Take a few pieces of Dunkirk, add a touch of All Quiet on the Western Front, layer in some 1917, shave in some Saving Private Ryan sprinkle, and finish it with some Letters from Iwo Jima. The result is Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.’s ( The Thing) 2020 under-the-radar masterpiece, The Forgotten Battle. This 2020 Netflix film was one that I had just heard of after completing my watch of All Quiet on the Western Front, which was another Netflix original that was equally as exceptional.

The Forgotten Battle is based upon the historic Battle of Scheldt, a piece of World War II that is easily overlooked compared to many others because the Canadian army led it rather than American or British forces. It was located in Zeeland, Netherlands, in 1944. The Allies controlled the vital port city of Antwerp but still needed to secure the Scheldt River, the only passageway to the North Sea, so that they could receive much-needed supplies. The remaining German forces have control of the Walcheren island (in the Dutch province of Zeeland) in a last-ditch effort to control the narrow, heavily guarded causeway.

With a backdrop of disorder and anarchy within this war-torn country, The Forgotten Battle intertwines the lives of British Pilot Tony Turner (Tom Felton – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, A United Kingdom), German conscience-guided German Soldier Marinus Van Staveren (Gijs Blom – Dead & Beautiful, Silk Road), and Teuntje Visser (Susan Radder – The Takeover, Painkillers), a Dutch woman who works for the mayor and, along with her doctor father, have remained in favor the German-occupied land by remaining neutral during the conflict. van Heijningen Jr.’s ability to juggle these three stories while keeping us interested in each is reminiscent of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk.

van Heijningen Jr. shows mastery as a director with his ability to effectively present a historical representation of a significant turning point in World War II while, at the same time, telling us intricately personal stories that have us caring about individuals on opposing forces similar to Clint Eastwood’s parallel films Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. The Forgotten Battle is not on the same epic scope as Steven Speilberg’s Saving Private Ryan, but there are eerily similar elements, including a jaw-dropping opening invasion scene. In addition, the highly personal stories of our lead characters evoke memories of Sam Mendes’s 1917. The cinematography, sound, and film sequencing also show that van Heijningen Jr. belongs in the conversation with Eastwood, Spielberg, and Mendez, at least regarding World War II films.

The Forgotten Battle shows us that, through our three characters forced into threatening situations, horrors that only the likes of war can bring. Serving nothing more than as pawn pieces by leaders who see human life as expendable, Tony, Marinus, and Teuntje unknowingly cross each other’s paths and forever affect each other’s lives.

The Forgotten Battle is incredible and should be seen by world history buffs and anyone who enjoys war films.

Plot 10/10
Character Development 9.5/10
Character Chemistry 9.5/10
Acting 9/10
Screenplay 9/10
Directing  9.5/10
Cinematography 10/10
Sound 10/10
Hook and Reel 10/10
Universal Relevance 10/10
85%

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• • 1917
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