Welcome back to Movie Recap. Today I'm gonna show you a 2020 Dutch war film called,
The East. Spoilers ahead. Sit back, relax and enjoy the video
The movie begins as Johan exits the ship that delivers them to the Indies. Johan roams his
eyes to the foreign place he is about to explore as a soldier. While he quietly surveys the area,
someone from his back approaches him; Mattias casually introduces himself to Johan.
Later on, he arrives in front of a military officer who will distribute their uniforms,
the handbook, the rifle, and the division they will soon occupy.
After retrieving their things, Johan discovers he will be in the same division as Mattias.
Then, they attend the orientation, where Major Penders narrates and welcomes the newly deployed
soldiers in their colony. He informs the soldiers about the greatness of their country
and their American allies to overthrow the Japanese Nazis and their colony’s territory.
Major Penders impose that their occupation brings excellence to the Indies, while the
Japanese get nothing but hunger, sufferance, and violence. Major Penders then condemns Soekarno,
who they believe tampers the culture of Dutch East Indies.
After the welcoming ceremony, Johan and his comrades ride the military truck to
their barracks. As they see the natives perform their activities, Johan somehow
wonders about the behavior of the locals upon the passing of the vehicle to their place.
It is far from Major Pender’s remarks that these people crave their presence
to feel good governance under their supervision.
Arriving at the military camp, they are assisted and informed about its vicinities.
However, Johan wonders about the presence of FLAK Air Defense Guns,
which the officer answers confidently. Johan finds out they will be battling
with a native who holds swords and spears, so the only resort is to shoot them down.
In their quarters, someone tries intimidating Johan, but he refuses to become a victim.
When someone from their team fights the bully, Mulder arrives as the situation gets out of hand.
Mulder informs his underlings about the rules in their camp,
which will keep the place organized and intact.
The next day, the group is divided into three groups to patrol the colony. While walking along
the ricefields, Werner narrates the farewell celebration his father had given him. It has
become the talk of their platoon on their way to a small community that they believe is being visited
by armed men. Upon interrogating the people in the area, they were told that they had seen nothing.
Then, these soldiers were given coconuts to satisfy their quench. As a sign of gratitude,
Johan provides the kid with biscuits to show his appreciation for his efforts to climb the trees.
The group arrives in a place where numerous warfare weapons are hidden.
Suddenly, they heard outdoor gunshots, which alarmed them about the terrorists.
Upon checking, there’s a dead animal that has been gunshot by Johan’s comrades.
At night time, while enjoying a bonfire, they devoured the meat.
The following day, they received a report from the child who had given them coconuts.
The kid wants to talk to Johan to inform him about a crime in their community; men from their small
community have been brutally killed and beheaded. Johan cannot take this kind of scenario and then
pukes somewhere to release the disgust he has felt towards the unfortunate event. Johan wonders
about the culprits' whereabouts, so he tells his frustrations to Mattias. He was then informed that
further investigation would not happen as they might be miles away. Johan condemns this kind
of injustice which also hinders the Dutch from gaining the trust of the locals. They ignored the
deaths of their colony and acted as if nothing had happened. Mattias only encourages Johan to
rest and maybe wait for the arrival of his letter, but the latter confesses he has been orphaned.
The Dutch soldiers' patrol the city and enjoys the food they buy.
Johan buys food in a local when he sees the beautiful face of a maiden selling the product.
However, their little encounter is interrupted by her father.
So, after retrieving his order, Johan goes back to the place where his comrades wait.
He receives teasing when suddenly, he sees someone from across the road getting kicked by a soldier.
He quickly strides towards them to help the guy, but the Japanese soldiers become aggressive.
Fortunately, the famous The Turk saves him from a further encounter with the opposition.
Johan becomes curious about The Turk’s identity. Upon asking his comrades,
he discovers a few pieces of information about him.
Without hesitation, he sneaks into the camp to locate The Turk’s house near the road.
In which he saw him having a moment with a woman, seemingly romantically affiliated with him.
Johan and his comrades enjoy the place as they experience the nightlife and witness the rich
culture of the site through the street acts. They have also tried local alcoholic beverages,
which ignites their passion for exploring. When a local approach them,
they follow him till he brings them to an entertainment club where comfort women stay.
Eventually, these soldiers get one woman for themselves and enjoy the rest of the night.
Johan’s group is assigned to a three-day patrol in Klewang Sawah territory in the morning,
and Corporal Coolen heads them. Patrolling the communities in the place, Johan tries asking the
locals if there’s a trace of rebels in that territory; the man he asks shook his head.
The repetitive acts of declining the presence of insurgents somehow make Johan confuse.
For three months, not even a glimpse of a single rebel appears.
The patrol continues, this time in a much-secluded area near the forest.
However, some soldiers notice that they are lost, so they question Corporal Coolen
regarding their path. Coolen chooses to continue despite the uncertainty of safety;
the troop has no choice but to follow. The group is now about to cross a river without a bridge;
Johan asks Coolen about the direction. Coolen never admits his mistake in not using a map;
instead, he warns Johan. Despite the danger, the group crosses the river. Suddenly, someone shoots
Werner in his abdomen, which alarms everybody. While the others assist Werner, some try locating
their enemies. The Dutch soldiers retreat to save Werner, who is bleeding nonstop. As Johan tries to
encourage him to be strong, their comrades clean his wounds. In no time, Werner dies.
Johan is back in the Netherlands; his mission is already finished. Upon meeting Mr. Snijders,
he informs Johan he cannot go back to work as there is no vacancy.
Despite the letter Mr. Snijders received from the Prime Minister,
he cannot ensure Johan’s position as the company is also struggling to survive.
The battalion mourns Werner’s death in the encounter. Together with Mattias and one of
their friends, Johan drinks to lessen the pain of Werner’s death. But Mattias is angered with
the Majesty as she enjoys devouring her food in the palace while soldiers die for peace.
The Japanese soldiers notice Mattias’ disrespectful behavior towards the
queen’s portrait, which causes a stir between the two parties.
Lieutenant Hartman, together with Johan,
was summoned to the higher-up's office to report on the loss of the Bren.
Lieutenant Hartman gets mad at Johan for bringing this mess under his supervision,
so he waits for the chance to confront him. Hartman labels him akin to Johan’s traitor father,
who serves the Dutch Nazis. Luckily, an officer catches them, so Hartman stops threatening Johan.
Johan feels frustrated with the sudden happenings in his military life.
He remembers his talk with his father when he asks about his atonement for someone’s sin.
Like what he does, he serves to atone for his Father’s sin of serving the Dutch Nazis.
The culprit for Werner’s death has been captured by their team. The Turk asks Johan to pick up
wires and batteries, and he asks him to join him in interrogating the prisoner. While The
Turk questions the culprit, Johan observes them as he becomes an accessory in torturing him.
The Turk instructs Johan to connect the wires to the battery that will eventually electrocute their
prey. When they receive nothing but claims of freeing Indonesia, Johan tortures him endlessly.
While Johan and Keizer are in charge of the patrol, an Indonesian arrives to seek help.
He instructs them that there is a gang in Semarang that hostages his two daughters.
Johan brings the guy to his superior but receives no support.
Instead, he brings him to The Turk to assess the situation.
The Turk instructs Johan to join him at midnight and ensure that no one will know their mission.
Back in the camp, Johan finally receives a letter from his father. One of his comrades mocks him,
and Mattias cannot believe that he gets a letter despite Johan’s claim of being an orphan.
Johan snatches the letter away and then leaves.
As promised, Johan will go to the Turk’s house at midnight to help them save the children of
the Indonesian guy in the hands of the rebels. There is an explosion in the place where they
hold the hostages. The Turk and Johan check the house’s vicinity and see bodies lying inside.
They tried saving the women, but the sudden arrival of a shocked Johan pulls the trigger
and gives him a headshot. It serves as Johan’s first kill during his military service.
The Turk gives him the revolver as a souvenir for his first kill.
In a glimpse of the present day, Johan visits his father to tell him that she is dead.
His father cries in agonizing pain for the loss of his beloved.
Johan leaves after delivering the news while his father cries his heart out.
Sending out the person who killed Werner, Johan and Mattias are in charge of playing with him.
Johan lets him leave for a while, but then he shoots him after the count of three.
Mattias witnesses how ruthless Johan is, as he also shots the person closely using the revolver.
The Turk has become Johan’s mentor in dealing with the military. The Turk teaches him and brings him
to track down terrorists they believe ruin peace in their colony. The Turk claims that he is Ratu
Adhil, the person responsible for freeing the oppressed in the hands of the oppressors.
Johan goes to Gita, the woman he uses when he needs comfort. He tries swaying Gita with his
charm by giving her a gift. Then, she sends Gita into her neighborhood. Johan gives Gita
money equivalent to a week’s salary from her work, then Gita leaves after talking to him.
Johan joins The Turk in attending a party. Johan witnesses his affairs when he deals with the
Majors. He heard about the previous encounters with the Dutch soldiers and those who had died in
their mission. The Major and the Turk reveal that they need to create more terror to make peace and
secure their position. Johan assists The Turk in meeting officials to retrieve some documents. The
Turk then orders him to join him in his mission, without an assurance of when they will come back.
Johan arrives in the neighborhood where Gita lives; he knocks on her door to announce his
presence. He enters Gita’s house forcefully and asks her about her whereabouts for the past few
days. However, when Johan scans her house, he notices something strange. Johan discovers that
a man is hiding, and he immediately beats the guy to a pulp. Gita reveals that Gita’s
fiancé is, so he begs him not to kill them; Johan immediately leaves as he cannot contain his anger.
In the present, Johan watches the child enjoying the attention she receives from the acting Pope.
When Johan sees someone familiar, he follows him across the street
but loses him before he could even harm him.
The Turk informs his battalion with his orders as they face a mission.
The Dutch soldiers brutally invaded Indonesian communities and burned their houses.
Johan witnesses how much terror it created to make the people submit. The Turk announces that
he will free these people from terrorists and reveals his notes containing 15 names.
He asks them to move forward once they have been called. Upon going to the center, The Turk
shoots them in the head, making the locals cry in terror. The soldiers buried the bodies afterward.
Johan cannot believe that he settled for this kind of management.
Johan questions the injustices as they eliminate people without an interrogation of due process.
He confronts The Turk regarding this matter, but he disregards his ideas and imposes the
importance of terror to ensure a total submission from their colony. The violence continues as
they have eliminated numerous communities, especially those they believe are rebels.
Johan cannot contain this mess in his conscience that bothers him so much.
The cries of fear from the victims, so he tries to help an accused of The Turk’s violence.
Johan has been punished for defying his orders. Johan utters that this is not what he signed for,
then The Turk reveals his real identity. He was released so he could run for his life.
Then, after 15 minutes, he will be hunted down if he does not reach the ship on time.
Johan hides to secure himself from the hands of the people who are sent to kill him.
He silently sneaks out to save himself from dying. When he gets the chance to eliminate one of his
predators, he slits its throat to stop him. One by one, he killed his enemies except for Mattias.
Johan faces The Turk, who shoots him behind his back. Johan falls to the ground as he painfully
struggles from his gunshot. Afterward, The Turk leaves him behind, striving to survive.
The movie ends when Johan finally finds The Turk.
He surprises him as he enters his dressing room. Johan shoots him in his abdomen,
and The Turk falls to the floor. After that, Johan points the gun in his mouth, then shoots himself.