Black Book
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Movie Reviews of Black Book
Movie Review: A film heroine for the ages: BLACK BOOK is an enthralling,action-packed,character-rich WW2 spy thriller.BEYOND 10 STARS!,
Summary: 5 Stars
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Mata Hari and Greta Garbo move over; Rachel Stein a.k.a. Ellis de Vries is the new girl in town, and she is positively fearless!
Paul Verhoeven, whose American film making career gave us such films as BASIC INSTINCT and ROBO COP, has returned to his native Netherlands to co-write and direct his "piece de resistance" (literally!) in his exhilarating and relentlessly thrilling BLACK BOOK.In BLACK BOOK Verhoeven has created a Resistance fighter/spy/seductive vixen heroine for the ages in Rachel Stein.She is a one-of-a-kind, and Dutch actress Carice van Houten probably has made her most important career choice in portraying her.
Though The film begins on a Kibbutz in 1956 Israel where we meet a song singing teacher named Rachel Stein who chances upon an old friend from the War days,a former Nazi whore named Ronnie, Rachel's memory quickly takes us from the peaceful kibbutz back to the horrors of WW2 in 1944 Holland.This is where the story of Rachel Stein really begins.
As a Jewish woman in Holland, Rachel Stein has been forced into hiding with a Dutch family in order to fly under the radar of the terror of the Nazi Occupation and the compliant Dutch Police. When the family's farm is bombed ,Rachel is forced by circumstance to begin a long line of improvisations to simply stay alive.She is gorgeous,incredibly resourceful and absolutely and unapologetically opportunistic as she,instead of waiting out the War in seclusion, boldly goes forth right under the noses of the Nazis,changing her persona to Ellis de Vries,a platinum-blonde former Berlin cabaret star ,relying on her incredible female powers,beauty (and she is!) genius and courage and takes the Nazi Terror on.Ellis finds her niche with the Dutch resistance which asks her to land smack into the arms of a head Gestapo officer,Ludwig Muntze,(Sebastian Koch).She becomes the Resistance's chief spy as she plays whore to a Muntze,who falls heartily and hard for the magnificent and charming Ellis.What was simply a spy job,though,now changes drastically as Ellis and Ludwig really do fall in love.This is where the final and most difficult task lies for Ellis (and that is all this reviewer is giving away!)
Carice van Houten is an absolute rare find and no doubt the job that she so admirably does in infusing Rachel/Ellis with such depth,complexity and grit will land her all kinds of accolades and awards in the year to come.Ms van Houten takes the courageous yet fleeing Jewess Rachel and transfigures her into the ever resourceful,luminesque-Garbolike Ellis taking her into the world of roller coaster nightmares that leaves the viewer positively out of breath (and I was!)
Sebastian Koch,fresh from his sucess in the 2006 Foreign Oscar winner THE LIVES OF OTHERS is even MORE convincing as Gestapo officer Muntze in BLACK BOOK.This is an actor of such depth that coupled with van Houten and a flawless script and deft direction, BLACK BOOK is going to be hard to top for the 2007 Oscar.With such a glut of overused and underachieved American "stars",van Houten and Koch are actors' actors and hopefully will keep making smart decisions to act only the finest material under the best direction.Watching these actors makes one wonder why Americans fawn over some of the "fluff" stars we do?
What is neat about BLACK BOOK is that Verhoeven never gives the audience one minute of rest.He, though, never allows BLACK BOOK to become just another action-packed spy thriller; instead he gives us an incredibly deep and detailed story,set among the darkest days in war torn Europe that is character-rich,plot-exploding with great visual sense and style.BLACK BOOK is Verhoeven at his most mature.His last Dutch film,the 1983 thriller THE FOURTH MAN,though alright,followed by his American films,puts BLACK BOOK at the top of his distinguished directorial list.
Anne Dudley,who heretofore was known to this reviewer for her classical-style music, HYMNS ANCIENT AND MODERN, has composed a compelling and riveting soundtrack that never overtakes any of the story,but cleverly moves the action along-the chief goal of a score writer.
It is hard to believe that this film was 2 and 1/2 hours long! It flew by.BLACK BOOK is rated R and contains nudity,violence and coarse profanity.
Great companion films on WW2 Netherlands would be THE HIDING PLACE and A DAY IN OCTOBER .It seems to me that THE NAZI OFFICER'S WIFE ,which is the true story of Edith Hahn's transfiguration from hiding Jewess into a Officer's wife may well have been the "true events" that inspired the screenplay for BLACK BOOK.The similarities are uncanny making BLACK BOOK all the better for it.DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!
Sebastian Koch followed up this film with THE LIVES OF OTHERS-another triumph!
Movie Review: Taut Spy Thriller Against A Large, Color-Filled Canvas
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Black Book," Dutch director Paul Verhoeven's newest feature film, and the first he's made after a six-year gap, is also the first he's made in his homeland since the 1970's. And, surprise, surprise, it's proving every bit as controversial as his earlier works -- best known, "Robocop," (1987), and "Total Recall," (1990), both criticized for excessive violence. And "Basic Instinct,"(1992), criticized for excessive violence and prurience.
Verhoeven, working with his frequent collaborator on Dutch films, Gerard Soeteman, is said to have begun writing "Black Book" in the 1980's. He wanted to salute the heroism of those in the Dutch wartime resistance, and Holland's Jews; this he surely did. He also produced a taut and suspenseful spy thriller, set on the large, color-filled, canvas of his wartime homeland.
After an odd flashback-and-frame opening, the film gives us Rachel Stein (in an outstanding performance by Carice van Houten.) She's a beautiful, smart Jewish woman, resolute and resourceful, agile in mind and body. She's waiting for the war's end, everyone is; they all know it's coming. But before the great day, Allied bombers hit her refuge. She decides to move on to liberated Belgium, visits the lawyer who's holding her family's assets, and discovers to her amazed joy that her family still survive. But not for long, unfortunately; the boat on which they set sail to freedom has evidently been betrayed to the Germans, and everyone aboard, excepting her, is murdered, stripped of their assets. To revenge her family, Rachel finds her way to the resistance, where she will become blonde spy Ellis de Vries, and will be set to penetrate local Gestapo headquarters by any means necessary. Lucky for her, the local Gestapo comes in the good-looking guise of Captain Ludwig Muntze, (Sebastian Koch, good-looking playwright in the recent Oscar-winning German film, "The Lives of Others.") These two will soon surprise themselves by developing feelings for each other that may well fatally complicate their lives.
Some of us could live without the flashback and frame device. But we must be grateful that the writer-director does not choose to enumerate, one more time, the pettier harassments visited on the Jews before the Germans got really serious. As to the usual charges: you try making a war movie without scenes of violence.
Prurience? It's been said that Verhoeven demands his actresses give their all-- you could check it out with Sharon Stone, star of his "Total Recall," and "Basic Instinct." However, as to one of the scenes in this movie that upsets the morals monitors, Verhoeven surely didn't invent the concept that collar and cuffs should match. Ellis tells Muntze that, before the War, she was a Berlin cabaret artist. Remember the band of blonde showgirls that backed Sally Bowles (Liza Minelli) in "Cabaret?" They undoubtedly matched their collars and cuffs. This world of the Berlin cabaret before the war-- between World Wars I and II, in fact, was the world in which Ellis sung. That period is known by historians as the Weimar Republic, and the Nazis got their start running against its supposed decadence.
There's another fairly upsetting scene in "Black Book, " where it appears that Ellis's friend Ronnie is sexually egging the German troops on, and will earn herself a very unpleasant night for her efforts. But, by giving her all, she's creating a distraction that will enable Ellis and Muntze to make a getaway.
The Dutch have a reputation in Europe for being down and dirty. Verhoeven has previously said that they have always been more scientific, interested in detail; certainly less idealistic and more realistic than others. He added that, if you went back to Holland's art scene 400 years ago, the Dutch were known for their realism even then. He cites "Prodigal Son," a painting by the Dutch master Hieronymus Bosch, who is known for filling his large canvases, corner to corner, with some pretty colorful, outlandish stuff. At any rate, "Prodigal Son" shows a drunken man relieving himself against a brothel wall. Bear that in mind, please.
Movie Review: Black Book Movie Review
Summary: 5 Stars
Paul Verhoeven finally returns to the epic and violent style of filmmaking that he perfected with films like Robocop and Soldier of Orange. Set in World War II, the Dutch director has plenty of open ground to create dastardly villains, tragic heroes and an ill-fated, sweeping romance.
In Nazi-occupied Holland, young Jewish girl Rachel Stein (Carice van Houten) is forced into hiding. When her cover is blown she receives help from the Resistance and attempts to travel to liberated territory, but disastrous events find her stranded and alone. Joining up with another Resistance group led by Gerben Kuipers (Derek de Lint), Rachel assumes the name of Ellis de Vries and agrees to spy on Gestapo leader Ludwig Muntze (Sebastian Koch) in order to help plan an escape for several captured allies, including Kuipers' son. Seducing Muntze and working her way into the compound, Ellis slowly uncovers a conspiracy that reveals no one can be trusted and nothing is what it seems.
The hardest concept to bear in Black Book is the theme that the heroine Ellis cannot escape the atrocities of war. Told as a flashback, which hurts the film in that the audience is all too aware of Ellis's fate, Black Book ensures that tragedy is always looming over every character. As a Jewish girl in World War II, Ellis struggles to help those she believes deserve freedom, while seeking activities that will keep her too occupied to recount the loss of her family. She fights deceit from nearly everyone, hatred from her allies, and witnesses ultimate sacrifices by her people, and then as a spy infiltrating the Nazis she encounters equally negative treatment. Always in the wrong place at the wrong time, it is trying on the audience that Verhoeven continues to place her on the losing side. With few wins for the "good" guys, the tone of the film is continually depressing.
Disheartening perhaps, but also riveting, as each new challenge promises excitement, suspense, and the burning desire to find out what happens next. Ample foreshadowing permeates Black Book, and it masters one of the most rewarding tricks in film. In several early conversations, bits of seemingly random information are discussed between characters. At first glance, this appears to be filler discourse or merely character development - but later in the film, during climactic moments, that information is recollected and revisited. It's especially thrilling because the audience feels like they are "in the know" of a crucial plot device.
Flawless acting all around makes Black Book an easy early contender for several 2007 awards. Carice van Houten is a strong lead and magnificently draws the audience into her world of constant torture and misfortune. But as the twisting plot is steadily unveiled, her tormented character becomes more appealing and interesting, and one of the finest performances of the year emerges. Sebastian Koch also turns in an exceptional performance as the Gestapo leader whose temperament and sympathy betrays him to the real villains. The Resistance members each possess a very different and contrasting demeanor as well, from the tormented Theo to the heroic Hans, and the moral conflicts present within each one enhances the intensity of the drama. As brilliant as the other portrayals are however, none overshadows van Houten's searing performance and her tumultuous plight will resound with the audience long after the film has ended.
"You shouldn't be so trusting. Not in a time like this." A haunting tale of love, deception, and betrayal, Verhoeven's Black Book mixes the horrors of war with the beauty of a condemned romance and the devastating struggle to survive in a world that has forsaken you. With an Oscar-worthy performance from Carice van Houten and a riveting journey not easily forgotten, Black Book is a must-see film from a seasoned director whose repertoire never ceases to amaze.
- Mike and Joel Massie
Movie Review: A Stunning, Compelling Film on Every Level
Summary: 5 Stars
Just when we think we have read about or seen all of the stories there are to tell about courageous heroes/heroines who sacrificed much for the sake of many during World War II, along comes BLACK BOOK (ZWARTBOEK) with another dramatic 'biography' of a significant figure. Director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Spetters, Total Recall) is a much admired Dutch artist who is able to draw his audience into another world so real that it literally feels as though we are part of the process. And that is precisely why this film works so well: the audience as a participant drives home the film's message that war changes people, that from one day to the next it is impossible to distinguish the 'bad' from the 'good', the 'enemy' from the 'friend'.
Rachel Stein (the enormously gifted Carice van Houten) was a Jewish Dutch born cabaret singer in Berlin until the war broke out, at which time she returned to Holland to hide during the Jewish Solution. A series of incidents in 1944 destroy her hiding place and thwart her attempts to join her family to escape the Nazis. She is left to fend by herself until she bonds with a group from the Dutch Resistance. Gaining their confidence she is asked to masquerade as a German singer, dye all of her body hair blond, enter Germany as the consort of a doctor Hans Akkerman (Thom Hoffman) and infiltrate the highest elements of the Nazi regime, namely to become the mistress of Gestapo head Ludwig Müntze (Sebastian Koch) changing her name to Ellis de Vries. She stays in contact with the Resistance, places microphones in strategic positions, and with her friend Ronnie (Halina Reijn) becomes a Nazi party girl, singing at events while assisting her colleagues underground. The story is complex with many surprises as to who is with the Nazis and who is with the Resistance, and the story is so well told that we the audience are left guessing identities much the same as the characters.
Paul Verhoeven wrote the screenplay with Gerard Soeteman and Verhoeven's dedication to his story is always present. There is a considerable violence and some sections that may offend viewers, but try to tell a true war story without including such aspects!
The cast is brilliant, especially the multi-talented Carice van Houten, easily one of the finest actresses on the screen today. The entire cast is includes such gifted actors as Waldemar Kobus, Derek de Lint, Christian Berkel, Dolf de Vries, Michiel Huisman and Ronald Armbrust. The cinematography by Karl Walter Lindenlaub recreates not only The Hague, Holland, and Germany but also a kibbutz in Israel with solid veracity. Anne Dudley has created a musical score that includes songs from the period (sung beautifully by Carice van Houten), and atmospheric scoring for the tender scenes as well as the many tense scenes.
Released in Europe in 2006, it is not clear as to whether this film will be eligible for the Oscars this year. If it is it should win. It is one of the finest films this reviewer has seen in a long time. In Dutch, German, Hebrew, and English with subtitles. Highly Recommended! Grady Harp, September 07
Movie Review: Black Book, A Story of the Dutch Resistance with its Intrigue and Betrayl
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the Black Book at a discount counter in a local video store. Oh! I was presently surprised when I viewed it. The movie is filled with intrigue, double dealings, surprised friendships, characters who one would suspect to be evil actually turn out to be honorable and individuals who one expect to be good are less than honorable. The language is in Dutch with English subtitles.
The Film Starts and ends on a Kibbutz near the Dead Sea in 1956. A friend Ronnie(Halina Leijn) is a tourist visiting Israel with her Canadian husband who Ronnie met during the liberation. It is amzing how allegiances change. A few hours earlier Ronnie was servicing German members of the Gestapo. Ronnie provided support for Rachel Stein alias Ellis de Vries, as a spy and a Jewish woman. Seeing Ronnie triggers powerful memories from our heroine Rachel Stein. The scene immediately shifts to the autum of 1944 in German occupied Holland.
Rachel Stein played by Carrie Van Hauten is being sheltered by a farm family in rural Holland. The farm house is accidently bombed which sets off a series of events that involves a group, inside the Gestapo, that tricks wealthy Jews by offering them passage on a barge-like boat to liberated Belgium. The passengers are murdered in cold blood and their money and personal possessions confiscated. Rachel Stein's family is wiped out but Rachel miraculously escapes and soon links up with the Dutch underground.
She cleverly avoids being caught on a train ride by ducking into the passenger compartment of the Gestapo, Hauptfuhrer Ludwig Muntze subperbly played by Sebastian Koch. They immediately hit it off over their mutual interest in stamp collecting. The Dutch underground take advantage of this infactuation to have Rachel Stein (alias Ellis de Vries)infiltrate the Gesapo headquarters.
Ellis impresses the Germans with her singing (Rachel sang in Berlin before the Nazis came to power). Rachel meets the individuals who were responsible for the murder of her parents and other wealthy Jews. She fights her repulsions for these characters. See the movie and find out who is honorable and dishonable.
As a final note, this reviewer was impressed with Carrie Van Hauten portrayl of Rachel Stein. Rachel's role is a complex one. Carrie actually performed the entertaining scenes and performed them perfectly. The casting for all the parts in the movie is excellent.