The Admiral (2015)

When the young republic of The Netherlands is attacked by England, France, and Germany, and the country is on the brink of civil war, only one man can lead the country's strongest weapon, the Dutch fleet: Michiel de Ruyter (Frank Lammers).

Director:

Roel Reiné

Writers:

Lars Boom, Alex van Galen

Stars:

Frank Lammers, Sanne Langelaar, Barry Atsma

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frank Lammers	...	Michiel de Ruyter
Sanne Langelaar	...	Anna de Ruyter
Barry Atsma	...	Johan de Witt
Lieke van Lexmond	...	Wendela de Witt
Egbert Jan Weeber	...	Willem III (as Evert-Jan Weeber)
Rutger Hauer	...	Maarten Tromp
Charles Dance	...	Charles II
Derek de Lint	...	Kievit
Tygo Gernandt	...	Jozef van Ghent
Filip Peeters	...	Dequesne
Roeland Fernhout	...	Cornelis de Witt
Pip Pellens	...	Klaartje
Nils Verkooijen	...	Engel de Ruyter
Jada Borsato	...	Neeltje de Ruyter
Isa Lammers	...	Greetje de Ruyter

Storyline

When the young republic of The Netherlands is attacked by the great Kingdom of England, France, and Germany, and the country is on the brink of civil war, only one man can lead the country's strongest weapon, the Dutch fleet: Michiel de Ruyter (Frank Lammers).

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Plot Keywords:

dutch | holland | dutch navy | 1600s | naval battle | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

In order to make this movie accessible for school classes and families who want to see it in the theater, a 12+ version with a few cuts in the most explicit scenes was also released.

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Goofs

The Battle of Scheveningen which opens the movie took place on July 31, 1653, while the final scene happened on March 18, 1677. This means that in reality, the events depicted in the movie spanned almost 24 years, but artistic license was taken in condensing the story and action to a few years at most (notice for example that the children in the movie hardly age).

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Alternate Versions

In the Netherlands, the movie was released in two different versions in the cinema. One of the versions lack explicit images of a lynching and also the death scene of the main character is made less horrific. This version has certification: 12 years and older.

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Connections

Referenced in De slimste mens ter wereld: Episode #10.6 (2017)

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Soundtracks

Michiel de Ruyter (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Written by Trevor Morris
Published by Riva Media Records
courtesy of VOCfilm B.V.

User Reviews

Inspiring Film!

As an American, I'm not intimately familiar with Dutch history. And that's a shame, because our concept of individual freedom is a direct descendant of the Republic's.

I had heard of De Ruyter, but this film really opened my eyes. I know it's not strictly historically accurate (no film ever is), but it inspired me to read more on Dutch history, and more about this brilliant tactician in particular.

On a different tack, I appreciated this film's superior accuracy in depicting war in the Age of Sail. I've seen too many Hollywood movies with mysterious "exploding solid iron cannonballs." "Admiral" accurately shows that the greatest danger to life & limb came from the huge oak splinters that flew in every direction when a cannonball crashed through a wooden wall.

If you enjoy historical films, and nautical adventure in particular, see this one!

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebookpage official Instagram

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch English French

Release Date:

23 February 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Admiral

Filming Locations:

Dam Square, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Budget:

EUR8,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,398,252

Company Credits

Production Co:

Farmhouse Film & TV, Ciné Cri De Coeur, AVROTROS

Technical Specs

Runtime:

151 min 123 min (UK video)

Color:

Color