Amsterdam (2022) Synopsis

In 1918, Burt Berendsen is sent by his estranged wife's parents to fight in World War I. While stationed in France, Burt meets and befriends African-American soldier Harold Woodsman. After they sustain injuries in battle, Burt and Harold are nursed back to health by Valerie Voze, an eccentric nurse who makes art out of shrapnel removed from the soldiers, whom they befriend as well.The three move to Amsterdam, where they live together and become close friends until Burt returns to New York City to be with his wife. Harold, who has fallen in love with Valerie and begun a tenuous romantic relationship with her, also leaves to go to New York and fulfill his own aspirations of becoming a lawyer.Fifteen years later, Burt has opened his own medical practice catering to veterans of the war, but still remains friends with Harold, who is now a lawyer. They have not heard from Valerie since they left Amsterdam. Harold asks Burt to perform an autopsy on Bill Meekins (a senator who served as the commander of their regiment during the war) at the behest of Meekins' daughter Elizabeth, who believes that he was murdered. Burt performs the autopsy with the help of nurse Irma St. Clair. The autopsy reveals that Meekins has a considerable amount of poison in his stomach; Burt and Irma theorize that this must have been the cause of death. Burt and Harold meet with Elizabeth to talk about the autopsy results, but she is suddenly killed when a hitman pushes her into traffic. The hitman frames Burt and Harold for her death, while they flee as the police arrive.Burt and Harold attempt to find out who had led Elizabeth to hire them in order to clear their names. This leads them to wealthy textile heir Tom Voze and his patronizing wife Libby. They learn that Valerie is Tom's sister and was the one who convinced Elizabeth to hire them, knowing that they were trustworthy, and that Valerie is under constant supervision by Tom and Libby, who claim that she suffers from a nerve disease. Burt and Harold talk with Tom, who suggests they talk to Gil Dillenbeck, a famous and decorated veteran who was friends with Meekins.While Burt attempts to contact Dillenbeck, Harold and Valerie spend the day at her home, where they notice the hitman, Tarim Milfax. They follow him to a forced sterilization clinic owned by a mysterious organization known as the "Council of Five". After a fight with Milfax, Harold and Valerie reunite with Burt. Valerie takes them to the Waldorf Astoria New York, where they meet Paul Canterbury and Henry Norcross, Valerie's benefactors from Amsterdam, who are secretly spies in the intelligence community. Paul and Henry explain that the Council of Five are planning to overthrow the American government and that Dillenbeck can help them foil their plot.The trio meet up with Dillenbeck, who is offered a large sum of money from a man on behalf of an unnamed benefactor to deliver a speech advocating for veterans to forcibly remove President Franklin D. Roosevelt and install Dillenbeck as a puppet dictator instead. Dillenbeck agrees and plans to speak at a reunion gala, which Burt and Harold are hosting, in order to draw out whoever is behind the plot.At the gala, Dillenbeck reads his own speech instead of the one he was paid to read. Milfax intends to shoot Dillenbeck for doing so, but Harold and Valerie spot him and are able to stop him in time. Milfax is arrested, while the Council of Five are revealed to be four industry leaders, including Tom, who are fanatically obsessed with Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler and intend to make America a fascist country.Tom and the other leaders are arrested by the police, but do not stay long and slander Dillenbeck in the press following their release. Dillenbeck testifies about the incident to Congress and returns home to live out his life. Harold and Valerie leave the country since they cannot be together in the United States. Burt wishes them farewell and plans to reopen his medical practice and pursue a relationship with Irma.At the start of the film's end credits, original 1930s film footage of retired Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler's testimony to the US Congress is shown beside a similar portrayal by General Gil Dillenbeck (Robert de Niro) reading exactly the same script at the same time.

In 1918, Burt Berendsen is sent by his estranged wife's parents to fight in World War I. While stationed in France, Burt meets and befriends African-American soldier Harold Woodsman. After they sustain injuries in battle, Burt and Harold are nursed back to health by Valerie Voze, an eccentric nurse who makes art out of shrapnel removed from the soldiers, whom they befriend as well.The three move to Amsterdam, where they live together and become close friends until Burt returns to New York City to be with his wife. Harold, who has fallen in love with Valerie and begun a tenuous romantic relationship with her, also leaves to go to New York and fulfill his own aspirations of becoming a lawyer.Fifteen years later, Burt has opened his own medical practice catering to veterans of the war, but still remains friends with Harold, who is now a lawyer. They have not heard from Valerie since they left Amsterdam. Harold asks Burt to perform an autopsy on Bill Meekins (a senator who served as the commander of their regiment during the war) at the behest of Meekins' daughter Elizabeth, who believes that he was murdered. Burt performs the autopsy with the help of nurse Irma St. Clair. The autopsy reveals that Meekins has a considerable amount of poison in his stomach; Burt and Irma theorize that this must have been the cause of death. Burt and Harold meet with Elizabeth to talk about the autopsy results, but she is suddenly killed when a hitman pushes her into traffic. The hitman frames Burt and Harold for her death, while they flee as the police arrive.Burt and Harold attempt to find out who had led Elizabeth to hire them in order to clear their names. This leads them to wealthy textile heir Tom Voze and his patronizing wife Libby. They learn that Valerie is Tom's sister and was the one who convinced Elizabeth to hire them, knowing that they were trustworthy, and that Valerie is under constant supervision by Tom and Libby, who claim that she suffers from a nerve disease. Burt and Harold talk with Tom, who suggests they talk to Gil Dillenbeck, a famous and decorated veteran who was friends with Meekins.While Burt attempts to contact Dillenbeck, Harold and Valerie spend the day at her home, where they notice the hitman, Tarim Milfax. They follow him to a forced sterilization clinic owned by a mysterious organization known as the "Council of Five". After a fight with Milfax, Harold and Valerie reunite with Burt. Valerie takes them to the Waldorf Astoria New York, where they meet Paul Canterbury and Henry Norcross, Valerie's benefactors from Amsterdam, who are secretly spies in the intelligence community. Paul and Henry explain that the Council of Five are planning to overthrow the American government and that Dillenbeck can help them foil their plot.The trio meet up with Dillenbeck, who is offered a large sum of money from a man on behalf of an unnamed benefactor to deliver a speech advocating for veterans to forcibly remove President Franklin D. Roosevelt and install Dillenbeck as a puppet dictator instead. Dillenbeck agrees and plans to speak at a reunion gala, which Burt and Harold are hosting, in order to draw out whoever is behind the plot.At the gala, Dillenbeck reads his own speech instead of the one he was paid to read. Milfax intends to shoot Dillenbeck for doing so, but Harold and Valerie spot him and are able to stop him in time. Milfax is arrested, while the Council of Five are revealed to be four industry leaders, including Tom, who are fanatically obsessed with Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler and intend to make America a fascist country.Tom and the other leaders are arrested by the police, but do not stay long and slander Dillenbeck in the press following their release. Dillenbeck testifies about the incident to Congress and returns home to live out his life. Harold and Valerie leave the country since they cannot be together in the United States. Burt wishes them farewell and plans to reopen his medical practice and pursue a relationship with Irma.At the start of the film's end credits, original 1930s film footage of retired Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler's testimony to the US Congress is shown beside a similar portrayal by General Gil Dillenbeck (Robert de Niro) reading exactly the same script at the same time.

Published Time: 2022-11-11 14:01:21