Crazy Love (1993) – Review
Dominique Deruddere’s Crazy Love (1993) is one of those rare films that defies simple categorization. Loosely inspired by the writings of Charles Bukowski, it weaves together three chapters in the life of Harry, a man who is awkward, yearning, and deeply flawed. Played with unflinching honesty by Josse De Pauw, Harry is not your typical cinematic protagonist—he is often sad, clumsy, and desperate, yet painfully human in his longing for love and belonging.
The film’s structure is one of its boldest choices. Rather than offering a traditional, linear story, Deruddere presents Harry’s life in three snapshots: his adolescence, his young adulthood, and his later years. Each stage reveals how his struggles with loneliness and rejection evolve over time, yet also how his desire for tenderness never fades. This fragmented approach mirrors the unpredictability of life itself—messy, inconsistent, but threaded with moments of startling beauty.
Visually, Crazy Love is striking. Cinematographer Willy Stassen crafts each segment with its own atmosphere, shifting from dreamlike softness to stark realism. The muted color palette and gritty textures evoke Bukowski’s world of rough edges and raw emotion. At times, fantasy and reality blur, pulling us into Harry’s fragile state of mind.
De Pauw’s performance is the film’s beating heart. He brings an aching vulnerability to Harry, making him sympathetic even when his choices are troubling. His portrayal reminds us that love is not always noble or pure—it can be clumsy, painful, even humiliating—but it is also what keeps us searching for connection in an indifferent world.
Upon release, Crazy Love earned international acclaim, winning Best Director at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and establishing Deruddere as a bold new voice in European cinema. While it never became a mainstream success, it has since gained a reputation as a cult classic, admired for its poetic grit and emotional honesty.
Ultimately, Crazy Love is not a romance but a meditation on longing—the kind that gnaws at us through every stage of life. It’s raw, unsettling, and at times uncomfortable to watch, but it lingers long after the credits roll, like a half-forgotten dream that feels more true than comforting.