele ...

. It is a

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

based on the

Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ� ...

and mankind's failure to live up to them.

Plot

The film starts off with

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

and

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

, who are sent from Antiquity to the present to see if mankind followed up the

? The film is divided in ten self-contained sketches, named after one of the Commandments each. Every sketch shows people sinning against the Commandments. Near the end the director and his producer (Hans Boskamp) watch their own film reach its conclusion. The producer feels the movie "sucks" and is "too vulgar", whereupon the director defends it by saying it's actually "art". The producer then replies that "art doesn't sell" and "stupid entertainment is what the public wants."

Cast

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 Ammel ...

: Maria * Tim Beekman: Bakker * Marjan Berk: Annie *

Ronnie Bierman Ronny Greetje Bierman (12 July 1938 – 3 February 1984) was a Dutch film and television actress. Bierman is known for her role in ''Diary of a Hooker'' (1971). Ronny Bierman was born in Amsterdam on 12 July 1938. She died in Amsterdam on 3 F ...

: Gerda *

Anne Wil Blankers Wilhelmina Cornelia Maria (Anne Wil) Blankers (born 21 October 1940) is a Dutch actress. She was awarded the Theo d'Or The Theo d'Or is a Dutch acting award, given annually to the actress with the most impressive leading role of the theater seaso ...

: Anne *

Hans Boskamp Hans Boskamp, born Johannes Hendricus Gerardus Hölscher, (7 May 1932 – 21 March 2011) was a Dutch footballer and actor. Football career Club Rotterdam-born Hölscher moved with his family to Amsterdam at 10 years of age and joined Ajax under ...

: Moses / producer *

Bertus Botterman Bertus is a given name and surname. Notable persons with that name include: Persons with the given name * Bertus Aafjes (1914–1993), Dutch poet * Bertus Borgers (born 1947), Dutch musician * Bertus Brouwer (1881–1966), Dutch mathematician an ...

: Vader * Adrian Brine: Abortionist *

Hans Cornelissen Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...

: Jongen * Hans Croiset: Minister *

Jules Croiset Jules Croiset (born 9 October 1937) is a Dutch actor. He has appeared in more than 40 films and television shows since 1960. He is also known for having staged his own abduction by neo-Nazis in 1987. Selected filmography * ''Help! The Doctor Is ...

: Pastor *

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 ...

: Cor *

Wim van der Grijn Wim is a masculine given name or a shortened form of Willem and other names and may refer to: * Wim Anderiesen (1903–1944), Dutch footballer * Wim Aantjes (1923–2015), Dutch politician * Wim Arras (born 1964), Belgian cyclist * Wim Blockman ...

: Cyclist * Liëla Koguchi: Ms. Split *

Mimi Kok Maria Christina "Mimi" Kok (25 January 1934 – 19 April 2014) was a Dutch film and television actress. Biography Kok was discovered by Toon Hermans after winning a beauty pageant in Zandvoort in 1951. He hired her to perform with his theater sh ...

: Baker's wife * Joost Prinsen: Jesus / director

References

External links

* Dutch comedy films Dutch satirical films 1978 films 1970s Dutch-language films Anthology films Religious satire films Self-reflexive films Portrayals of Jesus in film Cultural depictions of Moses Films shot in the Netherlands Films set in the Netherlands Films about abortion Ten Commandments Films directed by Adriaan Ditvoorst {{Netherlands-film-stub