CRUSADE, MARCH THROUGH TIME / CRUSADE IN JEANS

Netherlands, 2006, 105 minutes, Colour.
Johnny Flynn, Stephanie Leonidas, Emily Watson, Michael Culkin, Benno Furmann.
Directed by Ben Sombogaart.

Crusade in Jeans is a popular Dutch children’s book. Adapted for the screen, it introduces a prologue and epilogue in the 20th century, drops a number of central characters – but highlights the basic plot, focusing on Dolf, a young man from Rotterdam, who fails in a soccer match to bring victory for Holland and is taunted by friends. His mother is a scientist, working on a time-travel machine. He goes into the machine in order to replay the match. However, he finds himself in 1212, part of the children’s crusade from Europe to Jerusalem.

He befriends a young girl who rescues him from brigands. She is played by Stephanie Leonidas. The leader of the crusade is considered a holy young man – but emerges as rather a sanctimonious prig. There is a chaplain, played by Michael Culkin, who continually speaks about God’s will but is unmasked as a child slave trader at the end. The good character is an artist portrayed by Benno Furmann. Emily Watson is the mother.

The film has a lot of adventures for the children as Dolf, in his 21st century clothes, becomes a leader, able to help at a time of a scarlet fever outbreak, organising the children into hunters, bargaining with a tyrannical lord to bake bread before dawn to feed the hungry children. He also rescues a young prince from drowning – who supports him in his conflicts with Nicholas, the leader as well as Father Anselmus.

When the truth of the children’s crusade is revealed with ships off the Genoa coast and Nicholas failing to part the sea so that the children could walk to Jerusalem, Dolf’s mission is over and he returns to the present. As a postscript, he returns to the past in order to rescue his young friend – and she is seen cheering him on at the final soccer match.

The film may appeal to younger audiences – but is a bit stodgy for adult audiences.

1. The popularity of the novel for Dutch children? The Dutch heritage?

2. The contemporary settings, Germany, Holland, the soccer match? The laboratory and time travel? The musical score?

3. Dolf, his character, his failure at the football match, with his mother, helping her with her work? His decision to go back and replay the match? Finding himself in 1212, the attack by the brigands, the rescue by Jenne? Her taking him to the children? His wanting to get back? The limited number of pills he had to survive?

4. The concern in the present, Dolf’s mother, the head of the enterprise? Her being put on suspension? Her collaborators? Their return to the laboratory? The plans to get Dolf back? Sending the message – and Thaddeus finding it? The rendezvous for the return?

5. The children’s crusade? The leadership of Nicholas? His reputation for holiness, leadership? His character – dominated by Anselmus? His attempts at leadership? As a noble, arrogant? The food and the banquet – compared with the starvation of the children? His listening to Dolf? The decision to try Dolf for heresy? At the water’s edge, the sea not parting? The revelation of the truth about the crusade?

6. The crusade itself, the foundation in historical fact? The nature of the crusades, Jerusalem? European attitudes to save Jerusalem? The range of children, the numbers? Nicholas and his leadership, his attendants?

7. Dolf, his clothes, people being puzzled? His iPod? His watch? His clothes? His joining the crusade, looked down on by the leadership? The attraction to Jenne?

8. The adventures along the way, rescuing the boy from drowning and the aftermath with the boy’s help? The confrontation with the leaders, organising the children into hunters and cooks? The confrontation with the lord, his persuading the lord to allow him to bake the bread, giving the iPod to the cook? The scarlet fever outbreak, isolating the children, Anselmus and his attack until he was ill? His assuming leadership of the group? The irony of the Mars bar and his giving it to the children? Giving away his watch?

9. Anselmus, clerical, his haircut? Leadership, advice, God’s will? His hold over Nicholas? His ironic acceptance of Dolf? Spurning him? His own illness? The motivations for taking the children, the child-traders and the ships to go to Africa? His being unmasked?

10. Thaddeus, joining the group, his travels, puzzle over Dolf? His sketches – and the research in the 21st century and seeing Dolf in the artwork? His support of Dolf at the end?

11. Dolf, the nobles and their rounding up of the children, the rescue, the heroism?

12. Dolf and his being arrested, tied up, to be tried for heresy, the fight with the deputy?

13. The finale, Dolf returning to the city, Jenne following, lost? His return? His mother glad to see him – and his going back for Jenne? The final sequence at the football match?

14. A film for young audiences, fantasy and reality?