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Reviews
Het bombardement (2012)
'Het Bombardement' review
A very interesting watch as the bombardment of Rotterdam is a key moment in the history of the second world war in the Netherlands. The movie however didn't always hit the spot. Knowing the bombardment of Rotterdam is a brutal tragedy, in the beginning I was surprised by the light hearted teenage love story as the main part of the film. But as it progresses, so many casual moments and tiny things gradually make sense. The war is there, the huge casualties and lifetime loss is there, how do you deal with it? As the boy tells the girl to laugh instead of fear, and the girl later tells the boy to do boxing with waltz, I think that is the message how people could endure the war and achieve love. Some German characters here may be snobbish, but the war tells them what is truly valuable; Dutch people may be considered victims, but some Dutch characters show their speculative minds in the warfare. After all, love without boundaries, save those you love, live with those survived by your side. I think it's a good movie about love at wars.
De slag om de Schelde (2020)
De Slag om de Schelde
'De Slag om de Schelde' is one of the most expensive Dutch films ever produced and Netflix's first originally produced film from the Netherlands, also known as 'The Forgotten Battle', is the perfect type of film for the company to support as well as being one of the most well put together war films in their catalogue. Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., a native Dutchman, the Forgotten Battle tells the story of the not overly well-known World War 2 battle of Schelde in which allied forces took it to a beaten down but determined Nazi army that was hellbent on stopping the allied march across Europe capturing ports and cities on their way into the Nazi occupied heartlands. Splitting the film up into three separate stories that all combine into one cohesive narrative structure, Battle follows Gijs Blom's young Dutch German soldier Marinus who has been sent back to his home country to take part in the fight, Jamie Flatter's newbie British pilot William who has along with his squad been shot down over enemy lines and battling to get back to allied forces and Susan Radder's Walcheren Island native Teuntje who is trying her best to rescue her brother from the clutches of Nazi soldiers. Offering a wide ranging scope by telling his story this way, Heijningen Jr's film isn't your typical war film that is all battles and brothers and while it has plenty of in your face battlefront carnage and cat and mouse games of life and death, the film provides a neatly observed different lens on the World War 2 front with it far removed from the more Hollywoodized war films that can find themselves front and centre in the genre on regular occasions. Working with a budget that while significant is still merely catering for big time productions, Heijningen Jr wrings every last dollar out of his films coffers to ensure that Battle feels like a more prestigious than usual Netflix mid-tier release.
Skyggen i mit øje (2021)
The bombardment
The bombardment is a film which tells a relatively unknown story. The Danish director Ole Borndahl decided to delve into the story of an allied bombing mission on copenhagen gone wrong during world war two. The film recounts how the danish renaissance during nazi occupation called for the british airforce to bomb and destroy the nazi headquarters in copenhagen. However during the bombing raid, they accidentally began targeting a local nursery which resulted in many fatal casualties. Up to 125 civilians died, of which 86 were children. The film is very important as it shows that the allies were not always as heroic as they picture themselves. There are many issues around the globe which have been silenced and forgotten, and therefore we can sometimes have biassed and one handed opinions and ideas. The film comments on this global issue, and hopefully it will impact how people will remember and teach certain events in history.
El hoyo (2019)
The platform
"El Hoyo'', or as it is better known in English "The Platform'', is a Spanish movie that is directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia and is a commentary on the social hierarchy in today's world. The movie follows the main character Goreng (Ivan Massagué) as he wakes up in a concrete room with a massive whole in the middle. The first thing that Goreng sees is the number 48 on the wall which as we later come to find out is the floor number that he is on. Goreng's roommate Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor) introduces Goreng and the audience to how the hole works. Every day a platform floats from the top floor to the bottom floor carrying all sorts of food made with extra care by the people in level 0. Goreng quickly learns how greedy people can really be when the platform lowers down to their level and he sees how the people on the levels above him ravaged the food, leaving a mess that makes Goreng uncomfortable simply by looking at it. Trimagasi tells Goreng that those above them won't listen to them because they have power, and that they shouldn't communicate with those below them as they have power over them. Goreng refused to eat for the first few days, however he eventually succumbed to his hunger and gave into the system by eating with no regard for those below him, acting purely off selfishness. After a month Goreng fully acclimates to the rules of the "hole" and bonds with Trimagasi. However when he wakes up on the first day of the second day he finds himself tied up looking at the number 171. Trimagasi, aware of the fact that no food ever reaches that far down, takes precautions to protect himself from Goreng who he claims will eventually attack him out of hunger. The second month causes Goreng to lose his humanity in an act which he was forced into to save his own life and which results in Trimagasi's death. The rest of the movie depicts Goreng travelling from level to level with his new roommates that all share different views and have different values regarding the "hole". The final act of the movie shows Goreng going against the system by descending down all the way from level 8 to give food to those on lower levels and send a message back to level 0 which would raise awareness of the horrors going on in the hole.
"The Platform" is a commentary on social stratification. The levels that the people within the hole end up on are visual representations of the financial hierarchy system in the world with levels 1-50 which get all of the food from the platform representing the upper class. The reason why they ended up on those levels is due to nothing but luck which can often be the case in real life too, when people for example marry, or are born into wealth. The levels below 50 feed off the scraps of those above them if there is anything left and they represent the majority of the population who are in constant struggle to survive. People within the hole often experience both; the privilege of being on the higher levels, and the miserable reality of being on the lower levels. The movie supports the statement "ignorance is bliss" when people on higher levels that have experienced the misery of the lower levels, refuse to help those below them, therefore benefiting solely themselves, ignoring the possibility that they could face being on lower levels themselves in the following months. The movie uses graphic cinematography to create a tense atmosphere and keep the audience on edge which reflects Goreng's feelings throughout the movie. "The Platform" is a brutal take on human ignorance and selfishness, depictions of those qualities are often graphic and uncomfortable for the audience. The internal battle between Goreng's caring, selfless personality and the dehumanising conditions that he is put in is the driving factor of the movie. When watching the movie for the first time I was very impressed with the cinematography and the performances given by the relatively unknown actors, however upon viewing the movie for the second time I was able to see the underlying themes that the director based the script around and that's when the movie really started to stand out for me. It's a movie that I would certainly recommend rewatching a few times to get the most out of it.
Green Book (2018)
Green book
The movie "Green Book" directed by Peter Farrelly follows the Italian ex-bouncer Tony Vallelonga and his experiences working as the driver for the African American classical pianist Don Shirley in 1962. With clashing beliefs and values, they drive around America for Shirley's concerts, and together, they witness the cruel injustice African Americans faced at the time. However, through these experiences, they find a profound respect for each other and develop a strong friendship. This movie brilliantly raises awareness of the racism African Americans faced in the 60s and makes you wonder how much has changed and how much still needs to change. Although segregation and blatant racism may not be as prevalent as in the 60s America, it is still a major issue faced around the world. "Green Book" effectively highlights the issue of racial injustice in the world and encourages watchers to continue fighting against racism. It is a truly powerful movie with a truly powerful message.
Druk (2020)
Film "Druk" and its message
The film Druk, directed by the prolific Thomas Vinterberg, is formed because there is a theory that man is born with a lack of alcohol in his blood. This theory says that humans are born with an alcohol blood level that is 0.05% too low. The film follows Martin, a high school teacher, through a midlife crisis. He has problems with his wife and children at home and struggles with engaging his students in his lessons. Therefore, he and a few colleagues conducted a research paper about the consequences of raising your alcohol blood level and keeping it at the supposed sufficient level throughout the day. At first, the results start positive as they all become more engaged in teaching and become more open to ideas and activities. Then, they all begin to loosen up and see changes in their daily activities. After a while, some begin to feel the impacts of being constantly drunk and end up losing complete control. The film is out to comment on the danish drinking culture, which is becoming more and more out of control with binge drinking a regular part of life. For example, the film starts with an annual Danish tradition of a lake run consisting of teams of high school students who run around a lake while consuming an entire crate of beer, and vomiting can get two minutes deducted off your time. A report noted that 37% of Danes had "major regular alcohol usage", double the European average. With all this, Vinterberg wanted to bring this issue to light and to express that everything should be done in moderation, which can be seen as without drinking Martin and his colleagues went through life without any joy, while with too much alcohol they could not only lose loved ones but also to some extent themselves.