AllMovie

The joys and aches of an illicit passion form the basis of this emotionally arresting Dutch drama that begins in an ice rink. The first scenes silently observe the fleeting courtship between Laura and Jan who feel an immediate unspoken attraction. Laura eventually leaves the rink and bicycles home with Jan right behind her. In her doorway, their bodies melt together in a frantic, fiery embrace that explodes in a burst of wanton lovemaking on the carpet of her apartment. Only after they are utterly spent do they finally speak. When Jan tells her that he is a Belgian, Laura laughs and laughs. Her laughter ends when Jan tells her that he is married. But by this time, it is too late as they have become inexorably linked and they cannot bear to be apart for very long. This takes the greatest toll on Jan who still loves his wife Ann and is unable to decide whether he should leave or stay.