Black Book Movie Review
Date: May 28, 2008
Summary:
Black Book was released in 2006 and was directed by Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Basic Instinct, Hollow Man). The movie stars Carice van Houten (Rachel Stein aka Ellis de Vries), Sebastian Koch (Ludwig Müntze), and Thom Hoffman (Hans Akkermans).
The movie takes place during World War II and is centered around a Jewish woman (Carice van Houten) who becomes a spy for the Jewish resistance. After befriending Ludwig Müntze on a train, she was assigned to seduce the SS officer in order to bug the Gestapo headquarters in The Hague (Netherlands). This movie tells the story of this relationship between Ellis de Vries and Müntze and how it unravels during the war.
Review:
While browsing through the movie channels during a recent trip to my Grandmother’s house, I encountered this movie on Starz. As a fan of World War II movies, I decided to bookmark the next airing so that I could watch the entire movie. By the time that I finished the movie, I was quite impressed.
Having watched several of Paul Verhoeven’s movies, I honestly have to say that this is one of his best works. This is not your typical World War II movie. This movie will not win you over with horrific battle scenes but it will win you over with the romantic story of how Rachel Stein, a Jew, is forced to start an intimate relationship with Ludwig Müntze, a member of the SS. It also shows you the horrors of World War II and the things that people had to do in order to survive the Nazi reign. The movie manages to mix correct combinations of action, drama, and sex to keep your eyes glued to the screen. Verhoeven manages to show how one woman (Carice van Houten) did so much for the Jewish resistance during the Second World War and how the course of events in the war changed due to these brave women who risked their dignity and pride for a much greater cause.
In conclusion, Black Book is a great World War II movie that doesn’t follow the stereotypical plot that many other World War II movies feature. If you are a World War II movie fan, or someone looking for a romantic tale to watch with your special someone, Black Book is definably a movie for you to consider.
Final Rating: 4.5 / 5
