George Sluizer's The Vanishing

Imagine Not Knowing. Imagine the struggle to move on if the person you love disappears from your life. In 1988 Dutch filmmaker George Sluizer would make one of the most subtle, tense, and troubling Thrillers cinema has known. The Vanishing (originally released with the Dutch title, Spoorloos) is the story of a couple whose lives are mysteriously and tragically upended when the girlfriend disappears during a road trip . . . Without a Trace. The beauty of Sluizer's film is that we as the audience know exactly what has happened and are forced to watch the sadistic game of a amateur kidnapper and killer as he satiates his desire to plan, carry through, and discover his talent for kidnapping and murder. All the while, we watch the husband lose his mind as he continually obsesses over what has happened to her coupled with his desperate and futile attempts to find her. Obsession and Guilt are paralleled with Intricate Planning, Patience, and Seizing of Opportunity. A story of abduction and obsession that is neither exploitative nor gratuitous, but is simply a realistic presentation of how it would happen. Culminating in one of the most disturbing and hopeless endings in all of cinema, The Vanishing is a powerful and thought-provoking film. Take a listen and let us know what you think. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com - Our Continued Love & Thanks.

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