Admiral (2015)

 ●  English ● 2 hrs 31 mins

Where did you watch this movie?

In the 17th century, when the young republic of Netherlands was on the verge of civil war, it was attacked by England and its allies, forcing a hero to rise and lead the Dutch fleet in a fight for freedom and unity.
See Storyline (May Contain Spoilers)
Music Rating
Based on 0 rating
0 user 0 critic
Did you know? In the Netherlands, the movie comes in two versions in the cinema. One of the versions lack explicit images of a lynching and also the death scene of the main character is made less horrific. This version has certification: 12 years and younger. Read More
No reviews available. Click here to add a review.
as Louise
as King Charles II of England
as Lord Chancellor
as Mary-Stuart
as Maarten Tromp
as Konstabel 7 Provinciën
as Johan de Witt
as Monck
as lord Baron
as Kievit
as Member of Parliament
as Willem III
as Mayor of Flushing
as Dequesne
as Michiel de Ruyter
as Van Ginneken
as Cornelis Tromp
as Neeltje de Ruyter
as Hans Willem Bentinck
as Kees
as De Graeff
as Hendrik
as Wendela de Witt
as Jan van Brakel
as Warrior
as Engel de Ruyter
as Klaartje
as Angry Orangist
as Cornelis de Witt
as Anna de Ruyter
as Guard
as Member of Parliament
as Chirurgijn 7 Provinciën
as Jozef van Ghent
as De Waerd
as Prince Rupert
as Assassin

Direction

Director
Second Assistant Director
Assistant Director

Production

Producer
Co-Producer
Executive Producer
Production Manager

Distribution

Distributor

Writers

Screenplay Writer

Camera and Electrical

Director of Photography
Steadicam Operator
Camera Operator

Music

Music Director
Music Label

Sound

Sound Designer
Sound Editor
Sound Mixer
Boom Operator

Animation

Layout Artist

Art

Production Designer

Casting

Costume and Wardrobe

Costume Supervisor
Assistant Costume Designer

Editorial

Editor
Online Editor

Makeup and Hair

Makeup Artist
Hair Stylist
Assistant Makeup Artist

Post Production

Post Production Supervisor

Special Effects

Special Effects Coordinator
Special Effects Technician
Special Effects Studio

Stunts

Stunt Director
Stunt Coordinator
Stunt Coordinator Assistant

Thanks

Special Thanks

Visual Effects

Visual Effects Supervisor
Visual Effects Studio
Matchmove Artist
Film Type:
Feature
Language:
English
Spoken Languages:
Dutch, French
Colour Info:
Color
Frame Rate:
24 fps
Aspect Ratio:
2.35:1
Stereoscopy:
No
Goofs:
Miscellaneous
Next to the front door of the 'Amsterdam' house of Michiel the brown ANWB-shield is visible (with an explanation from the tourist board).

Miscellaneous
The stone in the front gable of the 'Vlissingen' house of Michiel contains the date '1938'.

Miscellaneous
When the camera zooms out from the aerial view of the French invading a city to a view from above the clouds, which then blends into a map, the view from space is actual modern day satellite photography. It shows many features and landmasses which did not exist in the 17th century. Most notable the whole province of Flevoland, the Maasvlakte near Rotterdam, the islands of Zeeland were not yet connected, various dams and bridges, and the greenhouses in the Westland.

Miscellaneous
Three of the ships used in the production (Etoile, Shtandart, Utrecht) were 18th century ships, while the story is taking place in the 17th century.

Miscellaneous
Neeltje uses the term "Lynching". The term was first used around the era during the American revolution.

Factual Mistake
Michiel de Ruyter didn't actually die on the spot when he's hit by a cannon ball. He died from his injuries later.

Factual Mistake
Michiel de Ruyter is shown as being present in The Hague at the lynching of the De Witt brothers but he was not in The Hague, as also a mob who tried to find him in reality discovered.

Factual Mistake
In the movie Michiel's wife was at the funeral in Amsterdam. In reality she was not there at all. In those days it was normal that the widow did not attend the funeral. Michiels son Engel, a son-in-law and a grandson represented the family.
Trivia:
Paintings from the 17th century served as an inspiration for the design. In the beginning of the movie, when Klaartje the family maid pours milk, it is almost an exact replica of the famous painting 'The Milkmaid' by Johannes Vermeer.

One of the classic ships used in production of this movie a an accurate replica of "De Batavia". This is in fact a cargo ship, which sunk of the coast of Australia 1629. The building of this replica took place at the "Bataviawerf" in Lelystad, The Netherlands and was finished in 1995. The next project was a replica of Michiel de Ruyters actual ship "De Zeven Provincien" but this build has stalled due the lack of funds.

A special island was created in a lake (Markermeer lake) for filming on real ships.

In order to make the film accessible for school classes and families who want to see it in the cinema, a 12+ version with a few cuts in the most explicit scenes was also released.

In the movie the prince orders to give de Ruyter the best grave possible, in fact the the Ruyter family financed the grave of the admiral themselves.

The script development and research took six years to complete.

In the beginning of the movie, there are actual dutch marines(active in service) used as actors for shots on a ship.

The Battle of Scheveningen which opens the movie took place on July 31, 1653, while the final scene happened on March 18, 1677. This means that in reality, the events depicted in the movie spanned almost 24 years, but artistic license was taken in condensing the story and action to a few years at most (notice for example that the children in the movie hardly age).

Over 10,000 shots were recorded with four cameras during 46 shooting days.

In total, the VSX has delivered 3,000 man-days.

During the premiere at the Maritime Museum Amsterdam, a few dozen people protested against 'the glorification of a colonial sea villain' referencing De Ruyter's supposed involvement in Dutch slave trading.

3 days after release date awarded with "Gouden film" award, by the "Nederlands Film Festival" and "Nederlands Filmfonds". The "Gouden film" award is given to movies which have been seen by more than 100,000 visitors.

The house and the garden that depicts Michiels house in Amsterdam, including the view of the small bridge and ports is actually located in Zierikzee, a small town in the province Zeeland, Netherlands. The interior shots where largely done somewhere else. The garden was also used in the final episode of the 2014 season of the Dutch children program Wie Is De Mol? Junior.

The British Union Jack flag flown by English ships in the film may appear to be an anachronism, but in fact it's historically accurate. This is the version adopted in 1601 combining the flags of England, Scotland and Wales. The modern version of the flag, adopted in 1801, includes the thin red saltire ("x") of Northern Ireland, which is correctly omitted in the film.

To cut costs, director Roel Reiné filmed the scene where the De Witt brothers are lynched with a mob of 400 extras, of whom only 150 wore period costumes. The remaining 250 wore jeans and dark shirts, but by keeping the crowd in motion and using special camera tricks and editing, they are almost impossible to notice.

In the Netherlands, the movie comes in two versions in the cinema. One of the versions lack explicit images of a lynching and also the death scene of the main character is made less horrific. This version has certification: 12 years and younger.