5/10
An everyday Belgian tale of troilism
28 November 2007
I know that people like to be rude about Belgium, but I gave this friendly little nation the benefit of the doubt when I bought this film. In the end it sadly suffered from an endemic Belgian problem- a lack of point and clearly defined focus. I wasn't really sure what to make of this movie at all- or what it was trying to say. It is trailed (if you believe the lively DVD cover) as a hedonistic splash of rebellion by an upper class Belgian girl against the stuffy confines of society before the Great War of 1914.

"Louisa, een woord van liefde" means "Louise - A Word of Love". The young Isabelle escapes from the orphanage and she adopted by two chaps on a caravan. They then meet by chance the posh family of Louise- who runs away with the three adventurers when confronted with the reality of having to marry a Belgian with a large moustache and a bald head. They find a dog. Later Louisa degenerates into a minor moment of sexual hedonism and multiplexing with the two chaps before they are all overwhelmed by the Armageddon that was WW1.

Willeke Ammelrooy is stunning as Louisa and we see her briefly naked (which is presumably why the DVD box has the illustration it has). However I just didn't care enough about any of the characters really to get into this film. Its protest against the repressive nature of pre-WW1 society misfired, particularly when one remembers that the conflict and loss of social structures led only to European fascism and communism.

If you like Belgian cinema, I'd stick to Tintin .....
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