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Synopsis
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.
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