Whitey (film)
| Whitey | |
|---|---|
| De Witte van Sichem | |
| Directed by | Robbe De Hert |
| Produced by | Henk Van Soom Roland Verhavert |
| Written by | Fernand Auwera Ernest Claes |
| Based on | De Witte by Ernest Claes |
| Starring |
Eric Clerckx Willy Vandermeulen Blanka Heirman Paul S Jongers |
| Music by | Jürgen Knieper |
| Cinematography | Walther Vanden Ende |
| Edited by | Ton de Graaff |
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Release date
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Running time
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108 minutes |
| Country | Belgium |
| Language | Brabantian dialect |
Whitey, original title: De Witte van Sichem, is a Belgian movie by Robbe De Hert released in 1980. The movie is an adaption of Ernest Claes' novel De Witte. It stars Eric Clerckx, Willy Vandermeulen, Blanka Heirman, Paul S Jongers, Luc Philips and Paul-Emile Van Royen. It is the second adaption of the book. The other movie was released in 1934 as De Witte.
The title Whitey refers to the nickname of the main character: Louis Verheyden, a naughty blond boy of eleven years old.
The movie is set in and around Sichem in 1901. Louis Verheyden, 11 years old, lives with his parents and two brothers on a farm. His mother is an irritable woman who complains a lot. Father works at the farm of landowner Coene. He is mostly home only during dinner. He is a rather aggressive man and frequently beats Louis. Furthermore, Louis is bullied by his brothers Nis and Heinke.
Louis hates school. This is mostly caused by their teacher, a very hard man who likes to punish his pupils. Corporal punishment was not yet forbidden in those days and the children are cuffed on the ears or put into the coal chamber by the teachers.
Louis is a naughty boy. He gives others incorrect directions, tries to haggle of money from his brothers, ties people to their chairs during church service, steals smoking materials from Coene, gives his family members instructions to put salt onto the potatoes (resulting they are salted three times), chases off the Coene's horses, ... Louis is almost caught every time which results in another punishment. His most humiliating punishment was when he went swimming in the river Demer although this was forbidden by his parents. When his mother arrived at the river, Louis hid and his friends tried to deceive the mother by telling her that they had not seen Louis. However, mother found his clothes and took them away. As a result, Louis had to go home naked.
Louis is sent by Coene to Averbode Abbey to deliver a package. There he is impressed by the beautiful interior, the Gregorian singing, the garden full of flowers and the printing establishment.
One day, Louis is again punished by his teacher and put in the cellar. There he finds some books written by Hendrik Conscience. His attention goes to the book De Leeuw van Vlaanderen (translated as 'The Lion of Flanders') and is fascinated by the Battle of the Golden Spurs. Inspired by this battle, he needles up his friends to replay a fight scene. Some injured children run to their home. Their mothers and the local priest come to the battle. Louis, wholly engrossed in his role as warrior Jan Breydel, is not at all aware that he has just started a "sword fight" with the priest.
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