This movie gives an excellent idea of how life in a criminal gang was - in a small city in the Dutch outback (Oss, North-Brabant) in the 1930's. How the gang, with the help of the Roman Church and factory-owners, could flourish in a mental climate of hatred against the national government and it's military police ('marechaussee'). 'We from Oss', catholic southerners, speaking a different dialect against 'Them' - the Dutch occupiers, mostly protestants who speak 'high' dutch and who use the marechaussee to keep the Oss'ians down under.
It's an honest film which tries to follow history more or less precise. By placing one member of the gang in the middle of the story (a woman, bar-owner and prostitute) it personalizes this history. The way she is portrayed in her attempt to get rid of the gang life and flee with one of her lovers is convincing and phenomenal! In the beginning she is only shrewd" an opportunist, only out for the money and for her own survival. But later on we see that she does care and she does have a morale, a conscience. It;s not black and white. And therefore - and for the fine actors, good dialogs and historical props - it's an excellent film in my opinion.
It's an honest film which tries to follow history more or less precise. By placing one member of the gang in the middle of the story (a woman, bar-owner and prostitute) it personalizes this history. The way she is portrayed in her attempt to get rid of the gang life and flee with one of her lovers is convincing and phenomenal! In the beginning she is only shrewd" an opportunist, only out for the money and for her own survival. But later on we see that she does care and she does have a morale, a conscience. It;s not black and white. And therefore - and for the fine actors, good dialogs and historical props - it's an excellent film in my opinion.