The Reckoning: Remembering the Dutch Resistance

To the extent that all documentaries about struggles against Nazi tyranny during World War II offer something of value to posterity, The Reckoning: Remembering the Dutch Resistance serves as a valuable reminder of the sheer volume of people from numerous nationalities who suffered under Hitler's rule. Focusing on the activities and ultimate triumph of the Dutch resistance, this film combines eyewitness interviews and archival footage, focusing on six survivors who clandestinely fought against Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, beginning in 1939 with the invasion of Amsterdam that Hitler had promised would never happen. While their stories will sound familiar to viewers who've watched a number of Holocaust documentaries, their recollections are no less compelling. Unfortunately, director John Evans incorporates some artsy and unnecessarily pretentious imagery, striving for "metaphorical" visuals that ultimately distract from the subject matter, which doesn't need any window-dressing to make it important (this is especially apparent in the "making-of" featurette and commentary track included on the DVD, which give the impression that the filmmakers were more interested in technique than the material). Still, this is a relatively minor quibble, and The Reckoning is recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (J. Shannon)