The Last Vermeer

2019
R
1h 58m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

6.1K

YOUR RATING

Guy Pearce, Claes Bang, and Vicky Krieps in The Last Vermeer (2019)

While Joseph Piller (Bang), a Dutch Jew, was fighting in the Resistance during the Second World War, the witty, debonair aesthete, Han van Meegeren (Pearce) was hosting hedonistic soirées and selling Dutch art treasures to Hermann Goring and other top Nazis. Following the war, Piller becomes an investigator assigned the task of identifying and redistributing stolen art, resulting in the flamboyant van Meegeren being accused of collaboration - a crime punishable by death. But, despite mounting evidence, Piller, with the aid of his assistant (Krieps), becomes increasingly convinced of Han's innocence and finds himself in the unlikely position of fighting to save his life.

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Drama War

An artist is suspected of selling a valuable painting to the Nazis, but there is more to the story than meets the eye.An artist is suspected of selling a valuable painting to the Nazis, but there is more to the story than meets the eye.An artist is suspected of selling a valuable painting to the Nazis, but there is more to the story than meets the eye.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

6.1K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination total

Trivia
The main characters represent actual persons: Han van Meegeren, Joseph Piller, Johanna Oerlemans, Dirk Hannema. However the movie frequently diverges from historical facts:
The most important gap is the trial: actually, Van Meegeren painted the Vermeer-style frame ("Jesus among the Doctors") for the trial, in the presence of court-appointed witnesses. He thus demonstrated the other alleged Vermeers were also fake and was charged with forgery and fraud, a much lesser offense than collaboration with the enemy. He was hence never sentenced to death, just to one year imprisonment.
Joseph Piller arrested van Meegeren but did not act as his attorney.
Van Meegeren was jailed in May 1945, released in Jan. or Feb. 1946 (after finishing the above-mentioned painting) and stood trial in Oct. and Nov. 1947. He was not detained in the attic of Goudstikker art gallery but mainly in the nearby HQ of Military Command.
He did not sign his book for Hitler. However, according to the book the movie is partly based on, van Meegeren was a fascist sympathizer and did send an admiring note to Hitler in 1942.
There are many exaggerations about characters and situations, notably Piller's and Dekker's methods as well as the feud between the Military and the Ministry of Justice.

Goofs
The Colonel is wearing three stars (pips) on his shoulder which denotes the rank of Captain. He should be wearing one crown and two stars.

Quotes
Captain Joseph Piller: You haven't asked why we're here.
Han Van Meegeren: I find that in life, as well as art, its best not to spoil the surprise.

Crazy credits
Before end credits, Han Van Meegeren is shown seated painting along with a series of his forged paintings.

User reviews46

Review

Featured review

8/10

Work of Art Performance from Guy Pearce

"The Last Vermeer" paints an intelligent, intriguing picture of World War II involving art, Nazis and an unlikely Dutch hero. Dan Friedkin's directorial debut manages to deliver a thriller while offering instruction on the art of Johannes Vermeer. Guy Pearce stars and gives a work of art performance as the flamboyant Han van Meegeren, a Dutch painter, art dealer and enigma who became famous for selling a rare Vermeer to Hitler's second in command, Hermann Göring. This act led Meegeren to be tried in 1945 as a war criminal. Captain Joseph Piller, played by actor Claes Bang, is the former Dutch Resistance officer who believes Meegeren's innocence, helping and defending him in court. The screenplay, written by Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby (writers of 2007's "First Snow," also starring Guy Pearce) & John Orloff, is based on an adaptation of Jonathan Lopez's, "The Man Who Made Vermeers."