Will, directed by Tim Mielants, is a film primarily concerned with capturing moments in close-up. The spatial dynamics of the scenes are secondary. That being said, Will has a fantastic screenplay, and the characters are firmly rooted in the plot.
Will, based on Jeroen Olyslaegers’ novel, exemplifies intellectual and empathic filmmaking. The movie veers towards the melodramatic for a brief moment in the third act, but it is still powerful. The issue of friendship encouraging cowardice in one another ran throughout the film, and it had a very clear notion of how to deal with it, and the screenplay by Carl Joos and Mielants contributes significantly. Aside from that, the usage of elements—mud, rain, and sun—helps to evoke emotion. When Will and his companion Lode of the Antwerp Police force go in with a ‘feldgendarm,’ we get to see bravery for a brief time, as Will and Lode shoot the German officer who was attempting to kill a Jewish family. However, the bravery is undermined when we see them cower in fear, desperately attempting to protect themselves from Gregor Schnabel, the SS officer who arrives to investigate the disappearance.
We get the idea that we’re watching a true portrayal of a quixotic guy stranded in World War II, when all he was supposed to do was help people because he was a police officer. We are prepared to see how idealism perishes, or perhaps this will be one of those films in which one man uses ‘plot armour’ to save everyone else. But, as I already stated, this film has a philosophical goal rather than simply entertaining, which can turn heartless considering the nature of the war’s tragedy. There’s also a romantic distraction in there, which eventually serves as the film’s hammer as we see the rug yanked out from under us.
Will has the decency to not be half-hearted in its critique, which is why the ending hits us hard. Will and Lode are friends who, rather than encouraging each other’s courage, do the inverse. The film is a critical critique of the camaraderie that the war provided for soldiers. They acted violently in groups and lost their bravery collectively. Brotherhood was sometimes the primary cause of virtues dwindling and the degeneration of the human spirit. Meanwhile, there is a clear statement about how the feminine touch to the resistance aided in keeping the meaning and purpose of survival.
Will’s sound design deserves appreciation for using noises that are like a sharp dagger to the throat. It’s not overdone, but the breaths and moans add to the intensity of the situation. Every second, Gregor interrogates Will; the sound conveys the horror of the situation. The performances are notable, but the casting is spot on. Stef Aerts as Wilfried Wils and Matteo Simoni as Lode are superbly played, but Annelore Crollet as Yvette steals the show as the truly idealistic person in a male-dominated battle.