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Krabbetje
Reviews
Ad Fundum (1993)
Not an accurate depiction of reality
I'd like to start off by saying that I enjoyed the movie, but because the story was well written (props to Erik Van Looy, as per usual) and I enjoyed seeing several of our known actors in their younger days, not because of its depicting the reality. Why is that? Because it doesn't.
I know this is an old movie, and I suppose times have changed. I'm only twenty years old and I cannot comment on the times before the past two years. However, the picture that is presented in this movie in no way represents student life in Belgian as I've come to know it. I've been in a fraternity for the past two years, and have been elected praeses for the year to come, so I know my way around.
When I was baptized, I never felt humiliated, because all the older members show that this whole baptism thing is just a matter of tradition and is not meant to hurt or humiliate you. In my first year, I have, of course, been told to drink. However, if I felt I'd had enough, or if I decided not to drink, that would never be a problem. I'd be told to drink the same amount, but in water instead. Hardly torturing, is it?
About the needing to be baptized to "fit in", same story. Of course there are always people who feel better than one another because they've been baptized and the other one hasn't (and vice versa just as well, by the way), but it's not the general feeling. There are several students who come to our fraternity's activities without having been baptized (the ones that are open to them, so not the cantuses, etc.) and have a great time.
Accidents happen, as well in fraternities as in every place where people gather, but never in my life have I seen any fraternity do anything even remotely comparable to dropping a student from 5 meters up without any means of protection.
We're not stupid.
All in all, good movie, quite catching, but not an accurate depiction of today's reality.