Ciske de Rat

Summary

Social drama around a street urchin who kills his mother in a fit of anger.

Ciske de Rat brought the first two instalments of Piet Bakker’s famous trilogy about Amsterdam street urchin Ciske Vrijmoet to the screen.

Ciske’s father is at sea and his cruel mother neglects him. The only people who care about what happens to him are schoolmaster Bruis and his father’s new girlfriend aunt Jans. When Ciske accidentally kills his mother by throwing a knife at her in a fit of anger, he is sent to reform school. It looks as if he will be marked for life.

Most critics liked Ciske de Rat. Jan Brusse (schoolmaster Bruis) and Dick van der Velde (Ciske) were praised for their natural acting style. Almost two and a half million people went to see the film, and in September 1955 - weeks before the Dutch premiere, Ciske de Rat won a Silver Lion for best direction in Venice. The film was sold to thirty two countries.

A German version of Ciske de Rat was shot simultaneously, with German actors around lead actors Kees Brusse and Dick van der Velde whose lines were dubbed.