The people behind this film may have actually had good intentions, but this film is all over the place for starters. Somehow we are supposed to understand that the grown-up Jeroen meets his younger self (a supposed 13, but more likely 11), and then we are thrown back in time to when WWII was just ending. Jeroen was forced to live with another family somewhere in the Netherlands as his mother could not provide him with enough food. The war soon ends and the American (Canadian?) soldiers march through town on a victory parade. A young soldier (Walt) sees Jeroen and decides that he wants him (sexually) -- I mean, almost instantly. I didn't get that the feeling was mutual. Although the film offers several scenes to indicate that Jeroen is most likely attracted to other boys, it in no way suggests that he is ready for a full-on sexual experience with an adult man.
The young boy who plays Jeroen is very pretty, but he doesn't have any great range. Also, the man who plays Walt is handsome, but he too doesn't have great range. I didn't sense a shred of chemistry between them and I found it deeply disturbing that Walt "sensed" that Jeroen was "different," and... therefore... what? That meant that it was okay for him to have adult sex with him?
Also, while the two moments of intimacy are brief (one is hinted at, the other is not), the first one was really shocking. In what realm of the imagination did Walt think that this child was ready for the type of sexual experience he wanted to have? While Jeroen seems to be aware of what is happening, it also does not seem that he is interested in participating. It's true he didn't fight Walt off, but... it looked like he was in a bit of shock. Some of the viewers have bizarrely misinterpreted this moment as the boy having "trust" in the soldier. I say the actor was doing what he was told. I am not denying this event happened, but... so what? It didn't deserve an entire movie.
The other scenes in the movie detail Jeroen's life with a kind family that takes care of him and ensures his well-being until his mother can return. The movie is bookended by inexplicably bizarre scenes of what I guess is the adult Jeroen choreographing young dancers, in English. I understand that this movie was adapted from a book, so perhaps the production company felt obligated to explain, blow by blow, what happened in young Jeroen's life. While there were some interesting moments, him meeting Walt should have been profound. It was not. It was this gross adult man who obviously had a thing for boys.
If this relationship had been set up with some intelligence and there had been some chemistry between the actors, it could have been shocking, but compelling. Instead, the movie features a variety of actors, very few which have any acting ability, saying lines they were given to say and attempting to convince us that this violation of this boy's innocence (I don't care that this freak called him "my prince") was something beautiful and memorable. It may have been in Jeroen's real life, but it sure isn't in this movie.
The young boy who plays Jeroen is very pretty, but he doesn't have any great range. Also, the man who plays Walt is handsome, but he too doesn't have great range. I didn't sense a shred of chemistry between them and I found it deeply disturbing that Walt "sensed" that Jeroen was "different," and... therefore... what? That meant that it was okay for him to have adult sex with him?
Also, while the two moments of intimacy are brief (one is hinted at, the other is not), the first one was really shocking. In what realm of the imagination did Walt think that this child was ready for the type of sexual experience he wanted to have? While Jeroen seems to be aware of what is happening, it also does not seem that he is interested in participating. It's true he didn't fight Walt off, but... it looked like he was in a bit of shock. Some of the viewers have bizarrely misinterpreted this moment as the boy having "trust" in the soldier. I say the actor was doing what he was told. I am not denying this event happened, but... so what? It didn't deserve an entire movie.
The other scenes in the movie detail Jeroen's life with a kind family that takes care of him and ensures his well-being until his mother can return. The movie is bookended by inexplicably bizarre scenes of what I guess is the adult Jeroen choreographing young dancers, in English. I understand that this movie was adapted from a book, so perhaps the production company felt obligated to explain, blow by blow, what happened in young Jeroen's life. While there were some interesting moments, him meeting Walt should have been profound. It was not. It was this gross adult man who obviously had a thing for boys.
If this relationship had been set up with some intelligence and there had been some chemistry between the actors, it could have been shocking, but compelling. Instead, the movie features a variety of actors, very few which have any acting ability, saying lines they were given to say and attempting to convince us that this violation of this boy's innocence (I don't care that this freak called him "my prince") was something beautiful and memorable. It may have been in Jeroen's real life, but it sure isn't in this movie.