1. History as Melodrama
Michiel de Ruyter attempts to blend the Dutch Golden Age with Game of Thrones-style aesthetics, complete with chocolate sprinkles. The results? A melodramatic mess.
The Netherlands is Great
Nothing says "Dutch Golden Age" like a speech about ships, windmills, canals, and freedom. The filmmakers clearly mistook the States General for a pep rally. Also, Johan de Witt is the one doing it. Given that he's a walking PR disaster(and the Act of Seclusion and Perpetual Edict shenanigans), there's no chance of him ever getting a standing ovation from Orangists...or anyone, really.
The Dutch ate their Prime Minister
Of course they had to show the infamous mob scene. Enter the slow-motion shots, somber music, and close-ups of lifeless faces. Reminding the audience to never forget 20th August,1672, because patriotism. Ironically, they turn it into a violent spectacle, which completely misses the real tragedy: that Johan and Cornelis died for nothing.
2. Villains, Heroes, and Absurd Choices
This movie butchers pretty much everyone.
William III:
The film paints him as a villain and completely erases his competence(a stroopwafel might have made a better stadtholder). His political cunning? Gone. His strategic brilliance? Ignored. His military achievements? Forgotten. William III eventually becomes King of England, but we get a prince who seems more interested in lounging and scheming than leading effectively. Total character assassination.
De Ruyter’s Suicide Mission:
This is nonsense. The filmmakers want us to believe William III sent Michiel de Ruyter—the best admiral they ever had—on a fake suicide mission because he was too popular. Yet again, distorting history beyond recognition. And how exactly does a naval admiral lead a coup? Is he going to dock the fleet in The Hague and march his sailors to William's doorstep with swords made of ship rigging?
Johan de Witt:
Oops, I forgot about the army: Johan goes to De Ruyter and says, "I should never have weakened the army," with that sad look on his face, as if the entire fate of the Republic hinges on this one admission. Cue the music as Johan discovers regret for the first time ever.
Swan Cake: They didn't forget about the arrogance, the swan symbolism(it's very on the nose though), or the math(!). But instead of doing his job as a grand pensionary, he's just there as a sort of republican mascot. His only memorable contributions are a cringe-worthy speech, an annuities lecture and his very over-the-top death. But at least he's sort of cute?
Michiel de Ruyter:
The movie can't even do justice to its main character. Michiel de Ruyter, the brilliant naval tactician, is turned into a tragic pawn. He fights for the Republic, avoids politics, and somehow he still needs to die because plot reasons. Then they use slow-motion shots and an overly drawn-out funeral sequence to drag the emotional weight beyond what’s reasonable. Disappointing.
3. Conclusion
At the end of the day, Michiel de Ruyter is less history and more just patriotic feels and republican propaganda. The movie's fabricated storylines and one-dimensional portrayals are lazy and reductive. Perhaps they should have left politics out of it entirely, because the cinematography is its only redeeming feature. And the ships.