Erik's Heroes

Soldaat van Oranje is Paul Verhoeven's war movie, one that already shows his early leaning towards grungy realism - graphic torture, debased human nature and plenty of bare boobies - which is why it had a pretty mixed reception when it came out here in Holland.

This story is told from the point of view of a number of well to do Leiden University students. For clarification, very few people before the war had the finances to go to university.

Highlighting some now internationally famous Dutch actors - Rutger Hauer, Derek de Lint, Jeroen Krabbé as well as locally known actors like Belinda Meuldijk, Rijk de Gooyer and this is also a showcase of acting talent during the seventies and early eighties. British seventies actors Susan Penhaligon and Edward Fox (A Bridge Too Far) also have interesting performances.

Based on the memoirs of Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (Erik Lanshof in the movie), this is a reasonably realistic and truthful recounting of war and resistance during world war two. Roelfzema, a genuine war hero, first joined the student resistance, then the SOE, then joined the RAF and finally became an adjudant (aide) to queen Wilhelmina. He is still spritely and alive, living in Hawaii with his English wife.

It is also pretty unique as it features what must be cinema's first and only drive-by-shooting from a bicycle. And one with wooden tires at that. And a great yarn too. It has heroism and cowardice, loyalty and betrayal, relativism, principles and pragmatism. Recommended.

Apparently when Spielberg saw 'Soldier Of Orange' he phoned Paul Verhoeven congratulating him and urging him to come to Hollywood. That took about ten years but in retrospect in might have been a big mistake. Despite an excellent Hollywood debut (the savage science fiction satire 'RoboCop', still one of Verhoeven's best), the directors movies have been mostly disappointing ever since. Just compare his most recent movie, the lame 'Hollow Man', to this one. There's no denying that there has been a major drop in quality. 'Soldier Of Orange' is worth mentioning in the same breath as such classic war movies as Kubrick's 'Paths Of Glory', Fuller's 'The Big Red One' and Peckinpah's 'Cross Of Iron'. It's that good. Considering it was made by a director with a reputation for provocation and general outrageousness, it plays it surprisingly straight, and in my opinion is all the better for it. There is some violence, but it is appropriate for the subject matter, and there is very little sex. This is quite an epic story dealing with the fates of six University friends in Holland after the outbreak of WW2. The ensemble cast is excellent, but Verhoeven favourites Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbe are particularly outstanding. Hauer still has a strong cult following despite appearing in a string of b-grade movies for many years. Krabbe is best remembered by most movie fans as a Bond villain, if he's remembered at all. It's such a shame neither actor achieved the international success they both deserved. Check out their performances in 'Soldier Of Orange', Krabbe's in 'The Fourth Man', and Hauer's in 'Flesh & Blood'. Verhoeven certainly got the best out of them both. The supporting cast also includes dependable Brit Edward Fox ('The Day Of The Jackal') and Susan Penhaligon of cult Aussie thriller 'Patrick'. 'Soldier Of Orange' will be quite an eye opener for anyone unfamiliar with Verhoeven's pre-Hollywood output. It's a first rate war movie that has just about something for everyone. Highly recommended, as is the equally good (but very different) 'Spetters' and 'The Fourth Man'.

True story of Erik Hazelhof, a young university lad who becomes involved in the Dutch resistance movement during WWII. We follow him and some of his close friends as they take different paths during the early occupation of Nederland by the Nazis. One of them becomes a nazi collaborator, another is Jewish and does his best to defy the occupational troops, the others join the resistance in varying degrees. The story gets complex in its telling and you get an in depth look at how some civilians did their best to stay alive and help the war effort. The story focuses mostly on a Hauer's character. I thought it was great that he was not a 'John Wayne-Rambo' type of character. Instead we find a chap who is a bit reluctant to do his part and is more concerned with surviving the war years. This movie works on several levels. I love espionage and this has plenty of it. You also can look at it as a human drama to see how the war affects the comradery of the lads. And for you gals out there, there are some love scenes. There are some great scenes that capture the spirit of the time. This movie can be added to the likes of Schindler's List, Das Boot, and Saving Private Ryan as great WWII movies.

I was told by a Dutch priest friend that his country's soldiers responded to the German invasion riding on bicycles. And they were confronted by Panzer divisions.

Apart from the films about the Ten Boom family and their heroic exploits in saving Dutch Jews from the death camps (e.g. The Hiding Place), there are few cinematic efforts portraying Dutch resistance against the Nazis. Soldier of Orange was therefore an eye-opener. One would have thought that the Dutch, because of their proximity to Germany, with their cognate languages would have succumbed to Anschluss as did Austria. The stoic courage of Queen Wilhelmina in insisting on staying with her people even after it was clear that Dutch forces had collapsed in the face of the German Blitzkrieg was touching. Only reluctantly did she accept the advice of her ministers that she would be more effective as a symbol of resistance abroad persuaded her to accept the British offer to fly her out of her beloved country.

And yet, despite the exciting episodes of Dutch resistance and espionage against the German occupiers, what proved more interesting to me was the depiction of student life at the universities. I was both fascinated and appalled at the extent and brutality of the hazing undergone by the lower classmen which included the character of Rutger Hauer. In my country, the Philippines, such hazing have led to several deaths and although condemned in general, they go on.

Based on true events, the film provides a wide temporal overview of different destinies students of different ethnicities and background had to face during World War II. This big war ruined lots of relations and comprehensions, but unlike in Eastern-European countries, occupation and its consequences remained relatively short-time, and the confrontation was still on the so-called centre/right level. For example, fate of the Baltic nations was even more tragic and disruptive...

Anyway, the film in question is well written, directed and played; names like Paul Verhoeven, Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbé are currently internationally known and appraised, before that they were active mostly in the local scene. Hauer and Krabbé are real character actors, having also distinctive appearance, not just cute face / gleaming smile so characteristic to many US counterparts. On the other hand, if necessary, they are also talented team players, merging well with background and co-performers; the latter are also strong and even, and the Brits and Germans are played by respective native-speakers.

A powerful film, recommended to all those fond of war dramas.