Soldier Of Orange (DVD)

Dutch cinema has, no disrespect, never quite taken the world of celluloid by storm. Its most successful director is unarguably Paul Verhoeven who hit the big-time with films such as Basic Instinct, RoboCop and Starship Troopers. The best-known actor has to be Rutger Hauer who came to fame as the android in Blade Runner, was a fearsome baddie in The Hitcher and has gone on to build a successful career from then, known in this country as well for the ...
...personalities shared a billing are therefore emblematic as far as the Dutch are concerned, and of no little interest to the rest of us.

"Solder of Orange" (Soldaat van Oranje), the thirdd film which falls into this category, is a 1977 movie set during the Second World War but its appeal goes beyond lovers of the genre, indeed anyone expecting major battle scenes will be disappointed. It tells the story of a group of friends ... more

Dutch cinema has, no disrespect, never quite taken the world of celluloid by storm. Its most successful director is unarguably Paul Verhoeven who hit the big-time with films such as Basic Instinct, RoboCop and Starship Troopers. The best-known actor has to be Rutger Hauer who came to fame as the android in Blade Runner, was a fearsome baddie in The Hitcher and has gone on to build a successful career from then, known in this country as well for the iconic Guinness adverts. The films in which both these film personalities shared a billing are therefore emblematic as far as the Dutch are concerned, and of no little interest to the rest of us.

"Solder of Orange" (Soldaat van Oranje), the thirdd film which falls into this category, is a 1977 movie set during the Second World War but its appeal goes beyond lovers of the genre, indeed anyone expecting major battle scenes will be disappointed. It tells the story of a group of friends at the University of Leiden, one of the oldest and most prestigious in continental Europe, and how the war affects their lives. A photograph of the group is poignantly seen again towards the end of the film, many of those posing for it having lost their lives in the interim.

The movie starts with a rather brutal initiation scene where a group of freshers is submitted to all manner of indignities by older students. Eventually Erik (Hauer) suffers a cracked skull at the hands of Guus (Jeroen Krabbe) but, oddly enough, they become good friends after this and even end up sharing the latter's plush apartment. These are halcyon days and more good times seem to be around the corner, and the unreal pre-war atmosphere of excess is enjoyed by the students…wine, women and song.

And then everyone's plans and dreams are interrupted by a war the Dutch never expected to take part in. Neutral during the Great War, and no doubt feeling that their having given the Kaiser asylum there partly worked as insurance against a German invasion, Holland was attacked and bombed into submission in four days during the May 1940 onslaught against France and the Benelux countries. There is little fighting to be seen in the movie, just some troops aimlessly cycling towards the border before the surrender is announced.

From then on the story is about the Dutch resistance and, to a lesser extent, collaboration. One of the characters is forced to collaborate, to protect his Jewish girlfriend, another who is actually Jewish finds that his imposing physical condition is no defence against the brutal occupiers. One of them even manages to avoid the war interrupting his studies. Yet another, of German parentage, finds himself switching from the Dutch to the German army. Erik and Guus are forced to mature quickly as they do what they can for their country. The first casualty of the war is truth and honesty and personal relationships are also damaged, sometimes irreparably.

The second half of the film is partly set in Kent, with the Dutch resistance working with British intelligence in the form of the old-school Colonel Rafelli (Edward Fox) and his feisty and promiscuous secretary Susan, played by Susan Penhaligon.

The plot builds to a dramatic climax enacted on the beaches of the Dutch "Riviera" of Noordwijk, after which the film ends on a note of optimism, following the liberation of the Netherlands.

Good acting from the entire cast and imaginative directing makes this into an eminently watchable film which has stood the test of time well. Although it cannot have boasted a huge budget all the scenes are credible and Verhoeven weaves the personal and the political strands of the story skilfully to create an entertaining yet informative finished product.

On the historical context my only comment is that Verhoeven does rather skirt over, though not completely ignore, the considerable popular support for German militarism and anti-semitic policies. The Dutch government escaped into exile with Queen Wilhelmina (Andrea Domburg) and continued the fight against the Axis, particularly in the Dutch East Indies, and there was an important resistance movement - as seen in the film. The difference to the Dutch occupation, other than for the Dutch Jews, from other European countries was the belief under Nazi racial policies that the Dutch were entitled to be at the top-table of races with the Germans. There was a significant Nazi Party with 100,000 members who collaborated willingly with the occupation. Up to 25,000 Dutch volunteers fought with the Germans.

This review is for the dvd which is Dutch language with English subtitles. There are no significant extras, merely the obligatory trailer, commentaries, filmographies and photo galleries. The strangest thing, I can only assume the film was lifted directly from the screen version, is that there is an "Intermission"! I have never seen one incorporated into a dvd before, indeed it must be over twenty years since I saw one at a cinema, but it comes in handy for making a quick cuppa!

I paid £7.00 for this at HMV, and it is available with free delivery from hmv.co.uk at that price. Good value. 

...less