| Mariken van Nieumeghen (1974) |
        Synopsis The film is an exuberant representation of the 16th miracle play about a young woman, Mariken, Like many from that era it is a very religious story about sin (a simple farmers girl that lives with the devil), punishment and forgiveness (thanks to the virgin Mary). At the end of the middle ages the plague is spreading in Europe. Suspect of this epidemic is the devil, represented by the comedian Moenen. Moenen. Mariken is sent by her uncle to the farmers market in Niemeghen. Here she meets Moenen and becomes his companion. Seven years later he vanishes from her life as sudden as he appeared en Mariken gets sentenced to death for her relationship with him. Determined to survive she escapes and travels along with a group of actors.
Background Jos Stelling started making his first feature in 1969 with a small group of film fanatics. In the end the group expanded to about 800 people, who all participated in the production of the film in the surroundings of Utrecht. The preparations for Jos Stelling’s first official film took five years and it took almost another two years to shoot it, since it was filmed in the weekends only, with hundreds of amateurs who got together in the small town of Buren for an adventurous project. It got harder and harder to distinguish between the goings on in the film and what happened among the enthusiastic actors who overindulged themselves in alcohol and erotic excesses, and who stayed in character all through the weekend both on and off the set. During the course of nearly one year Stelling edited the unrestrained material together with his cameraman Ernest Bresser at the Foundation for Film & Science, and during a few weekends at the Toonder Studio’s. After finishing it, the film lasted more than three hours. Under the direction of the additional co-producer Rob du Mée and editor Jan Bosdriesz, it was reduced to 80 minutes. With lines by Mies Bouhuys they had even made some sort of a story, that Jos Stelling himself said not to understand. The most debauched scenes were cut out of the final version. Critics and audience didn’t know exactly what to make of it. The reactions varied from ‘genius’ and anarchist’, to ‘unstructured garbage’. But the Cannes Film Festival recognized the potential of a curious new talent and invited Stelling to the competition with his Mariken, something no other Dutch film director has achieved so far. From the Dutch Film Encyclopedia: "A sparkling film, a surprising look into the middle ages by means of the story of Mariken, whose beauty is used by the devilish comedian Moenen to put people up against each other. Stellings narration of these medieval occurrences is close to genius and his interpretation of morality well thought out. His actor directing also deserves admiration in this compelling debut, a unique movie in Dutch cinema." Cast Mariken Ronnie Montagne Crew
Director Jos Stelling
Awards |