The Order (2001)

The Order is a 2001 American action film directed by Sheldon Lettich, and written by Jean-Claude Van Damme, who also starred in the film. The film was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on March 12, 2002. In Spain the movie was seen by well over 100,000 people with a total gross of almost 600,000 euros. In Mexico the movie did just as well, grossing over $560,000. Though not issued in cinemas in the United States, the movie did well on rentals, netting over $18 million. The Order was also issued on Video and DVD in the United Kingdom and Germany.

Plot.

The film opens in 1099 at the end of the First Crusade, depicting Christian Crusaders sacking Jerusalem and slaughtering the local population. A Flemish Christian knight named Charles Le Vaillant (Jean-Claude Van Damme) becomes demoralized by the horrors of war and decides to create a new religious order. This new order brings together members from the three main religions of the region: Christians, Jews, and Muslims. As a self-declared leader and messiah, Charles writes the sacred texts of the Order. While traveling to Syria, his camp is attacked by the Christian knights, who kill Le Vaillant.

The last chapter from their religious text, buried by Le Vaillant in a secret place, becomes lost in the desert after the attack. In the modern day, Rudy Cafmeyer (Jean-Claude van Damme), a thief and smuggler of valuable historical artifacts, breaks into a high-security building and steals a precious Fabergé egg. He triggers an alarm in the process and is forced to fight his way out of the building, finding no car to meet him because the getaway driver, Yuri, was forced to leave by police. It is revealed that Rudy’s father is archaeologist and museum curator Oscar “Ozzie” Cafmeyer (Vernon Dobtcheff).

Box office:

In Spain the movie was seen by well over 100,000 people with a total gross of almost 600,000 euros. In Mexico the movie did just as well, grossing over $560,000. Though not issued in cinemas in the United States, the movie did well on rentals, netting over $18 million. The Order was also issued on Video and DVD in the United Kingdom and Germany.

Production.

Tonally we wanted to make a movie that was in the vein of “fun” action-adventure movies like the Indiana Jones films and Hitchcock movies like North by Northwest. One big mistake that we made with The Order was taking the tone in a more serious direction in the third act. Had we maintained the light-heartedness all the way to the end, I believe the film would have been far more successful. For me the highlight of that movie is the chase through the Old City of Jerusalem, with Van Damme disguised as a Hasidic Jew, running from and fighting with the Israeli police. It was utterly wacky and outrageous, and to this day I’m still amazed that I convinced Jean-Claude to do it.