Movie · 1977 · Drama, Thriller, War · 2h 28m · R · NL
Curator score: 9.0/10 (14.9K ratings)
Love first. Fight later
Overview
The lives of Erik Lanshof and five of his closest friends take different paths when the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940: fight and resistance, fear and resignation, collaboration and high treason.
Ratings
Curator score: 9.0/10
IMDb: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
TMDB: 7.1/10
Director
Paul Verhoeven
Production
Excelsior Films, Rob Houwer Film Holland
Cast
Rutger Hauer, Jeroen Krabbé, Lex van Delden, Derek de Lint, Huib Rooymans, Dolf de Vries, Eddy Habbema, Belinda Meuldijk, Peter Faber, Rijk de Gooyer, Paul Brandenburg, Ward de Ravet, Bert Struys, Reinhard Kolldehoff, Susan Penhaligon, Andrea Domburg, Guus Hermus, Edward Fox, Henny Alma, Bert André
Where to watch
Darkroom
Curator Review
Verdict
A smart, unusually textured WWII resistance drama that mixes camaraderie, betrayal, and political ambiguity with Verhoeven’s sharp eye for human behavior. It’s both an ensemble war story and a coming-of-age tragedy, with strong period atmosphere and a memorable lead performance.
Best for
viewers who like WWII stories with moral complexity
fans of ensemble dramas about friendship under pressure
people interested in European war cinema
audiences who appreciate early Paul Verhoeven craft
viewers who want a political thriller more than a battlefield epic
Skip if
you want nonstop combat action
you prefer lean runtimes and tightly compressed plotting
you dislike morally messy characters and shifting loyalties
you’re looking for a straightforward inspirational resistance story
Overview
Soldier of Orange is one of those war films that feels bigger than its budget because it understands that occupation is first a social catastrophe and only then a military one. Verhoeven tracks a circle of Dutch students as history splits them apart, and the film’s real tension comes from watching friendship, class, ideology, and self-preservation collide under pressure.
Worth noting
What makes it stand out is the mix of polish and bite. It has the sweep of an epic, but it’s also full of sly, uncomfortable details: flirtation, opportunism, vanity, fear, and the ugly compromises people make when the world changes overnight. The result is less a heroic resistance fantasy than a study of how people reveal themselves.
Bottom line
Rutger Hauer is magnetic, and the ensemble gives the story emotional weight across its long span. If you like war films that are as much about character and atmosphere as operations and battles, this is a strong watch and one of Verhoeven’s most accomplished early films.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Lou (rhymes with wow!) (4.5★) · 148 likes
An epic WWII movie like only Paul Verhoeven can make; with social consciousness/commentary bookended between coarse language and lewdness. It tells a wonderful tale of camaraderie and betrayal (to friendships, but also to ideals and country) and overcoming adversity in times of great despair.
Rutger Hauer is amazing here of course, but so is Jeroen Krabbé. It's such a shame that he isn't better known internationally.
I think this might be the most revered Dutch movie in The Netherlands (it's… more
Krommedijk (4.5★) · 141 likes
Rutger Hauer died July 19th 2019 at the age of 75. His funeral was held yesterday - private and for family and close friends only. The news just got out.
When Rutger Hauer played Floris, he visited my hometown Dordrecht - as Floris. At one point he was fed up with all the fan-attention - so he flew into the art dealership where my father was trained as an auctioneer. They closed the doors and Hauer spent a couple of… more
DirkH (5★) · 113 likes
By far Paul Verhoeven's best film.
This film shows the technical mastery Verhoeven has as a filmmaker. The true story this film tells is epic in scale, but could only be shot on a tiny budget. I say tiny, in those days this was the most expensive Dutch movie ever made, but it fades in comparison to budgets of contemporary American films. I can assure you, it doesn't show.
The story is about Erik Hazelhoff Roelfsema, a Dutch member of… more
gregs1999 (3.5★) · 87 likes
Hell yeah, keep these Rutger Hauer masterclasses coming. Now we get a lot less sex, but we still get a couple scenes, so it’s not all bad news. He plays a part of the Dutch resistance during World War II, and it’s quite fascinating. The undercover work, sabotage, parties and sex was quite fun. At 2 and a half hours, it does outstay its welcome sometimes. I was surprised to find out that Paul Verhoeven’s frequent producer in his early years, Rob Houwer, did this month.
Paul Verhoeven ranked
Paul Elliott (4.5★) · 71 likes
Soldier of Orange focuses on a group of students who are portrayed with sincerity by the films cast as they assume a multitude of various positions during the German occupation of the Netherlands during WWII. Based on Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema’s autobiography, Paul Verhoeven avoids merely submitting a facile portrayal of loyalists struggling for their nation and builds some intricate connections and justifications for his characters doing what they do. The film accentuates the uncertainties at the advancement of life during… more Soldier of Orange focuses on a group of students who are portrayed with sincerity by the films cast as they assume a multitude of various positions during the German occupation of the Netherlands during WWII. Based on Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema’s autobiography, Paul Verhoeven avoids merely submitting a facile portrayal of loyalists struggling for their nation and builds some intricate connections and justifications for his characters doing what they do. The film accentuates the uncertainties at the advancement of life during… more