Het bombardement

Great movie,don't let you distract by the negative comments.

I have seen many dutch movies, really many... but this one... well, it really is the sour berry on top of a smashed pie. Take some good names (Jan Smit for the first time in an acting role) and a horrible historic event (the bombing of Rotterdam) and you have a winner? Hell no! The acting: horrible! The special effects? Even more horrible. OK, there were explosions, but not the size that will make a house tremble, looking at the size of the actual explosions. More like of someone who accidentally drops some cherry bombs...

And why for God's sake did they put the ACTUAL BOMBING at the END of the movie? It's called Het Bombardement (the bombing) for nothing. Look at 2012 for instance, they put the action in the MIDDLE of the movie, and the rest after that.

No, Het Bombardement is a abomination of a movie, and it didn't showed the drama of that horrible event. If you come across this movie in stores, leave it there. It's not worth your money.

The movie is well worth seeing. The story itself it quite elaborate, with a love story and action sequences synchronized with the short-lived war in the Netherlands in May 1940. Many facts about the war are well interwoven with the story-line and give some interesting historical background. The back-grounds of the two main characters are defined by their having to do something important in their lives which they do only out of altruism for a brother, and the love they are starting to experience is jeopardizing their former resolve. The main characters are quite believable and show real chemistry, the action stunts grip you, and the photography sublime. Roos van Erkel really shines. Many critics are far too easy and harsh. They try to frame it as a Titanic-me-too, but ever heard of the age-old story of Romeo and Juliett? Because Jan Smit is known for being a singer, that doesn't mean he can't act. I could go on. If you are willing to let the actors and the story move you, this is a moving experience for the whole family.

Jan Smit is miscast as Vincent a poor, semi-orphaned bellboy/baker/boxer who falls in love with German girl Eva (Roos van Erkel), who's about to embark on a marriage of convenience with a powerful businessman to save her mentally handicapped brother Herman (beautifully played by Jelle Pelmaerts) from almost certain death at the hands of the Nazis. Although it is suggested that Vincent is illiterate (he only 'reads' a boxing magazine for its pictures) he somehow speaks fluent German which is pointed out, and then ignored. Moreover, Jan Smit looks far too squeaky clean to convince as a young man struggling to make ends meet in Rotterdam, just days before it is bombed to smithereens by the Germans. Nevertheless, Jan Smit does a very creditable job and handles the lighter scenes quite well, coasting on his seemingly natural charm which has made him the Dutch pop icon he is. There is also palpable chemistry between him and Van Erkel, who is also somewhat miscast as she is too plain-looking. Why would a shrewd, materialistic businessman - who is in a position to pick his women - settle for her? The voice-overs by venerable story-teller Aart Staartjes are disappointingly bland, and repetitive. The love story between the two leads, however, works surprisingly well, and is helped immensely by the stunning cinematography by Gabor Szabo, who creates some unforgettable moments. The bombardment of the title is well-designed and beautifully shot, and underlines the ambition of this film to be the Dutch answer to Titanic, which it has tried to emulate a bit too obviously. Not a great film, but quite entertaining and definitely worth watching.

The bombing of Rotterdam deserves a good movie as it is such a defining happening in Dutch history. This movie isn't it. In fact it is horrible.

Jan Smit, a Dutch singer (who cannot sing) is not an actor (so he cannot act as well) and he is not from Rotterdam. So he does not know Rotterdams sentiment about the bombing. Why does he have the lead role?

...

Rotterdam was bombed by the Germans, early may 1940. Because of this bombing the Dutch army surrendered. Rotterdam was destroyed in under 15 minutes during the bombing and (in 2015) is still recovering).

This movie is a love story during the days before and after the bombing. And it is horrible. Do not watch this movie.