jbrouwers3 Reviews

The East (2020)

Historical fiction

[3/10 · 27 June 2023]

Beware of this movie and don't expect an historical depiction of actual facts. If you like an action movie, fine, I actually liked the production the way it was shot and that's why I rated the movie with 3 instead of 1 stars.

If you wish to learn something about Indonesia's fight for independence and the struggle of the Netherlands government, please go somewhere else. The movie is a historical abomination and obviously totally in line with the Indonesian propaganda back in the day. If you portray an actual historical figure like Raymond Westerling, do it right or don't. Making him a little Himmler, moustache and SS-uniform and all, doesn't make your story any better.

In the trivia some of the objections against the movie are already mentioned. It also mentions the fact that the director "showed the movie to several Dutch veterans and army leaders, who all praised the film for its authenticity", but it's obvious he cherry picked his audiences because the movie was ill received in circles of veterans and military.

The historical Indonesian relationship with the Netherlands and the end of Dutch colonialism is a complicated one and deserves a better movie, or better still, a long miniseries, instead of this drivel.

De hel van '63 (2009)

Worse than I thought!

[3/10 · 4 February 2012]

It took a while for me to see this flick, and I was already weary after seeing the publicity stills, but it was much worse than I expected. I cannot believe it is being rated as high as it is.

The director, Steven De Jong, directed a lot of children's films and it shows. The movie contains some of the worst acting in The Netherlands, which is a pity because there are actually some decent actors involved. The score is awful, pompous and would better fit Gladiator. The film is full of clichés, expect one every five minutes. Anachronisms occur throughout the movie: Holland did not look like this in 1963 (I was there!) and one of the main characters has a eighties hairdo. And on top of it all, the fake snow they sprayed on everyone, oh my God!! Don't bother watching it, it will save you a lot of frustration. If you're in for a laugh, buy it!