Le Bien contre le Mal contre Claus

le film Le lion des Flandres (1984) et le nationalisme flamand

Abstract

By means of a textual film analysis and original archival research, this article analyses the film Le Lion des Flandres (Hugo Claus, 1984) and its complex relations with the Flemish and Belgian national question. This Flemish-Dutch co-production (in 1985 also released as a television serial) was an adaptation of Hendrik Conscience’s romantic historical novel from 1838 by the same name, a landmark within the cultural and symbolic history of the Flemish Movement. Despite various difficulties concerning the Flemish-nationalist sensitivities of the project, the producers (including the ministry and the public broadcaster of the Flemish Community) wanted the film to be as faithful as possible to Conscience’s novel. This largely resulted in an overtly romantic and Flemish-nationalist production, in spite of some counterpoints introduced by the controversial and critical but heavily disciplined director Hugo Claus. Although Le Lion was the most expensive production in the Dutch-language film history, it turned out to be an unprecedented critical and commercial failure.