Soldato d'Orange

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.

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.

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.

This film hit a grand slam by successfully achieving all of the things I hope for in a movie: it entertained me, it educated me, it charmed me, and it provoked me. I have lived in the Netherlands and love the Dutch people, so I was happy to view this film and see many familiar sites and understand some of the Dutch dialogue. It provided me with a sense of deja vu. I also learned things about the Dutch World War II experience that I previously was unaware of. The vast majority of the world only has one thought when it comes to WWII and the Dutch: Anne Frank. It's heartening to watch a film that explores many other facets of the Dutch experience during occupation, and that doesn't promote an all-rosy view wherein everyone is heroic. It is a realistic film that showed the complications of war and occupation, the desire for self-survival, the limits of patriotism, the fragility of war-time romances, and the bravery and sacrifices that some, but not all, are willing to exhibit. My heart was in my throat many times as I wondered what would happen and, although the movie is almost two and a half hours, I was sorry to see it end.

This is one of the best and only accurate depictions of espionage in WWII. The script and direction by Verhoeven are very clever and exciting, and Rutger Hauer is excellent. We see that it takes serious, quick wit and nerves of steel to be a secret agent, and that one can rarely count on the plan (the phone that no longer took dimes was an exceptional and realistic surprise!) It is also one of the only films I have seen to take a look at the war from the Dutch perspective. The people of the Netherlands were conquered by the Nazis, and thus could strike back only by forming a resistance movement. It is a great film, and although miracles rarely happen, I PRAY FOR THIS MOVIE'S RELEASE ON DVD!!! Grade; A.