BLACK BOOK

 

I must confess that I have traditionally been the furthest thing from a fan of Paul Verhoeven's films that one can imagine.  But in BLACK BOOK, his (seemingly) straight forward approach somehow melds with the intriguing plot to give his "warped moral universe" an appropriate vehicle.  It's Ironic that films like ROBOCOP, TOTAL RECALL, STARSHIP TROOPERS, or even SHOWGIRLS fail where BLACK BOOK succeeds.  Perhaps it's the restraint he shows here: whereas the other films offer too many opportunities for excessive violence and cinematic anarchy, the historical events of Nazi-occupied Denmark demand a certain level of reverence.

BLACK BOOK's narrative is so enthralling that it often allows us to look past questions that might otherwise bother us: how are we to interpret Ellis' motivation?  Is she calculating or is her naivete ultimately empowering?  Doesn't the director let Muntze off a little easy (he was, after all, commander of the Gestapo despite a change of heart late in his life)?  Oh, there are plenty of small plot points to quibble over and ethically questionable choices... but one gets the feeling when watching a Verhoeven film that these are part of the point.  Are his films in some way a self-condemning exploration of the absurdity of human existence and its fascination with its own destruction, or are they really just that bad?  BLACK BOOK strikes the balance almost perfectly.  It mixes momentum and plot twists with just enough absurdity that we're drawn into Verhoeven's world rather than constantly questioning its validity.

Carice van Houten is stunning in the lead role, and the supporting cast is equally good.  This is the type of film I hope Verhoeven continues to make: ones that strike us with their boldness but do not distract us, that lead us to question the world but do not belittle us.

Update on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 at 4:42AM by brian scofield

Another note on BLACK BOOK: one of the most historically insightful minor plot points was the abhorrent treatment of Nazi civilians in the war's aftermath.  The cruelty towards women, especially, whose complicity with the Nazi government was rarely violent, was especially shocking.  The cold capacity (and sometimes the need) for vengeance and its animalistic effect is not unique to our enemies.  It is a theme that continues in our military actions today: Americans committing torture not in the name of liberty or security, but for the thrill of seeing an enemy degraded.  These moments are ones where Verhoeven's style are especially poignant, and the ones where we are most ashamed of calling ourselves human.