Vote on this title
Click on a gene to vote or discover related titles.
-
Mood:
- SuspensefulCaptivatingTense
-
Plot:
- Secret IdentityEspionageWorking UndercoverDishonestyUndercoverFugitivesBetrayalSurvival more...
-
Genres:
- DramaWarForeignThriller
-
Time/Period:
- 20th Century40s50sWorld War 2
-
Place:
- HollandTrain
-
Praise:
- Award WinnerCritically Acclaimed
-
Style:
- EpicTwists and TurnsStrong Female Presence
-
Based on:
- Based on True Story
-
Attitudes:
- SeriousRealistic
Does this gene fit Black Book?
Find it on:
| IMDb | |
| Rotten Tomatoes |
Black Book, 2006
Dutch, English, German, Hebrew
Netherlands, Germany, Belgium
Profile of Black Book
The mood of Black Book is suspenseful, tense, and captivating. The plot centers around secret identities, working undercover, and espionage. It is a drama, foreign, and war movie. Stylistically, Black Book is epic, involves twists and turns, and stars a strong female character. In approach, it is serious and realistic. It takes place, at least partly, on a train. Black Book is set in Holland. It happens in the 1950s. It is originally a true story. Black Book is known for being an award winner and critically acclaimed.
Summary of Black Book
Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven made his name in Hollywood with films such as ROBOCOP, BASIC INSTINCT, and STARSHIP TROOPERS. But Verhoeven got his start in the industry by making films (the acclaimed SPETTERS and SOLDIER OF ORANGE among them) in his native country, and it's to Holland that he returns for BLACK BOOK--his first Dutch film in 20 years. The story is set during the final days of World War II in Holland, and follows a Jewish singer named Rachel Stein (Carice Van Houten). Rachel attempts to avoid the Nazis and remains in quiet hiding until her family is brutally slain, causing her to join up with a resistance movement. On a subsequent undercover mission, Rachel crosses paths with a smitten German general named Ludwig Muntze (Sebastian Koch), with whom Rachel begins a relationship in order to feed vital information back to her colleagues in the resistance. But as the action and bloodshed escalate, Rachel realizes that she has genuine feelings for Muntze, and soon she is in enormous danger.
Verhoeven's film is wildly ambitious and takes many intriguing twists and turns during its 145 minutes. BLACK BOOK commanded the largest budget of any film to be produced in Holland, and it shows. Explosions litter the screen, plenty of car chases ensue, and wince-inducing injuries and deaths propel the action. The director isn't afraid to criticize his fellow countrymen and inserts a fascinating subtext about the actions of the resistance fighters, asking some uncomfortable questions about the similarities between their behavior and that of the Nazis. Van Houten lights up the screen throughout and is surely destined for bigger things, and while the tumultuous experiences her character undergoes might push the boundaries of reality at times, Verhoeven has pointed out in interviews that Rachel is a composite character who encompasses the merged experiences of many real people from the era.
Details
| Language: | Dutch, English, German, Hebrew |
| Country: | Netherlands, Germany, Belgium |
| Release date: | 9 December 2006 |
| Runtime: | 145 min |
Cast and Crew
as Rachel Stein / Ellis de Vries
as Ludwig Müntze
as Hans Akkermans
Photos
Clips
Critics Reviews
The Onion (A.V. Club)
- |
- by: Noel Murray
Rolling Stone
- |
- by: Peter Travers
Users Reviews
- 03.March.2011
- |
- by: skitter
- skitter rated this movie7/10Good
- 10.January.2011
- |
- by: Netflowers
- Netflowers rated this movie
0/10
