Having read the book several times, and loving it, I was hesitant of seeing the movie. I do not normally like literature turned in to movie. It is like putting paintings into music. The movie is not all that bad, but there are several things I did not like about it. Why are the speaking English? Ridiculous, that is prostituting your language, synchronise it if you want to for the foreign market. Second, Jeroen Krabe is trying to hard and not able enough.There was a high craftsmanship in the making of it, and was filmed well, but the effects at the end where best left out. I give it an 8 out of 10. Pieter

Absolutely awful. Extremely sexist, theologically nonsensical, politically uninformed, . . . Characters behave in ever more absurdly uncharacteristic ways. Very irritating and boring. Also disappointing, because it is based on a book by a very good writer, Harry Mulisch and directed by Krabbe, who usually seems to be an intelligent actor. Here, he directs his actors with a lack of respect that appalls me.

I can't fathom all the praise that this film has received on this site (or any other for that matter). I saw a screening of this movie months ago and was asked to be in the focus group. After the screening, people were lined up asking to be in the focus group because they wanted to express to the film makers what a waste of plastic the movie is and to suggest that it never be released in the U.S. After the focus group was over, several audience members got together outside the theater to continue talking about the painful experience we had all just been through...a kind of bad movie support group.This is a terrible film. The performances are phoned in. The plot is absolutely ridiculous. It starts out as a bad romantic comedy and becomes an even worse biblical epic. Embarrassing. Absolute tripe.

The family Krabbé has a lot of talented people. Jeroen Krabbé is a talented actor, director & painter. Also his brother Tim Krabbé is very good as atour of several books. Jeroen Krabbé decided to make "The Discovery of Heaven" based on a book of H. Musslich. They say that the book couldn't be a film it was to complicated to make a film of. But Krabbé proved that everything is possible. The film is not only religious, but there is also the friendship between Onno (played by Stephen Fry) & Max (played by Greg Wise) and disturpted by a woman.But it is Quinten how most discover the Heaven with the help of the 10 Commandments. If it will happen? Yes, but in a strange way... Krabbés vision of the Heaven is new, not with angels & saints but a hard world. This films is one of the best dutch movies and needs more attention!Krabbé you may make other films of this quality!!Rating: 9/10 or *** out of ***1/2 out of ****