Bertus Botterman

Psychodrama. Black and white images of a mining area under the influence of a highly orthodox Catholicism in the 1930s are interspersed with color images of a protest action to save a small church.

De Mantel der Liefde is a bizarre, over the top and at times hilarious settling of scores with the Catholic Church, commercial movie culture and 1970's petit bourgeois Dutch culture in general.

The film is set in a signalman's house during the German occupation. When it turns out that the mother has committed adultery with a German, things start to go downhill for the father. Germans take over his land, and his children fend for themselves.

Peter is a young journalist who lives and works in Amsterdam, a city with quite a high density of cafés. Peter has a dynamic personality, perhaps a bit too dynamic for himself and his surroundings. He is unaware of the impact his behavior and drinking habits have on others. This leads to conflicts, even with his loyal girlfriend Nanny and his best friend Harry. Will Peter ultimately choose love and friendship or his addiction?

En septembre 1944, l'opération du maréchal Montgomery débute malgré le désaccord du général américain Patton. Il s'agit d'un coup décisif afin de précipiter la chute du IIIe Reich. Pour cela, il faut s'emparer des six principaux ponts sur le Rhin et les tenir afin de faire franchir les blindés et l'infanterie. L'opération sera la plus grande opération aéroportée jamais réalisée à cette époque mais n'en sera pas moins un échec cuisant, les alliés perdront près de 17 000 hommes.