view de vierde man ( aka the fourth man ) be a slightly unsettling and rather fascinating experience . it a very tight and intense psychological mystery or thriller from netherlands paul verhoeven . he direct this film just before he get big with his free ticket to hollywood movie flesh plus blood . in a lot of user comment on this site i notice the mentioning of alfred hitchcock . indeed and this movie might very well be hitchcockian and but i also notice touch of early cronenberg ( the visceral ) and flavor of david lynch ( surreal story link visuals ) and even roman polanski ( plot wise set up ) . funny thing be that the movie by those director i be think of while watch de vierde man weren not make until after 1983 and the year of release of the fourth man . so go figure . very much credit indeed must be give to the story of the original novel by gerard reve this movie be base on . gerard reve be also the fictional name of the main character ( a torment writer and play by jeroen krabbé and balance on the dangerous line of a severe psychosis ) . now and have anybody stop and think about the fact that the word rêve be french for dream . and the film do feature a lot of dream like or nightmarish sequence and often to that extend that you do not always know for sure if gerard be awake or dream himself . could this be coincidence . maybe it just me and but i do not think so . renée soutendijk be pretty amazing a the lead lady ( in a rather demand role ) . she sometimes seem to be guilty of over act ( in a subtle way ) . but that aspect be clearly intentional to portray the character she play and since a this movie progress and you become unsure about what to actually think of this lady and her intention . prof again what an excellent actress she be . i might add that the movie contain also several scene portray full frontal male and female nudity and as well a some rather explicit sex scene ( and you will even notice that some scene and aspect clearly be the blueprint of scene later to be shoot for verhoeven basic instinct ) . another aspect this movie have be a lot of symbolism and biblical reference or image and which supposedly make the film thoroughly hat by some conservative or catholic movement at the time of it european release . either way and it make the movie worthy of a second viewing . now and someone recently tell me he have grave misgiving about de vierde man . one of them be that the film supposedly manoeuver itself into a position where it need the divine intervention of the virgin mary to resolve itself . i myself have big issue with the way catholicism have be and and still be sometimes and portray in many movie in any genre ( so not only when it come to religiously themed horror movie ) . but surprisingly and i have no misgiving whatsoever when it come to the fourth man . although the virgin mary aspect in the plot do make me scratch my head at one point and i also have fun with it and in a way . i think the keyword a to why it do not bother me at all be woulduality . because and this movie work on two level . although wouldivine intervention might have resolve the plot line from the protagonist point of view . on the other hand represent the movie imply that all this might have be the delirious ramblings of a rave madman . and that the fun part represent you never know for sure . and then there the question represent could it be that gerard reve be somehow receive distorted vision of thing to come . like receive omen . at one point in the movie and gerard even try to fool christine into believe he be clairvoyant . the way he be play christine in that particular scene be exquisite to behold . so with it compel story and convince act performance and adequate direction and de vierde man be a very much recommend view indeed ( especially if you enjoy a solid european psychological horror film ) . but make sure you see the original dutch version ( not the dubbed one ) .