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Black Book [2006]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Absent from the directors’ chair for over half a decade, Paul Verhoeven returns to business with the engaging thriller Black Book, and it finds him once again near the top of his game.

Leaving the disappointing Hollow Man firmly in the rear view mirror, and more in keeping with his original Dutch films than his infamous Hollywood output (Basic Instinct, Robocop, Starship Troopers and Showgirls all sit on his CV), Black Book is the story of a refugee by the name of Rachel Stein in the second World War, who embarks on a quest for revenge when her family are killed. Stein joins up with the Resistance, and is giving the mission of using her seductive charms to infiltrate the German Security Service, and the ingredients then fall into place for a labyrinthine thriller of some quality.

Black Book works for several reasons. Firstly, lead actress Carice von Houten is quite excellent, while the tight screenplay is happy to provoke questions and keep the complex plot in check. Verhoeven, too, directs well, occasionally relying a little too much on one or two of his conventions, but nonetheless delivering an engrossing piece of cinema.

For sure, Black Book isn’t perfect, and there are films that treat the material with more gravitas than is on display here. But it’s still a strong, well-made thriller, and one that leaves you hoping its director won’t be away for quite so long next time. --Jon Foster


Quality War Film
Review date: 2008-11-04 Rating: 8 out of 10

Very brief..If you don't watch films with subtitles then you may be a tad taken back as this is in Dutch and German(with English subtitles) as it should be, the original language being the best to convey the atmosphere
...
I'm a massive war and history buff,and allowing for theatrical and poetic license, this is an excellent war film that should be seen by anybody who has a genuine or even half-serious interest in the genre of war...
Excellent acting, plot pacing,,and more..I would say anybody who liked Saving Private Ryan or Band Of Brothers would appreciate this from a different point of view...Highly recommended.

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Reviews


Best film by Verhoeven in decades
Review date: 2008-08-10 Rating: 8 out of 10

Director Paul Verhoeven returns to his native Holland after more than 20 years (his last film there was 1983's The Fourth Man) and the result is a cinematic treat, probably his best film since Robocop. Both outrageous and exhilarating, Black Book tells the story of a Jewish singer (the excellent Carice Van Houten) and her improbable travails in occupied Holland during World War II. After spending a great part of the occupation hidden by some anti-Semitic farmers, her hiding place is bombed by the British towards the end of the war. She decides it's time to reunite with her family and escape with the help of some dubious people to allied-liberated Belgium. But there is an obvious betrayal during the escape and her whole family (along with other refugees) are killed by the Germans (she escapes miraculously by jumping into the water,007-style). After that, she joins the resistance, and a series of improbable situations occurs. When the son of one of the resistance leader is arrested, she is encouraged to seduce the German SS bigwig (whom she had met earlier on a train) so as to install a microphone inside the Nazi headquarters and help the resistance liberate the young man (the idea of a Jew becoming a lover of a high Nazi officer is, of course, extremely offensive to many; the Nazi, by the way, is played by the fine actor who was the playwright in The Lives of Others). Many improbable things happen after wards, with incredible turns of events to the story happening at about every ten minutes, punctuated by deadly shootings between the Nazis and the Dutch resistance. The movie is 2hours and 25 minutes long, probably half an hour too much (it should have ended when Holland is liberated and she receives a less than stellar reception). It's impossible to take the movie very seriously (the movie claims to be based in true events, but this is almost certainly not true), but is extremely entertaining, and it shows Verhoeven at the top of his game.

the black book
Review date: 2008-05-05 Rating: 10 out of 10

this is one great film i don't watch many war films but i watched this one the story was good and it just show you what the greman's really did in the war

Subtle it's not
Review date: 2008-04-26 Rating: 4 out of 10

The customer who noted that a Five Star Daily Mail review was an infallible guide to a crap film is spot-on. In this instance the director's name is also a giveaway. Verhoevan is not known as a master of subtlety and this film is, like most of his work, crude, flashy and sensational. That said, if you don't expect anything more than an utterly unrealistic WWII romp with lashings of inexplicable twists and gratuitous nudity, it certainly passes the time. File it next to 'The Eagle has Landed' and other hokum.

The Real Showgirl
Review date: 2008-04-26 Rating: 10 out of 10

Director Paul Verhoeven returns back to his homeland of Holland to regain what he had obviously lost in his short time spent in Hollywood. For sure, he had given us the superbly satirical sci-fi comic books 'ROBOCOP' and 'STARSHIP TROOPERS', but his star was on the downward spiral following misfires 'SHOWGIRLS' and 'HOLLOW MAN'. Its great to see that going back to his own turf has obviously reinvigorated him as 'BLACK BOOK' (Zwartboek) is certainly the best film he has made for a very long time.

The story is set near the end of the second World War and follows the exploits of jewish refugee Rachel Stein (played by the excellent and engaging Clarice Von Houten), who embarks on a quest for revenge when her family are killed in a nazi set up. Escaping the carnage, she joins the Resistance and is enrolled as a spy to infiltrate the German Security Service by using her feminine guile to seduce and entrap Senior Officer Muntze (again, an excellent Sebastian Koch), but this is where the story begins to take shape and twists and turns abound as Stein is pushed back and forth between the nazis and the resistance, not fully knowing who to trust and who will betray her next.

Certainly, the story is fairly standard fare and the pacing is directly hollywood in its execution - but, Verhoeven never gives the audience a dull moment. From war torn landscapes, daring escapes and resistance led assaults to high ranking Nazi dinner parties, the directors eye is meticulous in both detail and emotion. The cast too, are uniformly excellent and Karl Walter Lindenlaub's cinematography is superb - bringing vivid colour to every scene and a grace to the story. Sure, Verhoeven throws in his usual schtick with excessive violence and nudity in places - but, compared to his recent hollywood output - this time out they are minimal and become part of the narrative, not detract from it. All in all, a solid movie that will have you eagerly awaiting what the dutch director will have in store for us next. Recommended.

Product Details/Specifications


Director(s):

Recording label: Tartan Video
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
EAN: 5023965372628
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: DVD-Video, PAL,
Release date: 2007-04-30
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Running time: 140 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2006
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Dutch (Original Language)

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