"For a Lost Soldier" is a beautifully filmed movie, and the actors did very well with what they had.
What the two leading actors had, unfortunately, was a script that did not give their characters any motivation for falling in love.
There is not a single point in this movie where one finds any reason for the love between the young boy and the Canadian soldier.
The soldier doesn't rescue the boy's dog, protect the boy from an abusive father, or do anything else that might earn the boy's affection and loyalty (I am making these possible motives up; there is no dog or abusive father in the movie.)
One minute the boy and the soldier are noticing at each other; the next minute they are friends, and well on their way to being lovers.
I find this especially disappointing, because it is slick Hollywood films that are supposed to be superficial, not "sophisticated" European films like this one.
But I could name any number of lesser known, recent Hollywood movies that have more depth.
I could even name quite a few HBO movies and "after-school specials."
In the end, one must be satisfied with aspects of the film that have little to do with the relationship between the two main characters.
One thing I found very interesting in this movie was the religious piety and devotion of the Dutch people who lived in rural areas -- a real contrast to the secular orientation of Dutch urban life today.
Is there a schism between country and city today when it comes to religion (and related social values) in Holland?
I also found it touching that the Dutch family that took in the boy treated him so warmly, then asked for no thanks because they had only been doing their duty.
What the two leading actors had, unfortunately, was a script that did not give their characters any motivation for falling in love.
There is not a single point in this movie where one finds any reason for the love between the young boy and the Canadian soldier.
The soldier doesn't rescue the boy's dog, protect the boy from an abusive father, or do anything else that might earn the boy's affection and loyalty (I am making these possible motives up; there is no dog or abusive father in the movie.)
One minute the boy and the soldier are noticing at each other; the next minute they are friends, and well on their way to being lovers.
I find this especially disappointing, because it is slick Hollywood films that are supposed to be superficial, not "sophisticated" European films like this one.
But I could name any number of lesser known, recent Hollywood movies that have more depth.
I could even name quite a few HBO movies and "after-school specials."
In the end, one must be satisfied with aspects of the film that have little to do with the relationship between the two main characters.
One thing I found very interesting in this movie was the religious piety and devotion of the Dutch people who lived in rural areas -- a real contrast to the secular orientation of Dutch urban life today.
Is there a schism between country and city today when it comes to religion (and related social values) in Holland?
I also found it touching that the Dutch family that took in the boy treated him so warmly, then asked for no thanks because they had only been doing their duty.