OVERLAY REPORT

In the 1988 Dutch cult classic **Amsterdamned**, directed by Dick Maas, the audience’s sympathies are clearly defined through the conventions of the "slasher-cop" genre. Here is the breakdown of who the audience roots for and against, based on their actions and presentation: ### The Character the Audience Roots For: Eric Visser (Huub Stapel) Eric Visser is the quintessential "cool but exhausted" detective. The audience roots for him for several specific reasons: * **The Relatable Single Father:** Unlike many 1980s action heroes who were lone wolves, Eric is shown at home with his young daughter, Anneke. Their relationship is charming and humanizing—she is precocious, and he is a slightly overwhelmed but loving father. This gives the audience a personal stake in his survival; if Eric dies, Anneke is an orphan. * **The Competent Underdog:** He is faced with a seemingly impossible task: finding a killer who moves through the murky, vast canal system of Amsterdam. The audience roots for his ingenuity, particularly during the film’s centerpiece—**the speedboat chase**. His determination to pursue the killer through narrow waterways at high speeds establishes him as a hero worth cheering for. * **His Vulnerability:** Eric isn't invincible. He gets injured and frequently ends up in the disgusting, polluted water of the canals. His physical suffering for the sake of the investigation makes the audience more sympathetic toward his mission. * **Romantic Interest:** His budding relationship with Laura (Monique van de Ven) adds a layer of "normalcy" to his life. The audience wants him to solve the case so he can safely pursue a future with her. ### The Character the Audience Roots Against: The Diver (The Killer) For the majority of the film, the killer is a faceless, scuba-suited "monster" known only as the Diver. The audience roots against him because of his indiscriminate brutality: * **Cruelty to Innocents:** The killer’s actions are designed to evoke maximum revulsion. In the opening scene, he kills a prostitute and leaves her body hanging from a bridge where it scrapes against the top of a glass-topped tour boat. Later, he kills a group of environmentalists and a girl on an air mattress. Because these victims are often innocent bystanders or people simply enjoying the city, the killer is perceived as a purely chaotic, evil force. * **Dehumanization:** By keeping the killer in a wetsuit and mask for almost the entire runtime, Dick Maas makes him feel like a slasher villain (similar to Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees). It is easy for the audience to root against a "thing" that lurks in the dark, oily water. * **The "Jump-Scare" Tactics:** The killer frequently uses the environment to surprise victims (and the audience), such as popping up from the water or dragging people under. This creates a sense of predatory unfairness that makes the audience want to see him stopped. ### The Nuance: The Reveal Without giving away too many spoilers for those who haven't seen the ending, the audience's "rooting against" the killer becomes slightly more complex in the final act when his identity and backstory are revealed. The killer turns out to be a former professional diver who was hideously disfigured by toxic waste while working in the harbor. While the audience still wants him stopped because he has become a mass murderer, there is a brief moment of tragic pathos when we realize he is a victim of corporate negligence and social isolation. However, his actions—specifically his attempt to kill the hero and the heroine in the finale—ultimately solidify his role as the villain the audience wants to see defeated. ### Summary of Actions that Drive Perception: * **Root For (Eric):** Caring for his daughter, the bravery shown in the speedboat chase, and his persistence in a "dirty" job. * **Root Against (The Diver):** The gruesome display of victims (the bridge scene), the jump-scare kills of innocent swimmers, and his silent, relentless nature.