ma-cortes This is a true story based on historical events about Resistance against Nazis who violently invaded Holland, but some names of historic persons are changed . For example, Erik Lanshof is actually Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema .This film depicts World War II through the eyes of six Dutch students (Rutger Hauer , Jeroen Krabbe , Derek De Lint , among others) . It follows them through the beginning of the war, the Nazi occupation whose lives forever changed by the WWII invasion of Holland by the Nazis . It begins in Univerity Leiden ,the Netherlands , 1938 , with various young Dutch Students just before the outbreak of World War 2 and finishes with the liberation . As soon as the war starts, many students join the resistance . Later on , Erik Lanshof (Rutger Hauer) is assigned by an exiled Queen Wilhelmina (Andrea Domburg who used cotton paddings in her cheeks to better resemble Queen) and his helper colonel Rafelli (Edward Fox) to carry out a dangerous mission during Nazi downfall.This thrilling , cerebral WWII picture is plenty of suspense, emotion , action and is pretty entertaining . At the beginning there is an amusing introduction on students life in Leiden University and fraternity , in which we find the protagonists of this exciting story . The screenplay is full of plot twist and tension , the developing is kept everything moving fast and frantic to a climax guaranteed to make hearts pound. Based on actual events about Queen Wilhelmina and her real aide-de-camp, Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, the author of the book on which the film is screen-written ; even appearing in the opening scene, a genuine newsreel footage . Based on real happenings , though some names of historic persons are modified , one of the reasons for the change in names may be that, for clarity and simplicity, the number of characters from the original story were reduced, and as a consequence, some historic actions are ascribed to other people in the movie, so as to acknowledge this deviation from reality , some names may have been altered. It was shot entirely on real locations with the exception of the short sequence in the RAF bomber . Good acting by Rutger Hauer who made him an international star , he plays as a valiant official named Erik , though Director Paul Verhoeven originally wanted Derek De Lint to play Erik Lanshof, the title character . He had previously directed Rutger Hauer in the Dutch television series "Floris" (1969) and the film Turks fruits (1973) and did not think Hauer was right for the lead in this picture . He then decided to give Hauer a try and Hauer surprised Verhoeven by giving a very strong reading, with the result that Verhoeven cast him as Erik and De Lint as Alex . Rijk De Gooyer, who plays Gestapo collaborator Breitner, was part of the resistance in the Netherlands during World War II ; as a result, he harbored quite some anti-German sentiments towards his fellow actor Reinhard Kolldehoff, who plays Wehrmacht General Geisman . Carefully made and lavishly produced , as cost the equivalent of $2.5 million to produce, making it the most-expensive Dutch film made at the time. Nice special effects , as the explosions were provided not by technicians but by the Dutch Marines , as director Paul Verhoeven stated that the explosive charges were held in place with metal ; when one of the charges was set off, it blew the metal to bits , even one of the flying fragments nearly killed star Rutger Hauer . When the production ran out of budget, a British film company and a Dutch television company provided additional financial support, under the condition that the material was also adapted into a four part mini-series, which was retitled "For Queen and Fatherland¨.

einstein-29 This is one of those amazing war/adventure movies like The Great Escape, or Bridge on The River Kwai, or Stalag 17, that knocks your socks off.I have re-watched it several times over the years, and it never gets old.The action is good. The characters are interesting, and evolving through the film, and the production is very high quality.The characters speak Dutch, English, and German, giving the film a very authentic quality.Highly recommended!

eyeseehot Not a single negative comment yet and this movie deserves worse. The first half has some interest, like the good cop bad cop routine of the Nazis, but scenes and characters are not much developed. Scenes are schematic, simply making plot points and moving on. As the movie goes on it gets worse. What exactly is happening, for example, when they infiltrate Holland? There's no clear idea of the mission, or what's at stake. Motives are standard, acting OK but nothing outstanding. War movie clichés stitched awkwardly together. Toward the end a Nazi--one of the original group of students who went wrong--is walking along a blasted road eating a biscuit and a starving boy asks him for food. Smirking, he throws the biscuit into a pool of black liquid in a ditch and walks on smiling. The boy picks up the biscuit, throws it down, and pulls a grenade from under his coat. Walks behind the outhouse where the Nazi is taking a crap and tosses the grenade in. Boom. If you go for that this is your movie. I call it writing without imagination. The Nazis were monstrous, yes, but for a better movie along these lines see Europa Europa, or Lucie Aubrac. Even better, Forbidden Games.

MinneapolisJane 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.