The Broken Circle Breakdown

2012 1h 52m NL

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 1,159

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The loss of their young daughter threatens to destroy the love and faith of two married musicians.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Veerle Baetens
Elise
Johan Heldenbergh
Didier
Nell Cattrysse
Maybelle
Geert Van Rampelberg
William
Nils De Caster
Jock
Robbie Cleiren
Jimmy
Bert Huysentruyt
Jef
Jan Bijvoet
Koen

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Felix van Groeningen
Writers: Carl Joos, Felix van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch
Languages: English, Dutch
Countries: Belgium, Netherlands

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 14 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Dutch.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Belgium, Netherlands.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Felix van Groeningen, shot by Ruben Impens. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bjorn Eriksson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Nico Leunen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Veerle Baetens and Johan Heldenbergh and Nell Cattrysse carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2024519 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Felix van Groeningen directs. Ruben Impens behind the camera. Bjorn Eriksson scores. Nico Leunen cuts. Produced in Belgium, Netherlands. Dialogue in English, Dutch.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 14 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Dutch.
3International production across 2 countries: Belgium, Netherlands.
4Directed by Felix van Groeningen, shot by Ruben Impens. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Bjorn Eriksson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Nico Leunen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Veerle Baetens and Johan Heldenbergh and Nell Cattrysse carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt2024519 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ruben Impens
Original score: Bjorn Eriksson
Editing: Nico Leunen
Production design: Kurt Rigolle
Costume design: Ann Lauwerys
Makeup / hair: Diana Dreesen
Sound: Michel Schöpping
Runtime: 112 min · 1h 52m
Status: Released
Box office: $5,500,000
Original language: NL
IMDB: The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012)

Awards

Satellite Award for Best Foreign Language Film
European Film Award for Best Actress
César Award for Best Foreign Film
Lux Prize

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Felix van Groeningen

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-04-14
★ 7/10
This reminded me quite a lot, at times, of "Walk the Line" (2005). "Didier" (Johan Heldenbergh) is a folk musician who believes in little but himself and his band. That is, until he encounters "Elise" (Veerle Baetens). She is a woman of quite profound faith and the two don't seem like they'll make a recipe for an instant hit. They do, though, and shortly afterwards a baby is on the horizon. He's not so keen, he doesn't feel ready (or even that willing) to be a father but have it they do, and its now that the storyline splits into threads that develop the tragic story that ensues and of their individual and joint approaches to the trauma they are both having to face. There's something honest about the portrayals by both here as they initially follow the predictable path of relation self-destruction, but as this story unpicks things at a more personal level we begin to know and to understand the characters a little better and comprehend their differing approaches to grief. The religiosity of his character proves quite a thought-provokingly potent conclusion with an on-stage rant that effectively summarises his lack of faith and that standard of powerful writing, prevalent throughout, demonstrates passion and disgust as well as love and affection. It's frequently quite intimately photographed and is not without a dark, earthy, humour, but for me, it is all about the concluding intensity - and that's worth staying on for.

Production companies