Michiel De Ruyter Analysis

Synopsis: Frank Lammers stars as Admiral Michiel Adriaenszoon De Ruyter in 18th century Netherlands which is directed by Roel Reine. The film attempts to capture De Ruyter’s heroic contributions and at sea victories as a brilliant strategist well as the internal political strife which holds the country at the brink of a civil war. Additionally, it shows the external political landscape whereas England, France and Germany all seek to divide the country for their own gains in their selfish quests for expansionism. In the mid 1700’s Netherlands was a fledgling country of 1 million people with a historic connection to the sea, in boat building, exportation and exploration. The Dutch economy at the time far outpaced other European countries (Maddison, n.d.), and with expansionism being the primary goal of larger neighboring countries, many wanted a share of the wealth. Netherlands was also noted for its liberalism and tolerance but as shown in the movie, punishment was swift and gory, with beheadings, vigilantism and torture as prevalent during that era. Reflective also in the film was the Protestant work ethic which contributed manifested itself within …show more content…
De Ruyter, by most accounts, started sailing at the age of 11. Throughout his life, he was married 3 times; his first two wives having died. De Ruyter also was born as Michiel Adriaenszoon and later took the surname De Ruyter. In fairness to the director, this was a complex frame of time and also character to capture completely within a two-hour time limit. Additionally, to get as historically correct as possible, the politics had to be delved into because they were critical to the specific time when De Ruyter performed as the Supreme Admiral of the Dutch Navy, which led to several clear and decisive