Dakota
Cult Epics
Apr. 11th, 1974
Written by Charles Gormley, Jan Verstappen, Harrie Verstappen, idea by Wim Verstappen
Directed by Wim Verstappen
Starring Kees Brusse, Diana Dobbelman, Monique van de Ven, Willeke van Ammelrooy
Language Dutch (w/English subs)
Click HERE to purchase from MVD
by "Doc" Hunter Bush, Podcast Director and Staff Writer at MovieJawn
The Movie: Average
Dick de Boer (Kees Brusse) loves being a pilot. He loves his plane, the titular DC-3 Dakota, but times are tough. He has a mandatory inspection coming up in a few months and will need a few thousand bucks to get the plane in shape enough to pass muster. What's a fella to do? Well, smuggling seems to be an option. As de Boer, his world and his problems slowly come into focus, we begin to feel the tension that must be alive inside him all the time.
I'm not sure I've ever seen a film quite like Dakota. Though it's described as an "adventure film" by the Encyclopedia of International Film (a German collection of film reviews from the magazine Filmdienst), it's more of a slow-burn moral thriller than anything else. The climax of the film begins roughly halfway through the run time, and we're given our most direct assessment of de Boer in the film's penultimate scene; the kind of character description usually placed at the beginning, to help the audience find their collective footing. Very unique.
I don't know if all of it works for me. Kees Brusse's performance could be called stoic if I was being especially flowery. The man is a cipher. He gives away very little, only occasionally getting angry, but even these moments aren't big emotional outbursts. This can work in a film, see Le Samouraï (1967) for instance, but nothing ever felt out of de Boer's control.
The big set piece of Dakota is one long flight, on which de Boer is transporting a whole bunch of boxes. The audience can take their guesses at what's in 'em, and de Boer seems curious, but ultimately decides it might be better not to know. Early in the film some acquaintance at the airport warns de Boer that his flight plans have been raising negative attention--he'll sometimes take twice as long going one way on a trip than on the return--and a meeting with Helen (Diana Dobbelman) to inquire about a job reveals that she's also under surveillance.
Taking his cargo of mystery boxes (J.J. Abrams, eat your heart out), de Boer flies to a nearby friendly island, offloads all the seats, and onboards a dozen barrels of fuel allowing him to fly and refuel uninterrupted. The following sequence is presented as though it has the inherent tension of driving that truck full of explosives across the bridge in Sorcerer (1977), but the quietude of the Dick de Boer performance means that my pulse never really pounded. Instead, the sequence sells de Boer's competence as a pilot.
What all this means is that the film might scratch the itch for viewers who appreciate technical proficiency. If the technical and logical acuity of the time travel in Primer (2004) really appeals to you, or you find the tactical accuracy in the John Wick films really satisfying, Dakota might tick the same box for you. For me, while I enjoyed the film as a character piece, and its overall message about freedom, it left little for me to strongly recommend.
The Packaging: Excellent
Obviously, I had some issues with the film as a whole. Well, I have none when it comes to the packaging. The release comes in a handsome, sturdy clear case allowing you to see the reversible cover. On one side is an illustration designed by Juan Esteban R. of Dick de Boer working on one of the Dakota's engines. The reverse is the original Dutch poster art featuring the Dakota soaring past the logo with drawings of Kees Brusse, Monique van de Ven, and Willeke van Ammelrooy set against a serene blue sky. There is also a slipcover edition depicting the Juan Esteban R. illustration.
I genuinely love the look of this release and have enjoyed seeing it on my shelf, waiting for me to dive in to the film.
The Audio + Video: Excellent
For a film that is over fifty years old, this release of Dakota looks incredible. Yes, there's film grain and the particular orangey-red of the opening credits and titles looks a little deep-fried, but none of it was unwatchable (or unreadable in the case of the titles). While not crystal clear and sharp, these kinds of visual signifiers add the to texture of a film. It adds a certain respectable aging to the movie and that is in no way a detriment.
Beyond that, the cinematography is wonderful. Dick de Boer driving around Curaçao looks great and feels like a travelogue. That feeling quadruples once the Dakota is in the sky. Interesting fact: Jan de Bont, director of such '90s classics as Speed (1994) and Twister (1996), was the original cinematographer on this before allegedly developing some kind of relationship with actress Monique van de Ven which led to both of them eventually leaving the project. While van de Ven apparently had her character removed from the portion of the film she had not yet shot, de Bont was replaced by Theo van de Sande.
For what it's worth, I think both cinematographers did a fantastic job. Watching the Dakota languidly cutting through the sky, with a shimmering ocean below truly feels like magic. I should also say that I have no knowledge of how accurate this anecdote may be, as I saw another source saying van de Ven and de Bont began their relationship on another film set. So who knows?
Special Features: Average
I was not wowed by the special features here, gang, despite initially being quite excited. The first is the Dakota Press Flight, and the 2nd is just titled Cannes Film Festival. Both of these were, frankly, boring. Almost no one is introduced in any way, so I never really knew who or what I was looking at. The effect is akin to watching a stranger's home movies from parties you weren't at. They all seem to be having fun, which is great, but not interesting (to me at least).
Now I will say that on the Dakota Press Flight, when they have engine trouble and have to perform an emergency landing for repairs, I was slightly more engaged that the previous footage of journalists I don't know drinking and smoking on a plane. But then they fix the problem and get back on the plane to resume drinking, smoking and hanging out. Similarly, there are a few moments of drama in the Cannes video, but since I don't really know who any of these folks are, I'm more than a little lost.
In all fairness, I have not yet listened to the included commentary, from Peter Verstraten, so perhaps it will establish some context and resolve some of my issues. I'll get to it eventually.
- Dakota Press Flight (19:14)
- Cannes Film Festival (8:16)
- Gallery
- Scorpio Films Trailers
- Dakota (1974) (2:43)
- Wan Pipel (1976) (3:30)
- Frank & Eva (1973) (2:24)
- My Nights with Susan, Sandra, Olga, & Julie (1975) (2:04)
- Obsessions (1969) (2:56)
- Blue Movie (1971) (1:52)
- Pastorale 1943 (1978) (2:01)
In Summary: Borrow this (consult your local library!)
Dakota is a very interesting film, and can see why others with more specific tastes would dig it, but it's just not quite for me. Much as I was excited to check out a Dutch film (I can think of one or two I've seen that were actually made by Dutch filmmakers, not just filmed around the Netherlands), and as interested as I have since become in Scorpio Films (created by Dakota director Wim Verstappen and producer Pim de la Parra, a director in his own right), Dakota just barely registered on my radar, which would probably make Dick de Boer very happy.
