In pre-WWII Holland, the penniless, illegitimate son of a powerful bailiff sets out to become a lawyer as he spends a lifetime struggling to prove his worth to his relentlessly spiteful father.
Character is a 1997 Dutch-Belgian historical drama film directed by Mike van Diem from a script he co-wrote with Laurens Geels and Ruud van Megen. It is based on the best-selling novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 70th Academy Awards. The film stars Fedja van Huêt, Jan Decleir, and Betty Schuurman.