SOLDIER OF ORANGE

Our favorite Paul Verhoeven film, “SOLDIER OF ORANGE” has just been released as an excellent dvd presentation from ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT.  Rutger Hauer gives a performance that certainly rivals what he accomplished in “BLADE RUNNER”, as a wealthy young man from Holland whom joins the Dutch Resistance during WW2.   While Hauer is the focus of the film, his fellow college buddies and their choices are also explored.  One in particular, Alex, takes the less noble path of following the Nazi party.  Verhoeven has always sought out controversy.  In fact, his aspirations to make an autobiographical film about “Hitler”, has been a source of anticipation and weariness for years now.  With this in mind, it’s pleasing to see that Verhoeven’s film takes a complicated look at the Nazis and collaborators without ever blurring the lines between who was good and evil!  The film is based on memoirs of a real resistance fighter, so some of the events depicted in the film may seem eerily familiar to viewers of the History Channel.   As with any Verhoeven film, this one isn’t for the squeamish!  There are some horrifying torture sequences, but unlike with his other films, there’s no sense of exploitation here. 

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT has provided an outstanding transfer for this release!  It really looks stunning!  The production design looks more elaborate than its somewhat modest budget would suggest.  The color values are solid with vibrant, detailed colors without any oversaturation. 

The Dolby Digital monaural sound is in great shape, in spite of some drop-outs.  The dialogue is always intelligible and free from distortion.  The fidelity has a wide range.