The Vanishing (1988)

This is considered a classic thriller, but it is better as a film experiment. When a couple is traveling and the girlfriend of the man suddenly disapears, he goes on a three year mission to find her. He realizes it is not a simple disappearance but more likely a kidnapping. The film keeps the details of what happens to her hidden, but it shows the life of the kidnapper. The structure of the story begins to parallel the kidnapper's with his victim. The details are interesting. The kidnapper lives a normal life with his family and has everything in order while the victim is a mess personally and hasn't rebounded since his girlfriend was kidnapped. By technique of plot device, the two finally meet. The victim is allowed the chance to find out what happened to his girlfriend if he also agrees to meet her fate. He reluctantly accepts it. The film got large press because of the shocking ending. When Seven was released in 1995, both endings were compared and ultimately The Vanishing was considered to have the better one. I agree, but it's a false accomplishment. Any film that bases its quality on its end has little going for it by way of story and characterization. This is partly true about the Vanishing too. The duality of the story is interesting, but it's a limited effect. When the film ends, greater questions come to mind about the motivation and nature of the kidnapper and his victim. The film making a note to show the differences of their lifestyle seems to be the most superficial differences to detail.