A 1973 Dutch-Belgian drama about the famous police inspector, Piet Van der Valk (Bryan Marshall), who investigates the activities of a group of young people (six men and six women) who – believing that society is rotten – set about to destroy it by breaking into luxurious flats and houses and destroying everything in them.
The six wealthy, well-dressed and well-spoken hoodlums break into a married couple’s house and rape the wife while forcing the husband to watch.
Thus begins a dogged investigation by Van der Valk, who quickly finds that their cult-like solidarity can be a serious obstacle to breaking them.
The movie was based on a novel by Nicolas Freeling in the Van der Valk series. Released theatrically in the UK as The Rape, it’s certainly a long way from the ITV series with Barry Foster.
Because of the Cats features the film debut of Sylvia Kristel, who would go on to fame in the Emmanuelle series of films. Director Fons Rademakers later received a Best Foreign Film Oscar.
Inspector Piet Van der Valk
Bryan Marshall
Feodora
Alexandra Stewart
Mierle
Edward Judd
Jansen
Sebastian Graham Jones
Erik Mierle
Anthony Allen
Kees van Sonneveld
Nicholas Hoye
Hannie Troost
Sylvia Kristel
Carmen
Ida Goemans
Ms Maris
Delia Lindsay
Maris
Roger Hammond
Kieft
Derek Hart
Frank Kieft
Christopher Blake
Boersma
George Baker
Marcousis
Guido de Moor
Mevr van Sonneveld
Louis Hensen
Martha
Mariëlle Jonas
Carnavalet
Alex van Rooyen
Oom van Carnavalet
Leo Beyers
Brinkman
Martin van Zundert
Mevrouw Kieft
Liliane Vincent
Director
Fons Rademakers