Black Book (2006)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2006
	Director: Paul Verhoeven
	Actors: Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Derek de Lint
	Country: NL, D, GB, B
	Genre: War, Drama
	Conditions of visioning: 16.10.2016, arte.tv, streaming
Synopsis: Rachel (van Houten) remembers her experiences in The Netherlands during WW2. In September 1944, Rachel is in trouble when her and her family's hiding place is bombed by allied troops. They get in contact with a man from the resistance and join a group of Jews who are to be smuggled across the Belgium by boat to the freed South Netherlands. Germans from a patrol boat murder them all however. Only Rachel is able to escape. She is rescued by a resistance group under the leadership of Gerben Kuipers (de Lint). When Kuipers' son is captured after trying to smuggle weapons, he asks Rachel to seduce SS-Hauptsturmführer Ludwig Müntze (Koch).
Review: As in other movies by Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Showgirls, Starship Troopers), one woman is on focus in a male environment and shows self-confidence in front of adversity. As in these movies, the woman in focus is beautiful (here Carice van Houten after respectively Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Berkley, Denise Richards) and uses her charms. The originality is in the view of the resistance, of the betrayers within the resistance and of the betrayers within the Nazi regime. This shows that the situation was complex and that there was not only Nazis and resistance. You had also people following the one or the other, changing the side for many reason, etc. With very simple and understandable steps, this complexity is transmitted by Paul Verhoeven.  The acting is excellent. Not only the fresh Rachel but also the complex Kuipers. Secondary roles are numerous, the resistance team, the Nazi garnison, and we meet many of them with pertinent dialogues so that we know their goals and situations very fast. This is an excellent work of dialogues, script and directing.
Rating: 8 /10