Film: 1-900
Year of production: 2004
UK Release date: 9th May 2011 (part of The Theo Van Gogh Collection)
Distributor: Network
Certificate: 15
Running time: 87 mins
Director: Theo van Gogh
Starring: Ariane Schluter, Ad van Kempen
Genre: Drama/Romance
Format: DVD
Country of Production: Netherlands
Language: Dutch
Review by: Sarah Hill
If the film choices for The Theo Van Gogh Collection demonstrate anything, it’s that the director’s work is defined by a very specific set of characteristics. His films are often claustrophobic domestic dramas played out between two characters, usually a man and woman, in order to highlight the importance of communication. They are also usually concerned with the ideas of fantasy and performance. These elements were clearly evident within the first film from this collection, Blind Date (1996), but they were firmly established two years before in 1-900, originally titled 06.
Theo van Gogh’s 1-900 tells the story of two professionals, Thomas (Ad van Kempen) and Sarah (Ariane Schluter), who meet through a phone sex line. Although they promise to never meet in person, they embark on an unusual relationship as they call each other every Thursday.
However, what starts off as a way for two lonely people to have some fun and indulge in their sexual fantasies suddenly becomes altogether more sinister...
An automated message plays over a black screen. The viewer is told to dial a selection number. “Hello, my name is Sarah, 30, with a higher education in every respect,” says a female voice. “I just love margaritas, bobsleigh and the smell of gasoline. My number is 3054.”
That’s it. That’s the audience’s introduction to the female protagonist. The viewer is then introduced to Thomas in a similar manner. It’s clear from this introduction that 1-900 has a very specific, stylised set-up: the emphasis is very much on the spoken word and the unreliable nature of phone conversations. This is highlighted very cleverly at the start of the film because even when the viewer is introduced to the characters visually, they are filmed in near darkness: Thomas sits at a desk in total darkness whilst Sarah is shown in silhouette, facing away from the camera. A small glimmer of red in each frame hinting at the possibility of danger. However, even without the benefit of lighting, it is obvious that these characters are not at all like the people they are claiming to be.
As their conversations progress, they become increasingly sexual and the line between performance and reality begins to blur as Thomas and Sarah start to adopt the appearance of the personas that they have constructed for themselves. During one phone call, Sarah lounges seductively in the sexy underwear she is always telling Thomas about whilst he continues with his mundane work. This is then immediately followed by another phone call in which Thomas is shown working out in his gym clothes, presumably in an attempt to get the body that he has told Sarah he already has, whilst she flicks idly through a magazine. The juxtaposition of these two scenes creates a welcome moment of subtle comedy, something which van Gogh is particularly good at.
Whilst the conversations between the pair grow ever more sexual, they also begin to display highly sinister undertones, another of van Gogh’s common traits. At one point, Thomas conducts a ‘sex survey’ by asking Sarah greatly inappropriate questions, telling her: “I’m in your life; I’m in your soul.” This line reveals just how emotionally attached to one another they have become and expertly captures the sinister sense of claustrophobia within the film, a feeling which is also encouraged by the camera work. Nearly every shot is a close-up and the characters are often framed by shelves and other furniture, which serves to enhance the film’s sense of confinement. It seems that the characters cannot escape the situation they have created and neither can the audience; they, too, are wholly part of this self-contained world. Although this claustrophobia is one of the film’s strengths, it is also, to an extent, one of its weaknesses. The entire film is a series of phone calls between the characters; the viewer is never offered the chance to escape, the chance to breathe. Therefore, the film often feels slightly repetitive, particularly with regards to the countless occurrences of masturbation, which soon become tiresome.
On the other hand, the aforementioned weaknesses within the film are tamed largely by the performances of the actors. Ariane Schluter, in particular, gives an emotional yet realistic performance. Without giving away any spoilers, her performance during the film’s final few scenes is very engaging, as she moves from her usual flirtatious manner to stunned and devastated after being told something which hits her like a punch in the stomach. The full force of this is also felt by the viewer, as the camera remains focused on her throughout.
Although its subject matter won’t be to everyone’s taste, 1-900 is a well-constructed, well-acted film which displays many of the hallmarks of van Gogh’s work. Whilst it may run for slightly longer than it should, it nevertheless evokes the strong sense of claustrophobia experienced by two people who have become dangerously attached to one another, locked in a an emotional battle that can only end when one of them hangs up the phone for good. SH
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