FOR A LOST SOLDIER (Voor een verloren soldaat) is a 1992 Dutch film based on a novel by Rudi van Dantzig, adapted for the screen by Don Bloch, and directed by Roeland Kerbosch whose understanding of the concept of love is remarkably sensitive. Some viewers may mislabel this film as inappropriate celebration of 'abnormal life styles' and that would be a sad comment on the level of consciousness that hopefully we have overcome. Erase all old tapes and view this beautiful film as a pure exploration of the human being's ability to love and perhaps it will become the classic it deserves to be.
The film is a reverie: a choreographer Jeroen Boman (Jeroen Krabbé) is distracted from his work by words and ideas and scenes that make him recall his childhood, and what follows is an explanation of his origins. The memory goes back to Holland in the 1940s as WW II is growing ever more a threat of Germany's determination to control the world. Because of the threat of invasion and because of the paucity of food and essentials to living the families begin to send their children in trucks to the countryside where the children will be fed and protected by farmers far enough away from the cities to possibly escape annihilation by the German forces. Maarten Smit appears as the young Jeroen Boman, transported to a farm where he feels out of place and quickly makes friends with another 'outsider'. Together they discover a crashed airplane in a field and Jeroen begins to get in touch with his feelings. Shortly the Canadians land in the little village to provide protection for the people, and while the soldiers all are attracted to the acutely available and willing girls, one soldier Walt Cook (Andrew Kelley) sites Jeroen and treats him well: the two are indeed separated by age but Walt is very young and very kind and gives Joeran the attention he longs for. Very gradually and very subtly Walt and Jeroen find a mutual love and the two, isolated and lonely, begin a love affair - an affair while very strong in feeling is handled so delicately that it seems completely natural. Eventually the Canadian troops are to leave and Walt departs on his own, leaving Jeroen to the returning attention of his family as they come to gather him home.
As the flashbacks reveal it is this memory of first love that the adult Jeroen is trying to capture in his choreographic story. The film ends with memories of the past evaporating in the air, memories that remain indelible in the adult Jeroen's mind. The entire cast is excellent, but it is the very straightforward demonstration of love between Andrew Kelley and Maarten Smit, under the wise guidance of director Roeland Kerbosch that makes this film so memorable. it belongs in the personal library of all those who respect courage and delicacy in the art of filmmaking.
Grady Harp
The film is a reverie: a choreographer Jeroen Boman (Jeroen Krabbé) is distracted from his work by words and ideas and scenes that make him recall his childhood, and what follows is an explanation of his origins. The memory goes back to Holland in the 1940s as WW II is growing ever more a threat of Germany's determination to control the world. Because of the threat of invasion and because of the paucity of food and essentials to living the families begin to send their children in trucks to the countryside where the children will be fed and protected by farmers far enough away from the cities to possibly escape annihilation by the German forces. Maarten Smit appears as the young Jeroen Boman, transported to a farm where he feels out of place and quickly makes friends with another 'outsider'. Together they discover a crashed airplane in a field and Jeroen begins to get in touch with his feelings. Shortly the Canadians land in the little village to provide protection for the people, and while the soldiers all are attracted to the acutely available and willing girls, one soldier Walt Cook (Andrew Kelley) sites Jeroen and treats him well: the two are indeed separated by age but Walt is very young and very kind and gives Joeran the attention he longs for. Very gradually and very subtly Walt and Jeroen find a mutual love and the two, isolated and lonely, begin a love affair - an affair while very strong in feeling is handled so delicately that it seems completely natural. Eventually the Canadian troops are to leave and Walt departs on his own, leaving Jeroen to the returning attention of his family as they come to gather him home.
As the flashbacks reveal it is this memory of first love that the adult Jeroen is trying to capture in his choreographic story. The film ends with memories of the past evaporating in the air, memories that remain indelible in the adult Jeroen's mind. The entire cast is excellent, but it is the very straightforward demonstration of love between Andrew Kelley and Maarten Smit, under the wise guidance of director Roeland Kerbosch that makes this film so memorable. it belongs in the personal library of all those who respect courage and delicacy in the art of filmmaking.
Grady Harp