Black Book

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)

Great atmosphere and impressive craftsmanship, but otherwise heavily detached and cold. There’s plenty of the traditional Verhoeven stuff (violence, explicit eroticism), but that doesn't necessarily make the film good as a whole. The attempt to go back to Holland, to be original and make a European-style film that seemingly unties the creative hands and allows for experimentation didn’t quite work. (14/09/2015)

I don't seek out movies about World War II, it's not my heart's topic, I've never been the type who is somehow excited by war. But I understand it. Weapons, action, technology, all of this belongs to it and there must be something to it. But cars don't interest me either, I only recognize brands because I have a good memory, not because I'm interested in them in any way. That's why I prefer movies like "Black Book," where war is just a backdrop, it's not about the actual battles and fighting. World War II raged in the Netherlands as well, the homeland of the famous director Paul Verhoeven, who had to return home to be able to make great films again. His last American films "Hollow Man" and "Showgirls" definitely did not receive great success, and the movie "Starship Troopers" also didn't become a big hit and people have mostly forgotten about it despite its certain qualities. "Black Book," however, is a return to good films for directors, and what makes it even better is that he not only directed it, but also co-wrote the screenplay. It is truly his own work, and you can feel that he has a sense for the place, for national "pride," but also for a great story unfolding before our eyes. I know that the screenplay of similar movies is often predictable - innocent people have to suffer. In this case, of course, innocent people also suffer and suffer a lot, but in the end, it will still be shown that there is justice and not all the evil will go unpunished. Actually, it's a beautiful story about hope and about how even in times of war, a glimmer of hope can appear, although in the case of the main protagonist, it is shown that the path to hope and justice is really demanding and almost deadly. The moment when she is literally being thrown shit at is the moment when everyone, including the main actress, slowly loses hope. But even under that pile of filth, there is still a dormant waiting for the right moment. War was not kind, and at times, the paranoia that is the daily bread of heroes is transferred to the viewer. A beautifully shot film with a good story, where it's not clear who is really on whose side. But once again, I was convinced that Sebastian Koch can be on both sides. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/12/wtc-yes-man-mary-max-zambezia-cerna.html (02/03/2013)

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. (03/01/2010)