Black Book

Krieg ist Krieg und Schnaps ist Schnaps. I have a soft spot for resistance pictures. Especially for those that aren’t afraid of going straight to the core, but avoid the problem of the black-and-whiteness of the characters on both sides of the barricades. So I was worried about Black Book for a long time. Needlessly. In fact, now I’m annoyed that I ignored it when it was showing at the movie theatre. This may not be quite as good as the zenith of this sub-genre, but nor is it overshadowed by it. Not even in the scene that looks it’s come straight out of Melville’s masterpiece. It’s true that this is easier to “like", not very realistic, but suspenseful like during extra time at the Superbowl. Faultless acting, plus a bold, “provocative Verhoeven-style" screenplay which takes off and begins to get interesting precisely at the moment when similar pictures put their tail between their legs and end. Verhoeven traditionally doesn’t shy from illustrating anything, but this time it doesn’t seem at all gratuitous. And that’s something I haven’t noticed in his movies for a long time. (11/15/2008)

Leaving aside Basic Instinct, which I saw when I was about 13 years old. :), I haven't seen any Verhoeven films in their entirety up to this point – just always in bits and pieces. So, ironically, his last film thus far was the first one I saw. I'm breaking it down like this because I don't know if his other films are similarly dense, intricate, and grandiose in terms of scriptwriting. Black Book is an exquisite WW2 film that gives a rather original insight into the ranks of both Nazis and resistance fighters, while not putting either side in the forefront from a moral standpoint and keeping a clever distance. Verhoeven thus very cleverly and indiscriminately shows that there was plenty of shit on both sides and that there were very few truly unbroken and pure people left. Respectable Hollywood execution – all the costumes, the gorgeous interiors, the excellent music, and the charismatic Carice van Houten, combined with the expressive and distinctive direction, combine to create a breathtaking result that has something to say in terms of both form and content. And if the script for this film isn't Oscar-worthy, I really don't know what is. (12/29/2011)

I like Paul. This is his first film, which I do not hesitate to call captivating. A perfectly balanced mix of action war adventure and human melodrama, dominated by the wonderfully fragile and fateful Carice van Houten... Verhoeven cements all levels of the story with a skillful and refined directing style, which may lack his propensity for extravagance, but still contains some typical features of the Dutch eccentric – explicitness, causticity, masochism... I was mainly afraid of the really long runtime, but the film keeps pace with the excellent integration of action sequences and does not disappoint even on the level of human destinies - their twists and turns may be readable, but I still enjoyed them. Surprisingly, neither Sebastian Koch's humane Nazi nor the moral appeal of the conclusion are awkward. For me, Black Book is a very nice stone thrown into the peaceful pool of war dramas. Paul has still got it. (06/06/2007)

I can't say that I was bored by Black Book, but Paul Verhoeven's film vision simply went completely beyond me. I expect realism, credibility, rawness, and authenticity from this sort of film. Verhoeven offers the exact opposite - pure Hollywood style that is far from reality, for which no studio from the so-called Majors would have to be ashamed. Verhoeven, as is his custom, offers great visuals, attractive women who are not afraid to show more of their curves, and at the same time offers passion, intrigue, conspiracies, and quasi-war scenes, as is customary in such stylized Hollywood productions of war melodramas. It is artificial, contrived, and in some moments truly silly in both imagery and dialogue. But if someone wants a spectacle, they will get it here. For me, Black Book represents a perfect contrast to, for example, the excellent Czech war film Death Is Called Engelchen. That film earned 5 stars from me, while Verhoeven's film only gets two. Overall impression: 45%. (05/05/2011)

With its costumes, set designs and 1940s atmosphere, all of which are perfect, Black Book is a beautifully made film. But underneath this Hollywoodishly precise, dynamically edited façade, there is a cold Dutch heart that is far from the standard Hollywood form. The result is contradictory. In places, the characters seem not to be human, have no emotions and act only on the basis of their motives to achieve the intended goal. In its story, Black Book is more of a superficial, rushed action thriller than a drama that would provide you with more than elegant enjoyment and astonishment over the perfect technical aspect, which in itself is worthy of four stars. (01/03/2010)