• 177.924 movies
  • 12.203 shows
  • 33.971 seasons
  • 646.932 actors
  • 9.370.314 votes
Avatar
Profile
 
banner banner

The Barefoot Emperor (2019)

Comedy | 95 minutes
2,19 35 votes

Genre: Comedy / Drama

Duration: 95 minuten

Country: Belgium / Netherlands / Croatia / Bulgaria

Directed by: Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth

Stars: Peter Van den Begin, Lucie Debay and Bruno Georis

IMDb score: 5,6 (400)

Releasedate: 4 March 2020

US
UK

This movie is not available on US streaming services.

JustWatch

The Barefoot Emperor plot

After a gunshot wound to his ear during an unfortunate accident in Sarajevo, the King of the Belgians wakes up on a Croatian island, Tito's then summer residence. While trying to escape from the island to save his kingdom, an envoy arrives to announce that the king has been chosen to become the first Ruler of nationalistic Nova Europe. Tired of others plotting his future, he takes matters into his own hands. Several events lead to the grand finale featuring a runaway national anthem, a llama with antlers, seven singing Sikhs and an escape in a yellow submarine.

logo tmdbimagelogo tmdbimagelogo tmdbimage
Full Cast & Crew

Actors and actresses

Reviews & comments


avatar

Guest

  • messages
  • votes

Let op: In verband met copyright is het op MovieMeter.nl niet toegestaan om de inhoud van externe websites over te nemen, ook niet met bronvermelding. Je mag natuurlijk wel een link naar een externe pagina plaatsen, samen met je eigen beschrijving of eventueel de eerste alinea van de tekst. Je krijgt deze waarschuwing omdat het er op lijkt dat je een lange tekst hebt geplakt in je bericht.

* denotes required fields.

Pay attention! You cannot change your username afterwards.

* denotes required fields.
avatar van mrklm

mrklm

  • 11374 messages
  • 9897 votes

Nicholas III, the King of the Belgians, is still on his way to his homeland to prevent the secession of Wallonia and ends up in Sarajevo. There, he is slightly injured in an incident (hint: it's June 28th) that lands him in a kind of spa on a remote island, where he recuperates with the help of Dr. Otto Kroll [Udo Kier] under the pseudonym Leonid Brezhnev. One day, Kroll announces that Europe has fallen apart and that they are establishing a new European state on this island. One of those present is proclaimed the new Emperor, but who will that be?

Brosens and Woodworth capture the dryly comic, at times absurdist, satirical tone of King of the Belgians Problem. The story takes place largely on one of the Brijuni Islands off Croatia, where Yugoslav ruler Tito received dignitaries. Van den Begin is once again superb as the naive, taciturn king, and Kier and Geraldine Chaplin lend weight to this sharp yet lighthearted condemnation of European nationalism and fascism. Also note the place the Netherlands is NOT allowed to occupy in the lineup of member states. The surreal finale, featuring Ravel's "Bolero," is excellent, and be sure to stay put for the credits.

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original

avatar van Fisico

Fisico

  • 10039 messages
  • 5398 votes

Indeed, following in the footsteps of King of the Belgians. More of a must-see before tackling this one. Not that I'd recommend it, because unfortunately, I didn't think much of it. An absurdly surreal film, even more so than the first one. You have to be there for it, but for me, it didn't always work out well. That sanatorium with those strange characters and their movie star nicknames—no, it was more likely to irritate than to make you smile.

At times, it's also rather plomb, both in the visuals and the bombastic classical music. The social critique, fueled by a generous dose of absurdism, sometimes gets lost in the mix. Something we saw in the first film as well, which sometimes lost the message.

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original

avatar van AngelicV

AngelicV

  • 902 messages
  • 1098 votes

Absurdism at its finest, with the visual design creating a striking discrepancy with the classical pieces. For example, "The Flight of the Bumblebee." Although... cross-pollination... Furthermore, political statements are made in the division of countries. "Holland, place yourself between Bosnia and Serbia, oh no go back." The names assigned to the attendees are also telling, as are the animals: "a crow named Duce."

dutch flagTranslated from Dutch · View original