Black Book Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 04.28.2007
The director of Hollow Man returns with an enlivening and magnetic World War II thriller.
Carice van Houten: Rachel/Ellis
Sebastian Koch: Ludwig Muntze
Thom Hoffman: Hans Akkermans
Halina Reijn: Ronnie
Waldemar Kobus: Gunther Franken
Derek de Lint: Gerben Kuipers
Christian Berkel: General Kautner
Dolf de Vries: Notary Smaal
Peter Blok: Van Gein
Written/Directed By: Paul Verhoeven
Release Date: April 4, 2007
Running Time: 145 minutes
Rated R for some strong violence, graphic nudity, sexuality and language.
As long as films continue to be made, truthful and fictional stories about World War II will consistently develop and emerge. The time period is so significant, and has had such a strong and profound emotional impact on the lives of so many people, that the amount of harrowing and heroic tales could seemingly go on for years. The latest offering has been given by filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, who has outdone himself with an exhilarating war thriller that is stunning, suspenseful, and spectacular. This is one of the most entertaining movie experiences I have had in 2007.
The setting is Holland in 1944, and young Rachel Stein (Carice van Houten) is hiding out with a random family. After that place is bombed, she escapes and eventually reunites with her wealthy parents and brother. The group thinks they have a safe passage to liberated territory, but a betrayal causes everyone except Rachel to be gunned down and killed. A friendly businessman named Gerben Kuipers (Derek de Lint) introduces her to the Dutch resistance, and with them she meets doctor Hans Akkermans (Thom Hoffman), lands a tedious job, bleaches her hair blonde, and for a short while is protected behind closed doors. Soon however, she is awarded a position of the utmost importance, and of course it is very dangerous. The resistance is narrowly evading capture, and Rachel, now renamed Ellis, finds herself having to seduce a high SS officer named Ludwig Muntze (Sebastian Koch). He is hypnotized by her beauty, and the fact that she collects stamps. This plan becomes riskier when Ellis begins to care for Muntze. Ellis is now juggling both sides. On one hand, this officer is taking his own gambles by keeping her identity secret, and on the other, he is responsible for the apprehension of many of her friends. Her loyalty is tested, and the limits of their attraction are questioned. As the Allied forces come closer to securing victory, the battles Ellis and Muntze must overcome are far from over.
The lead heroine is played by Carice van Houten, an actress previously unknown to me, but as of now, she is high on my list of favored female performers. She is one of the most elusive women in cinematic history, but it is the nature of her getaways, and the fact that not one is preposterous which makes them so arousing. Ellis is a tough, convincing, gorgeous, and steadfast person whom one would want on their side during a conflict. Even during the direst circumstances, Ellis never weakens, and hardly ever wanes, physically or pyschologically. What makes this character so special is how human she really is underneath that sturdy exterior. One the best moments is when she is riding through a city on the back of a bike, and as soldiers hoot and holler at her, she teases them by lifting up a side of her skirt. This proves that she is not just a typical hero, but a fun and normal victim of tragic events. Ellis deserves to be mentioned alongside all the most popular film heroines. She is an intensely impassioned stick of dynamite.
While van Houten carries the bulk of the film, it would not have gone that extra mile if not for the extraordinary efforts by Sebastian Koch, who was so amazingly stirring in the Oscar winning The Lives of Others. He is a tremendously gifted actor, who I hope will grace us with many more equally as glorious performances. As the intelligent and considerate SS officer Ludwig Muntze, he is faced with a frustrating predicament when Ellis tramples into his life. She is a Dutch Jewish girl spying for the resistance, and he works for Adolf Hitler. Koch is so unassuming and effortless in every scene that his instinctive abilities are obvious, yet stupendous nonetheless.
Two key moments stick out as unforgettable in Black Book, also known as Zwartboek. One involves Ellis preparing to sing for a gathering of Nazi officers. She suddenly notices that the individual playing the piano is the same ruthless killer who eliminated her family in mere seconds. Another occurs toward the end when the Allied forces have captured a large number of Germans, and others. As they proceed to humiliate them, a humongous metal bin of excrement is dumped on one unfortunate soul. That is what separates Black Book from most World War II submissions. This exposes all factions from all angles. One Nazi officer is built as an extremely pleasant and kind man, some of the resistance fighters are either timid or just as cruel as the Nazi’s, and many of the Allied troops are portrayed as simply heartless. Is this controversial? To some extent, but to say that good and evil was not found on both sides is ridiculous.
In arguably his finest hour, Black Book was helmed by Paul Verhoeven, yes the same director who is responsible for Showgirls, Starship Troopers, and Basic Instinct. I read an article where Verhoeven said it was time to stray away from big budget Hollywood pictures, and return to projects that meant something, and perhaps came from the heart. Before some of his momentous flops, Verhoeven did have a fruitful career in the Netherlands. Not since Robocop has he been so sure of himself, and at the top of his game. While this may not immediately jump out as standard Verhoeven , his hardcore and evocative style is still present. The violence is blunt, the nudity and sexuality is graphic, and the action is invigorating. His movie progresses and handles like a rattle snake with sneaky, twisty, and jolting moods and movements that will be ready to attack at any point.
Verhoeven has been working out the kinks of this project for decades now, but the final cut was worth the wait. His crew was uniformly strong with an exceptional screenplay by Verhoeven and Gerard Stoeteman, an alluring score from Anne Dudley, and excellent shots from cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub. As a team, they succeeded rather unaffectedly.
My only gripe would be that at times, Ellis’ adventure seems a bit too fictitious, but the excitement is so plentiful that you barely acknowledge any flaws. This is definitely comparable in terms of quality to Notorious. I would not compare Verhoeven to Hitchcock necessarily, but the films together are worth examining. Verhoeven has not generated an updated, and more muscular Notorious, but an epic escapade that stands on its own two feet, and touches multiple genres with spotless details. It is simultaneously dissident and conventional, but those facets do not exceed or overshadow the other. They directly compliment one another in brilliant fashion. Black Book is brave, but honest, and does not strive to climb a mountain too steep. It settles wonderfully as being exceedingly enjoyable, if nothing else.
The 411: This film is primarily foreign with subtitles, but some scenes are in English. It is also 2 hours and 25 minutes long, but having said all that, it could turn out to be more satisfying than most of the summer blockbusters that are right around the corner. This is just a dazzling and vastly gratifying picture. It will shake up so many emotions inside of you. If the name Paul Verhoeven does not entice you to take a chance, the performances from Sebastian Koch, and especially Carice van Houten should be all the evidence you need to seek this out now. If there is any justice in the world van Houten is a name we will be observing in the credits many more times in the future. To sum it up, Black Book is just a good time at the movies.
