Crusade in Jeans (film)
Encyclopedia
Crusade in Jeans
is a 2006 Dutch
film
, an adaptation of the first half of the book Crusade in Jeans
by Thea Beckman
. The film was directed by Ben Sombogaart
. It is unknown whether a sequel, based on the second half of the book, will be produced.
, plays a football match in the stadium of Speyer
, Germany
. Due to Dolf's fault his team loses.
Dolf's mother works in a research center where a time machine
has been developed. It allows an object, animal or person to be moved to a specified time in the past and a specified location. It is also possible to move to the present, and to the research center, whatever is on a specified time in the past in a specified exact location of ca. one square meter. Thus a person moving to the past can only return to the present by being at the right time on exactly the right location. The machine is being tested on animals. A special medicine is needed daily to stay alive in the past.
Dolf decides to go back in time one day, and go to Germany, to replay the match. Since he regularly visits his mother at the lab and assists with the work, guards know him, the iris scan authorization check lets him pass, and he knows his mother's password of the computer system. This enables him to use the time machine without authorization. However, this activation of the system alarms the guards. Dolf manages to apply the system just in time before the guards can stop him, but in his haste he accidentally enters the password in the field for the destination date, and consequently travels to the year 1212. His destination location is as planned: the location of the present-day stadium, not far from the in 1212 already existing city of Speyer.
Soon after arriving in 1212 he is attacked. The girl Jenne saves his life.
He joins the Children's Crusade
, a journey on foot, motivated by the Christian faith, of 8,000 children from Germany to Jerusalem to non-violently conquer the city from the Muslim Ayyubid dynasty
, with God's help. The leaders are the teenage boy Nicolas and father
Anselmus. They first go across the Alps
to Genoa
, where Nicolas expects the sea to part, so that they can walk through the sea to Palestine. However, Anselmus has the secret plan to sell the children as slaves. We see him releasing pigeons to send a message to the traders, and we see him secretly meeting representatives of them.
Each time they pass a city they urge the local authorities to assist them with food and supplies, emphasizing that it would be against God's will to refuse. At Speyer assistance is refused, after which the church of the city is destroyed by fire, caused by a lightning strike. This is interpreted as God's revenge; the responsible person who refused to assist the children is hanged, and the children are now welcome.
Dolf applies his modern-day knowledge to save the lives of many children. He even saves the life of one of the leaders, prince Carolus (Played by Jake Kedge), who almost drowns, by bringing him on shore and applying cardiopulmonary resuscitation
. Dolf also helps to stop an infectious disease from spreading. He also carries modern equipment, such as his watch, his iPod
, and his mobile phone
(albeit without signal), and also his clothes and his Mars Bar
are special for the people living in 1212. All this helps him gain respect.
At Rottweil
the crusaders get flour to bake as much bread as they can in one night. Dolf pays the baker with his iPod for use of his bakery, and together the children bake enough bread for everyone.
Dolf has doubts about the people's Christian beliefs, e.g. that the sea will part. However, the people are very aggressive against people with different beliefs; Dolf is almost executed for blasphemy
.
Dolf has some of the medicine with him that one needs when sent to another time, but runs out of it. Dolf's mother succeeds in sending him a new supply and a message about the time and place where he has to be to be brought back to 2006. She knows about his whereabouts from an old book describing this stranger that appeared in 1212. The book was written and illustrated by Thaddeus, a learned monk with whom Dolf gets befriended. Dolf successfully returns to 2006.
However, Dolf has fallen in love with Jenne and they had the intention to go together, but in the consternation Jenne failed to join Dolf. Therefore Dolf wants to go to 1212 again; his mother understands, and gives him a new supply of the medicine with the plan to retrieve him and Jenne from the middle of the Roman Colosseum
in three weeks time. Dolf leaves for 1212 again, and returns to 2006 with Jenne. The film ends by showing him playing the match he had previously lost, with Jenne cheering for him in the crowd.
, Belgium
, Luxembourg
, Hungary
, Germany
and Croatia
.
is a 2006 Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, an adaptation of the first half of the book Crusade in Jeans
Crusade in Jeans
Crusade in Jeans is a children's novel written by Thea Beckman. It contains a fictional account of the children's crusade of 1212, as witnessed by Rudolf Hefting, a boy from the 20th century. The original Dutch title is Kruistocht in spijkerbroek...
by Thea Beckman
Thea Beckman
Thea Beckman was a Dutch author of children's books.-Biography:At young age , Beckman knew she wanted to be a writer...
. The film was directed by Ben Sombogaart
Ben Sombogaart
Ben Sombogaart is a Dutch film and TV director.His film Twin Sisters was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.-Filmography:*The Boy Who Stopped Talking...
. It is unknown whether a sequel, based on the second half of the book, will be produced.
Plot summary
Dolf, a 15-year-old boy living in RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, plays a football match in the stadium of Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Due to Dolf's fault his team loses.
Dolf's mother works in a research center where a time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
has been developed. It allows an object, animal or person to be moved to a specified time in the past and a specified location. It is also possible to move to the present, and to the research center, whatever is on a specified time in the past in a specified exact location of ca. one square meter. Thus a person moving to the past can only return to the present by being at the right time on exactly the right location. The machine is being tested on animals. A special medicine is needed daily to stay alive in the past.
Dolf decides to go back in time one day, and go to Germany, to replay the match. Since he regularly visits his mother at the lab and assists with the work, guards know him, the iris scan authorization check lets him pass, and he knows his mother's password of the computer system. This enables him to use the time machine without authorization. However, this activation of the system alarms the guards. Dolf manages to apply the system just in time before the guards can stop him, but in his haste he accidentally enters the password in the field for the destination date, and consequently travels to the year 1212. His destination location is as planned: the location of the present-day stadium, not far from the in 1212 already existing city of Speyer.
Soon after arriving in 1212 he is attacked. The girl Jenne saves his life.
He joins the Children's Crusade
Children's Crusade
The Children's Crusade is the name given to a variety of fictional and factual events which happened in 1212 that combine some or all of these elements: visions by a French or German boy; an intention to peacefully convert Muslims in the Holy Land to Christianity; bands of children marching to...
, a journey on foot, motivated by the Christian faith, of 8,000 children from Germany to Jerusalem to non-violently conquer the city from the Muslim Ayyubid dynasty
Ayyubid dynasty
The Ayyubid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin and centered in Egypt. The dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Ayyubid family, under the brothers Ayyub and Shirkuh, originally served as soldiers for the Zengids until they...
, with God's help. The leaders are the teenage boy Nicolas and father
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
Anselmus. They first go across the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
to Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, where Nicolas expects the sea to part, so that they can walk through the sea to Palestine. However, Anselmus has the secret plan to sell the children as slaves. We see him releasing pigeons to send a message to the traders, and we see him secretly meeting representatives of them.
Each time they pass a city they urge the local authorities to assist them with food and supplies, emphasizing that it would be against God's will to refuse. At Speyer assistance is refused, after which the church of the city is destroyed by fire, caused by a lightning strike. This is interpreted as God's revenge; the responsible person who refused to assist the children is hanged, and the children are now welcome.
Dolf applies his modern-day knowledge to save the lives of many children. He even saves the life of one of the leaders, prince Carolus (Played by Jake Kedge), who almost drowns, by bringing him on shore and applying cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
. Dolf also helps to stop an infectious disease from spreading. He also carries modern equipment, such as his watch, his iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
, and his mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
(albeit without signal), and also his clothes and his Mars Bar
Mars Bar
Mars is a chocolate bar manufactured by Mars, Incorporated. It was first manufactured in Slough, Berkshire in the United Kingdom in 1932 as a sweeter version of the US Milky Way bar which Mars, Inc. produced...
are special for the people living in 1212. All this helps him gain respect.
At Rottweil
Rottweil
Rottweil is a town in the south west of Germany and is the oldest town in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg.Located between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alb hills, Rottweil has about 25,000 inhabitants...
the crusaders get flour to bake as much bread as they can in one night. Dolf pays the baker with his iPod for use of his bakery, and together the children bake enough bread for everyone.
Dolf has doubts about the people's Christian beliefs, e.g. that the sea will part. However, the people are very aggressive against people with different beliefs; Dolf is almost executed for blasphemy
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
.
Dolf has some of the medicine with him that one needs when sent to another time, but runs out of it. Dolf's mother succeeds in sending him a new supply and a message about the time and place where he has to be to be brought back to 2006. She knows about his whereabouts from an old book describing this stranger that appeared in 1212. The book was written and illustrated by Thaddeus, a learned monk with whom Dolf gets befriended. Dolf successfully returns to 2006.
However, Dolf has fallen in love with Jenne and they had the intention to go together, but in the consternation Jenne failed to join Dolf. Therefore Dolf wants to go to 1212 again; his mother understands, and gives him a new supply of the medicine with the plan to retrieve him and Jenne from the middle of the Roman Colosseum
Colosseum
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre , is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire...
in three weeks time. Dolf leaves for 1212 again, and returns to 2006 with Jenne. The film ends by showing him playing the match he had previously lost, with Jenne cheering for him in the crowd.
Cast
- Joe FlynnJoe Flynn (UK actor)Joe Flynn is a British actor, musician and poet. He is also known as Johnny Flynn when he fronts for the band Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit.- Personal life :...
as Dolf Vega - Stephanie LeonidasStephanie LeonidasStephanie Leonidas is an English actress of Greek Cypriot descent.- Early life and family :One of four children born to a Greek Cypriot father, Leonidas is not the only thespian in the family — her brother Dimitri Leonidas and sister Georgina Leonidas are also actors, whilst her older sister Helen...
as Jenne - Emily WatsonEmily WatsonEmily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
as Mary Vega, Dolf's mother - Michael CulkinMichael CulkinMichael Culkin is a British theatre, film, and television actor probably best known for his role as Judge Buller in the BBC drama Garrow's Law. Among his other credits include a role in the children's drama M. I. High as Millionaire Flatley, and Hugo Blandford in Doctors. He also had a role in the...
as Father Anselmus - Benno FürmannBenno FürmannBenjamin "Benno" Fürmann is a German film and television actor.-Life and work:Fürmann was born in Berlin-Kreuzberg. By the age of 15 he had lost both his parents. At 17, he had a serious accident while train surfing, and had to spend six weeks in the hospital as a result...
as Thaddeus - Jake Kedge as Carolus
- Robert Timmins as Nicholas
- Ryan Winsley as Vick
- Josse De PauwJosse De PauwJosse De Pauw , is a versatile Belgian actor, film director, dramatist, author and columnist. He is married to modern dance performer Fumio Ikeda.-Theatre:...
as the Axe-Man - Jan DecleirJan DecleirJan Decleir is a prolific Belgian movie and stage actor born in Niel, Antwerp .He had his first big role in Fons Rademakers "Mira" and has since then appeared in countless Flemish and Dutch films and tv productions...
as the Count of Rottweil
Alterations from the book
- In the book Dolf deliberately goes to the Middle Ages, and is authorized by the researcher to do so.
- In the book Dolf's best friends in 1212 are Leonardo and Mariecke; in the film they are replaced by Jenne. Important pieces of the book (such as Leonardo saving children from a bear when in the mountains) are also left out due to this alteration.
- In the book Carolus dies of appendicitisAppendicitisAppendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
. In the movie he doesn't die. - In the book the journey continues after Genoa; the film ends there.
- The book ends with Dolf returning to his own time. In the movie, Dolf leaves for 1212 again, and returns to 2006 with Jenne. The film ends by showing him playing the match he had previously lost, with Jenne cheering for him in the crowd.
- In the film, Dolf pays the baker with his iPod for use of his bakery, while in the book, he is paid with silver money traded for Dutch guilders at a Jewish merchant, being fooled by Dolf making him feel somewhat guilty.
Filming locations
Filming locations included the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
.
Awards
- Golden FilmGolden FilmThe Golden Film is a film award recognizing domestic box office achievements in the Netherlands. The Golden Film is awarded to films from the Netherlands once they have sold . The award is an initiative by the Netherlands Film Festival and the Netherlands Film Fund to increase media attention for...
for 100,000 visitors in the Netherlands (2006) - Platinum FilmPlatinum FilmThe Platinum Film is a film award recognising domestic box office achievements in the Netherlands. It is awarded for the first 400,000 visitors of a Dutch film production...
for 400,000 visitors in the Netherlands (2007) - Golden CalfGolden Calf (award)The Golden Calf is the award of the Netherlands Film Festival, which is held annually in Utrecht. The award has been presented since 1981, originally in six categories: Best actor, Best actress, Best film, Best Short film, Culture Prize and Honourable mention...
for Best Feature Film (2007) to Kees Kasander - Golden CalfGolden Calf (award)The Golden Calf is the award of the Netherlands Film Festival, which is held annually in Utrecht. The award has been presented since 1981, originally in six categories: Best actor, Best actress, Best film, Best Short film, Culture Prize and Honourable mention...
for Best Editing (2007) to Herman P. Koerts