Coming from a director who has brought us such cinematic classics including Hollow Man, RoboCop and Basic Instinct (take from this statement what you will…), viewing Black Book is like viewing a whole other dimension through Paul Verhoeven’s eyes. Not only is this film entirely in Dutch, the 2 hour long marathon of a film seems to fit so much action into its timeline, it hardly even feels long at all! It does however contain some elements of his trademark, and although there are several unrealistic and eyebrow-raising scenes, the content and entertainment value really sets this apart from other World War II films.
Released in 2006, it was at the time, the most expensive Dutch production and also one of the most praised movies in the public and critics alike. For those who hate viewing movies with subs, beware, for this movie was not dubbed in English! It is not hard to see why this film has been one of the more successful World War II movies though – amongst the thousands of others that have been made, I think it’s safe to say this film really has the right amount of action, romance and plot twists to keep it chugging along nicely through to the end. 
With a plot similar to that of Lust, Caution, Black Book begins with a flashback to main character Rachel, who is teaching at a school somewhere in Israel. On a chance occasion, she meets a former acquaintance, Ronnie, who she knew when she was a spy during World War II. The two strike a conversation, and after a brief exchange, Rachel reminisces about how she became an orphan in a German ambush, and how she became a spy for the underground resistance against the Nazis.
Through many often unrealistic and exaggerated turns of events, Rachel discovers others who are in the same position as her and quickly becomes a secret spy for the resistance. Armed with a bottle of peroxide, Rachel becomes Ellis de Vries – a smart and beautiful faux German who eventually infiltrates the local SS office as a secretary. Her mission? To seduce the commander Ludwig Muntze, and to obtain inside information so the resistance can break several members of their clan free from the evil clutches of the SS prison. Rachel has an ulterior motive however – she is determined to find out who tipped off the ambush that killed all of her family, and she wants them DEAD.
Rachel of course, falls in love with Muntze during her secret spy duties, and although he does indicate he knows she is in fact Jewish through her obviously bad dye job, he keeps it on the downlow because it seems he too, has fallen in love with her. Rachel also meets Ronnie through Muntze, who she learns is also an American spy, acting as a complete sex crazed airhead who teases just about every lad in the SS to obtain information!
When Rachel finds out the mole that killed her family and tips off the Germans, members of the resistance kidnap him and in a scuffle accidentally kill him. This sets off a chain of extraordinary events that eventually leads to a death penalty for Muntze, and Ellis in a prison where she is humiliated and tortured. It is not just the tragic separation of the two lovers that is the main crux of the story, but the plot twist at the end that will leave viewers confused and perhaps even slightly shocked.
Black Book may have a considerably convoluted storyline and lots of gratuitous violence and nudity, but it is indeed a film that both entertains and makes several points about World War II in general. Carice Van Houten is simply stunning as Rachel, and Thom Hoffman acts superbly as a sneaky, villainous leader of the resistance.
One of the most notable aspects of this film is just how incredibly unrealistic it actually is though – you do have to just let the film do the talking and suspend your disbelief for ~2 hours! While the ambush at the start was quite extreme and fairly plausible, the plot twists including the killing of the Jew spy in broad daylight and Rachel and Muntze’s break out of prison just adds to the overall over exaggeration of this movie. It does not by any means take itself too seriously, which is perhaps why this film is so enjoyable as a whole.
While its not the most insightful World War II thriller, nor is it the most thought provoking, Black Book does raise some questions as to what is considered right or wrong during times of war. With Rachel’s constant conflictions within herself over her loyalties to her family, the resistance and her love for Muntze, Verhoeven does an impressive job of handling Rachel’s choices and portraying them in a way which emphasizes how hard it is to judge each aspect of the war.
Noted for its big budget, Black Book’s cinematography is also visually stunning: each scene is filled with different elements which really draws you into what is happening, and what each character is saying. In particular, the shot style and lighting of the extravagant gala held by the SS near the end of the film really highlights the tone and foreshadowing of the rest of the movie, as it is the penultimate point where Rachel and Muntze meet up one last time before they separate…forever. The use of long shots is particularly useful in highlighting the beauty of the Dutch countryside, and the ravages of war against the greenery, which I thought was a nice touch in the film especially at the end scene.
The music in this film is also another feature that enables the viewer to fully appreciate the turn of events and constant action. This movie may be a far cry from the likes of Total Recall or Basic Instinct but the rapid car chase that leads to the resistance members being arrested, and the shootout ambush at the start really lends itself to the awesome directing skills of Paul Verhoeven.
Overall, Black Book is one long but entertaining war movie that will not disappoint. It is a complete change from Verhoeven whose other credits may raise a few questions as to how he can be so hit/miss with his ventures, but Black Book really is worth checking out, if not for the charming love story between Rachel and Muntze. People may slam Verhoeven especially for the excess and often unnecessary nudity in the film, but he has two excuses.
One: it’s a foreign language film.
Two: This film is all about over exaggeration.
Why not go all out and produce something that is not just about the war, but also about a character, and her journey through the war as a spy? Black Book is nowhere near as entertaining as Inglourious Basterds, nor is it as focused on the brutalities of war like Band of Brothers, but it surely is one epic movie that has just the right amount of everything which will keep most viewers in their chair and wondering whatever will happen next!
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