Of the boys, most of which are unknowns, Louis Hofmann, gives a compelling performance that is multi-dimensional and has implications of subtlety.

Zandvliet gets a dynamic and forceful performance from Møller, commanding your attention every time that he is on the screen. The Sergeant goes through the biggest transformation in the film, and Roland Møller brings a sincerity to the screen, especially in his one-on-one scenes with the boys. Some of the most high-powered scenes surprisingly aren’t the deaths that occur, but the small moments when connections are made during this horrible experience. There are powerful moments in the film that aren’t going to soon leave you. This is where his script is the strongest, giving us characters that are fully fleshed out, letting us see up close and personal how the war has affected not only the boys but the Sergeant and the farming family as well. Most of the Germans served in different parts of the army, except two young twin brothers, one timider than the other. Zandvliet lets us discover who the boys are, as they, themselves figure that out too. The film is uncomfortably tense right from the start and continues throughout to build the tension, as we get to know and in some cases, fall in love the boys. Writer/director Martin Zandvliet brings us a taut and tension filled film that is worthy of its Foreign Language Film nomination at this year’s Oscars. The Sergeant and the boys are about to go on a journey that very few will survive, and those that do will be changed forever.

The Sergeant tells the boys that they are to remove over 45,000 landmines and if they work hard and clear their section of the beach, they can go home in three or four months. He learns their names and they quickly grasp not to mess with the blustery Sergeant.

It’s very obvious that he hates the Germans, no matter how young they are. Out of the jeep comes Sergeant Rasmussen, who gruffly gets them to line up. They examine a building in front of them, some sort of bunkhouse and then they notice that a jeep is rapidly approaching. Very quickly, the mother of the child gathers her up and takes her inside. As they arrive, they see a young girl playing in front of the farmhouse. They arrive at their destination and without explanation, are left on a family farm near the coast. We see in their faces that they realize that the task in front of them is dangerous, and many won’t survive. We next see the boys in the back of a truck.

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