Verhoeven returns to his native country and brings with him....

Rating: 5/10 (15 February 2009)

Verhoeven has come back from that Walhalla of movie making. What did he bring with him in his little bag?
Clueless warfare.
I am cursed by the fact to be interested in warfare and astounded again that even the simplest of warfare concept are trod upon in this movie. Some examples: almost all firefights see the Germans stand up in full view fire-hosing their MP 40's. Might I point out that the essence of modern warfare is to take cover. Nobody in his right mind is going to survive combat this way. Another example: during the movie a armored vehicle is driven into the building. Argg. That is the first and foremost fault one can making in armored warfare. Even tanks might get stuck or shed a track. Weapons are transported with their magazines and in a lose fashion. More number one mistakes. People seldom reload their guns. During the armored car incident a Thompson is used to kill five Germans in a prolonged firefight and not once is the magazine replaced.
Cardboard baddies.
The story boils down to the fact that a resistance fighter hero is in fact an egocentric, selfish bastard who has entered into a deal with the SS to exploit the Jews and has no problem in killing off all his resistance buddies. And this then is the pivotal story. Oh and the German bad guy has no qualms about this resistance fight massacring German soldiers. And oh. The resistance people are all happy to lay down and die. Tow being murdered by the bad guy with a knife in broad daylight. It was one of the baddest scenes.
Unbelievable plot.
No believable plot is made to explain these actions. No anguish on the part of the killer. No the bad guys are cardboard baddies that need to be hunted down and killed. And of course only the hapless heroes know the truth of it. (and they are not believed by anyone).Break out the guns boys.
Poinless scenes.
The movie is filled with pointless scenes. Examples: the Israel shoot at the beginning and the end. The abuse scened after the liberation. The bomber flying at the beginning.
Bad directed scenes.
Did you note how fast the relieve column arrived after the bomber dropped the load on the farm? Within minutes. Even in modern times with cell phones such speed would be amazing. Another one: within a minute after the resistance fighter are found out by the police to transport guns an armed force of Germans arrives. Such speed is amazing considering they had no helicopters. Why are the resistance to entered the SD HQ by the SS when it's a trap. If caused them a lot of dead Germans.
Bad music directing
Music is important to a movie and Verhoeven shows that even his budget has it's limits. So we are treated with the same melancholic string music most of the time. Only at some key moments the melancholy is dropped for something more fitting.
Let's compare this movie to let's say L'armee des ombres and this Zwart Boek just falls flat on it's face. Karakter and Antoina are far better movies with better story lines and believable people. And they had far less budget to work with.
Verhoeven has returned to bring us nothing in particular. Welcome back, mate.