Grutte Pier

Grutte Pier is the only European national hero I know of that is famous for his hare-hunting skills with a sword. No, he's the only national hero I know of that is famous for his hare-hunting skills with a sword. Anywhere. Must be a Frisian thing. Absolutely amazing. And not a tortoise to be seen as far as the eye can see. It seems that swords are also very useful for chasing away birds and buzzards. Just in case they fly by where they're not wanted. I think that must also be a Frisian thing. Birds, buzzards, and hares beware. Your time is numbered. And Grutte Pier is out to get you. With his sword. His great, big, hare-impaling sword.

I watched grutte pier on amazon prime this evening. I hoped it would bring a compelling story on one of our local heroes. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. Main reason is not the low budget which is clearly visible in the shots with special effects or in the limited amount of film locations. This can be overlooked knowing the constraints of dutch film makers and the lack of suitable filming locations. It hasn't prevented earlier movies to be quite entertaining.

My main concern is the script. The conversations are just goofy and grutte pier almost seems like he is mentally disabled and tries to get selected for a role as 'hodor' in game of thrones. It's probably difficult to find frisian actors, but by letting milan van weelden speak the language, it adds to the goofiness. His friends act likewise loud and idiotic. Even when pushed having to watch beyond the goofy script, the story is incomprehensable going from the one scene to the other.

This movie is quite a compelling screening of the legend of Grutte Pier, a figure that many Frisians think of as a hero - or at least think they consider him to be a hero. The Dutch (from 'Holland') probably will disagree with the story line.

Historical accuracy and political points of view aside (I know where the negative comments on the monument in Medemblik, accusing Grutte Pier, comes from), I believe this is a movie worth watching.

Many Frisians have heard about Grutte Pier, but most only know the bare, basic facts. This movie at least gives a proper overview or introduction to his personality and his motives. And, to the credit of the movie makers, the picture of Grutte Pier is not wholly pretty.

The movie feels like a merger between a Hollywood blockbuster and a Tryater performance (Tryater is a Frisian theater company, well-respected, but low-budget), but in a good way. It kept my attention and I mostly enjoyed it. At times a bit melodramatic, but that comes with the genre. Overall, well worth watching, in my point of view.

Instead of the usual tough guy hero, this movie depicts a strong and tall but introverted, sensitive, spiritual and socially akward guy who is morally conflicted about his desire for revenge and yet manages to rally many people behind him, simply because of a common feeling that their values should not be infringed upon.

One scene that stands out as particularly unique is the one where Grutte Pier tries to rally his people. He is not a good speaker and does not suddenly develop this skill. His audience consists of people who are also not good public speakers. After his awkard attempt at rallying the people, there is a silence that lasts for a long time. In other cultures / settings, such a silence would mean the rejection of this leader. However, in this setting, with just farmers that are also extremely introverted, it turns out that the audience itself was just as shy as him and it just took them a long time to speak out their support. They accept him as their leader, not because of his 'charisma' but because he is just as, if not more, down-to-earth as them. These and other 'goofy' interactions in the movie demonstrate that 'goofy' interactions do not need to be 'cringe'.

The story seems to be about an introverted culture, that does not put a lot of value on extraversion, a type of culture which is generally underrepresented in movies and tv series. The story can be interpreted as a case for sustainable business practices where the 'Hollanders' are only driven by a desire for money and power but the humble hierarchy-free local Frysians will not accept such invasions of their territory and are willing to fight for their freedom.

In my opinion, the movie is worth watching just for its unique take on this type of story. It hooked me from start to finish and every part of the story seemed clear to me.