13/36
Synopsis
Two girls disappeared
Paul Chartier is recruited by the police to join an undercover unit tracking a sex offender. As the operation falters, Chartier, frustrated by legal constraints, pursues the criminals on his own. A close-up: Why do we need the Venice Film Festival? (2024).
This failure led to a thorough reorganization of law enforcement
In Maldoror, director Fabrice du Welz explores one of Belgium’s darkest pages in recent history. in 1996 The kidnapping and death of several teenage girls by Marc Dutroux caused national trauma. The lack of cooperation between the local police force and forensics during the investigation could have cost the girls their lives. The film tells the story from the point of view of police officer Paul Charlier, who searched the basement where the girls were hiding.
Charlier knows he is right, but his superiors have other priorities
He heard them whispering but couldn’t find them because of a limited search warrant. These events happened in reality, but Du Welz mixes fact and fiction in his film. He portrays the police officer as a typical street cop who prefers his instincts over rules and procedures. Ultimately, his stubbornness and lack of respect for authority lead to his downfall, the end of his marriage, but also his ultimate moral victory.
Visually, the film is a pleasure to watch
The film is both a thrilling police thriller and a Charlier character study. His strong will was determined by his upbringing: his parents were far from law-abiding. He is determined to be “on the right side”, but the most important thing for him is hunting criminals. If rules and regulations get in the way, he ignores them.
However, some events are clearly fictional
The abandoned industrial wasteland of Charleroi, where the kidnappings took place, is being used to the maximum. Also adding to the grim atmosphere is the desperation of the city, where illegal activities seem to thrive. The film documents an important part of Belgian history, and for those who followed the events at the time, it is an interesting interpretation. In order to create an interesting police thriller with political elements, the film abandoned historical accuracy.