Netherlands10 Essential Dutch FilmsStop 7 of 10

Character

Karakter

1997

In pre-war Rotterdam, the illegitimate son of a feared, coldhearted bailiff claws his way up from poverty to become a lawyer, locked in a lifelong duel with the father who seems determined to destroy him. An Oscar-winning drama of ambition and paternal cruelty.

Why it’s here

Mike van Diem’s Rotterdam-set literary drama is an enduring modern Dutch period film.