The most human replicant

Anton Dolin - memory of actor Rutger Hauer

In the Netherlands, actor Rutger Hauer, a star of militants and European author’s cinema, died. He was 75 years old. The fascinating fate and most vivid roles of the actor-from the replicant-bunter from the “Running Blade” to the “Golden Globe” by Alexander Pechersky in the “Escape from Sobibor”, recalls film critic Anton Dolin.

In 1999, 55-year-old Rutger Hauer was awarded the prize as the best Dutch artist of the century. Having rejoiced at the textured uncle, many spectators only realized that Hauer, whom they knew by dozens of characteristic roles in films of various genres, originally from Holland. His conscious cosmopolitanism is to blame-actually normal for the Dutchman. Polyglot, adventurer and traveler Hauer considered the whole world to be his homeland and played throughout the world of characters of any exotic nationalities (including repeatedly Russians). And his most famous work, probably, became a character without a genus and a tribe-a romantic replicant-buntar Roy in Ridley Scott's Ridge Blade.

The artist from birth - his parents taught acting and drama - he went on stage at the age of five. Before the start of his career in the movie, Hauer managed to many things. At the age of fifteen, he escaped from the house and went to sea on the ship of his grandfather, but could not become a sailor because of the innate Daltonism. He worked as a car owner and a carpenter. He became interested in automobile and motorsport (later he performed most of the tricks in the films). He went to the paratroopers and served for two years, after which he ranged from the service, successfully simulating a mental illness. Only after that he graduated from the theater institute, but could not decide whether he wants to become an actor or director. So it was until he met the same young and ambitious person, the ideal “crime partner” - the novice director Paul Verkhoven.

Their common debut took place exactly half a century ago: in 1969, the Verkhoven series about the adventures of the Knight Floris, where Hauer played the title role was released on television. His unflappable charisma, sexuality and humor instantly made it a star. Several years passed, and Verkhoven and Hauer surprised the world again: in 1973, “Turkish pleasures” came out, a heartbreaking and scandalously frank love story. According to popular vote, this picture, still touching and shocking, is considered the best Dutch film of all time.

They made a few more brilliant ribbons together: the crafty-cooked career drama “Kitty-Vertikhvost”, the pervert-heroic “queen’s soldiers” about the second world, radical and pathological “dashing” about sexual orientation and car races, inventive, bloody and sensual tape about the Middle Ages “Flesh and Blood”. It is a pity that then their paths parted, and Hauer never played the main role in the Hollywood debut of Verkhoven’s “Robot Police” (although there were such plans). In a funny way, even before the success of this breakthrough science fiction tape, Hauer has already begun his world career, famous for the role of another, no less humane, robot by Scott.

The amazing phenomenon of the many -faced Hauer in how he combined the career of the Starsh star - often tasteless, bloody, ridiculous genre paintings - with work with the best directors of our time. A spectacular hit in the type of “ominous foreigner” (how much he outplayed terrorists and soldiers!) Hauer prevented Hauer from showing, if necessary, the ambivalence of his icy humor, an inalienable animal charm. Perhaps such a double life at the same time as a cult star of the European author’s cinema and the popular favorite of the public, besides Hauer, only one artist - a friend of Ingmara Bergman, Max von Xudov. It is not surprising that they had to work together.

Hauer played both the murderer of Wulfgar in the "Night Hawks" with Sylvester Stallone, and the journalist Tenner in the "Wick End of Osterman" by the great Sam Pekingp on the novel Ladlam. The monstrous maniac in the popular Trino Trino and the heroic Alexander Pechersky in the "Escape from Sobibor", who brought the actor the Golden Globe. Blessed Tramp Andreas in the “Legend of the Holy Propets” Ermanno Olmi, who received the “Golden Leo” in Venice, and the nameless homeless person from the “Boom with a shotgun”-a funny tape that grew out of the fake trailer to the tarantino tape. The mysterious William Earl in Batman: the Beginning of Christopher Nolan and the ominous Cardinal Rork in the City of Sins Robert Rodriguez. Dracula in one film and the sworn enemy Dracula Van Helsing in another. Finally, the hired queen hunter in the fabulous “Tenth Kingdom” is Peter Bruegel Sr. in the graceful film “Mill and Cross” by Lech Maevsky.

Hauer was remembered in any film, even if he appeared for a few seconds. He could remain for the viewer an almost ghostly commander from the Systems brothers, unexpectedly the humanistic western Jacques Odar. But it will not work: ahead of the prime minister of the domestic megabllockbaster "The Secret of the Dragon Seal", a trip to which will be a farewell to the audience with a unique actor.

Anton Dolin