105. Limburg &...

Lyrics

't is een kwestie van geduld
rustig wachten op de dag
dat heel Holland Limburgs lult

Ik heb mien ganse lange leave gewacht
op d'n daag di mos koome en op de 
nacht
op alles wat ik woj mar wat ik noeit
kreeg
't waas te deur of te vroeg of te laat 
vur meej
wachte op succes en op de moeijen daag 
dat ik in de zon miene zeilboet laag
riek woj ik weare beroemd en gevierd
mar tot nou toe heb ik allien mar gelierd

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zoveul tied en zoveul energie
en amper iemand di meej kent zeg nou
wie
soms heb ik gedocht 't keumt dor aal dat beer
en met een vies gezicht zat ik mien glaas wir neer
of 't keumt dor 't eate ik leaf verkiert
haj ik voeger mar door gelierd
denke denke denke ik begreep 't neet mar ik wiet nou woar a leet

Refrein

want d'r keumt ennen daag dan loep ik dor Maastricht
dan zidde minse denke ik ken dat gezicht
dan loep ik over stroat en wer noa gerend
doar hedde di broemde ik bin herkend

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I am not translating these lyrics, because Rowwen Heze is band from the Southern Dutch province of Limburg, and they sing in dialect. That's all that matters. The movie I linked it to has nothing to do with the content of the song. It's just probably the most heralded Dutch movie set in Limburg. 

The Movie: Godforsaken (Van God Los) (Pieter Kuijpers, 2003)

The international title of this movie is probably better than its Dutch title. Van God Los does not translate literally to godforsaken. Rather it means 'detached from God', or 'separated from God'. That title was probably chosen because this film aims to be something of a Dutch Scorsese movie. More specifically, it wants to be a Dutch Goodfellas. It certainly has the right setting for it. While most of the Netherlands is protestant, Limburg is catholic, just like Scorsese's protagonists. Thus the movie is filled with catholic imagery. Unfortunately that's pretty much the extent to which the movie wants to engage with religion. We never see how Catholicism affects the character's lives. We don't see how they would act if they weren't separated from God.This is just a very straightforward film about the rise and fall of a bunch of gangsters, who don't even rise that highly.  

10 years ago this film was touted as one of the high points of contemporary Dutch cinema. Looking back at it, that's quite amazing, especially now that Dutch film is (slowly) experiencing something of a new wave. The masterpiece status of this film does not hold up, but it's not surprising that such an energetically directed movie was so highly regarded around 2003. The Dutch cinema was not in very good shape around the turn of the century. While this film tells a rather banal story, in a rather banal way, it cannot be denied that it is made with urgency, passion and care. Therefore it's not boring, even though you can pretty much guess every plot development. A major reason for that is Tygo Gernandt's performance. That is one thing that does hold up about this film. Gernandt became a star for playing a desperate, frighteningly uncontrolled gangster, and he is a joy to watch. It's an incredibly charismatic performance. That, and some colorful dialogue, is the main reason to see this movie.