Each country or nation has its own books for and about boys. The Americans have Tom Sawyer, the Dutch have Merijntje Gijsen, and the Flamish have De Witte. In previous reviews on IMDb I already described "Merijntje Gijsens jeugdjaren", in fact even two times, for the 1936 and 1975 film releases. They are nice portrayals of the daily lives of our (grand)parents, and a part of the cultural heritage. So you will not be surprised that I also watched Kees de jongen (Kees the boy). The film is based on a book by Theo Thijssen. He was fascinated by social relations, in the vein of Steinbeck and Upton Sinclair. The story describes the final years of Kees in primary school. He lives in Amsterdam, where his father runs a shoe-shop, at the beginning of the twentieth century. Kees is often absorbed in thought, and reflects on what is now called the American Dream. He believes that as an adult he will conquer the world (well, a part of it). Actually the film depicts many of his fantasies, for instance that he is rescuing other people. Not all his deeds are benevolent, for in other fantasies he punishes bad people, and punches them on the nose. However, in real life Kees is a well- adapted boy who shuns risks. But he is also bright, and his future looks promising. His teacher said: "If you mess up one more time, you are history" and so Kees has high expectations (joke). Kees excels in his homework, and the infrequent errors are due to his father (joke). His father struggles to save for the high school fee. Unfortunately, it is the times of the rise of the department stores, and the shoe-shop withers. Then his father is down with tuberculosis. When he stops gasping, Kees thinks that he is alright. After the burial of his father, his mother is unable to earn a living for her children. And Kees is obliged to leave school, and take a job as an office-boy. The book and the film ends with "And the people that passed did not realize that there was this boy, who could do anything, now that he had started. They thought that he was just a boy without a history ..." It is sarcasm, for without education there is hardly a future. Children are our future. Unless we stop them now (Homer Simpson). Once more, the American Dream turns out to be just an illusion. It is a sad ending, but nevertheless the story is not melodramatic. The scenes are nice, with even some smart film tricks. Kees de jongen deserves a recommendation. We Dutchmen think big, and therefore the film contains English subtitles. Don't hesitate to leave a comment. I love it.
Review of Young Kees
