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Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman, Halina Reijn, Waldemar Kobus ... see more see more... , Derek de Lint , Christian Berkel , Dolf de Vries , Peter Blok , Michiel Huisman , Ronald Armbrust , Frank Lammers , Matthias Schoenaerts , Johnny de Mol , Xander Straat , Diana Dobbleman , Rixt Leddy , Lidewij Mahler , Pieter Tiddens , Gijs Naber , Dirk Zeelenberg , Michiel de Jong , Jobst Schnibbe , Boris Saran , Jack Vecht , Jacqueline Blom , Seth Kamphuijs , Herman Boerman , Skip Goeree , Bert Luppes , Marisa van Eyle , Heleen Minuer , Bas van der Horst , Foeke Kolff , Merel van Houts , Charlotte Rinnooy Kan , Maaike Kempeneers , Janni Goslinga , Wimie Wilhelm , Theo Maassen , Tjebbo Gerritsma , Timothy Deenihan , Nolan Hemmings , Garick Hagon , Ronald de Bruin , Menno van Beekum , Marcel Musters , Hugo Metsers , Rian Gerritsen , Susan Visser , Maiko Kemper , Carsten Sasse , Liza de Weerd , Willem de Wolf , Oded Menashe , Roni Yedid , Tomer Agami , Gabriela Lewis , Michiel Husman

Filmmaker Paul Verhoeven returned to the Netherlands after more than twenty years of success in Hollywood to direct this epic-scale war drama based on a true story. Rachel Steinn (Carice van Houten) i... read more read more...s a beautiful Jewish woman living in German-occupied Holland during late 1944. Her family members - who have been falsely promised safe passage to Belgium (their names recorded in the 'black book' of the title) are instead robbed and slaughtered by the Germans on a premeditated basis; Rachel herself manages to escape by diving into the water and swimming away. She narrowly avoids capture, then joins the local resistance movement. With her hair dyed blonde, Rachel can easily pass for Aryan, and when the leader of the Dutch resistance movement learns his son has been captured by Axis forces, Rachel is asked to use her feminine charms to persuade a German commander to arrange for the boy's release. Rachel soon finds herself caught up in a dangerous double life as she becomes a sexual plaything for the Nazis while attempting to bring down their evil empire as a spy. Zwartboek was written by Verhoeven and Gerard Soeteman, who collaborated on the 1977 international success Soldier of Orange. Zwartboek received its world premier at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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86% liked it

35,778 ratings

Critics

76% liked it

149 critics

R, 2 hr. 26 min.

Directed by: Paul Verhoeven

Release Date: April 4, 2007

Keywords: action, war

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DVD Release Date: September 25, 2007

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Stats: 3,887 reviews

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Filming the Black Book Black Book (Zwartboek) Black Book (Zwartboek) Carice Van Houten Best Dutch Film Black Book (Zwartboek) On the train Carice Van Houten Carice van Houten and Derek De Lint Thom Hoffman in Zwartboek Black Book Thom Hoffman in Zwartboek Black Book (Zwartboek) Black Book (Zwartboek) Black Book (Zwartboek)
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Flixster Reviews (3,887)

  • jennifxu
    May 2, 2011
    jennifxu
    I feel like it could have ended about 50 times. While it's sexy and dangerous and all that fun stuff, it did feel a trifle self-indulgent. I think that's how a lot of biopics turn out.
  • sanjurosamurai
    February 18, 2011
    sanjurosamurai
    the story was flawless and well executed, the cinematography was solid, and the actors were great. a solid tale of the french resistence to nazi rule, i was gripped the entire way through. you see the characters evolve and develop so well that i cared about each of them. the s... read moremut was a little much for my tastes, but overall a wonderful movie.
  • imrealgod
    February 17, 2011
    imrealgod
    A mediocre first half followed by a relatively well second half..... except for the ending which was a tedious drag.
  • ceWEBrity
    April 8, 2010
    ceWEBrity
    I would never have thought it possible to describe a World War II epic as a "hot fucking mess", but then Paul Verhoeven came along and laughed in my face with this lurid masterwork. Black Book is basically a story of a cunning, seductive young Jewish woman who tries to rescue her... read more oppressed countrymen with the help of her breasts. You'll probably feel really dirty for watching it, but it's nonstop slash-and-burn entertainment. Perhaps this sort of trashy fun isn't what most people look for in their Holocaust movies; this is twice as derisive as Inglourious Basterds, so if you had a problem with that movie, stay the hell away from this one. The movie has plenty of merits - its filming has an incontrovertibly classic feel, thanks largely to Verhoeven's cinematic eagle eye. The scope may be a bit more limited, but this really feels like the war movie of a master film-maker. Carice van Houten is a delightful heroine, and her technical ability seems considerable even though the role is honestly not much of a challenge - Tang Wei did this bit better in Lust, Caution, conveying just as much as van Houten in a movie less histrionic by half. The girl at least deserves an award for being such a great fucking sport, because after filming a certain scene in a detainment camp toward the end, I probably would have just walked off set. Her willingness to repeatedly whip out the hoots on camera is a bit distressing as well. Maybe she's less judgmental than I am, but Paul Verhoeven is old and creepy and you know he ogled her rack the entire time.

    Ultimately, this trash is gussied up mighty pretty, but it's trash all the same. Cinematic junk food. I was thoroughly entertained despite Black Book's obvious ideological problems, largely because van Houten is so likable that I stuck with the movie even through its most infuriating passages, waiting to see how she fares. Your mileage may vary.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    February 5, 2010
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "To fight the enemy, she must become one of them."

    In the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, a Jewish singer infiltrates the regional Gestapo headquarters for the Dutch resistance.

    REVIEW</
    ... read morecenter>
    Paul Verhoeven's first Euro flick in decades is riveting, rousing cinema. The sexy Carice Van Houten plays Ellis, a Jewish woman who goes undercover to, literally, infiltrate a Nazi stronghold in Holland. She befriends and seduces Muntze, a Nazi head honcho and poster boy for Dramatic Irony. Not only is the charismatic Muntz (Sebastian Koch) a card-carrying Nazi swine, he is also a keen stamp collector who is not unsympathetic to the Jewish nation. My threadbare synopsis barely hints at the splendid complexities of this magnificent, epic love story. Verhoeven has found the perfect dramatic vehicle in which to indulge his passion and preference for heightened drama, raw sexuality, and impactful, relevant violence. The film moves at lightning pace and is filled with unexpected twists and turns. The screenplay by Gerard Soeteman and Verhoeven is a model of economy and the lensing by Karl Walter Lindenlaub is superb. Van Houten is believable and stunning in her richly layered performance. A scene in which she is showered in feces is pure Verhoeven, as is a powerfully erotic moment when she dyes her pubic hair blonde. "Black Book" is tight, terrific movie-making that feels like it sprung from the belly of the director's "Soldier Of Orange" via the vaginal canal of "Turkish Delight".
  • cosmo313
    October 23, 2009
    cosmo313
    The tone is uneven, the running time is a little too long (or the pacing is just off), and things get a little exploitative, but overall, this is not only a well made film that looks great, but a really good movie in general. Verhoeven returns to his roots both cinematically and ... read morepersonally, and I'm glad he did. This film shows how far he's come as a director, and proves that he really is a master filmmaker. Aside from what I've already said, I don't have any complaints. The acting is terrific, the cinematography is wonderful, and the art direction, and costumes are gorgeous. I liked that it was both an espionage film and a Holocaust drama, but again, the balancing of the two is a little off, but not enough to ruin the movie.
  • kenstachnik
    July 18, 2009
    kenstachnik
    Damn near perfect. Verhoeven's triumphant return to form.
  • hobster1
    April 20, 2009
    hobster1
    Jewish woman poses as a Nazi during World War II in order to persuade a German commander to release a member of the resistance. Dutch film director, Paul Verhoeven, returns to his native roots to direct this entertaining epic drama. Interesting mix of classic storytelling and g... read moreraphic doses of sex and violence are combined to form a most compelling tale about espionage and revenge. Dutch stage and film actress, Carice van Houten, plays the film's heroine in an unforgettable performance.
  • Gx7
    March 22, 2009
    Gx7
    Late Post:

    Set in a time where Jews were hunted down, Rachel Stein, a singer that comes from a Jewish wealthy family, had to go into hiding in order to survive the holocaust. On her journey, she had suddenly become a spy for the resistance and ended up ... read moreworking closely with the Nazis. If they should ever find out her true identity, she would be taken out instantly.


    Jane Bond near the end of World War II. Thrilling, sexy, addictive, alluring and strangely captivating. A bit long but every scene in the movie made sense and didnt feel like it was stretched or anything of the sort. An instant classic!

    Director: Paul Verhoeven
    Rated R
  • Redlats
    May 13, 2008
    Redlats
    This is a good movie. Interesting. Plot twists until the very end. Makes you wonder about the Dutch resistance. Sometimes subtitles get to me, and this movie has Dutch, German and Yiddish in it, but the film was so engrossing, I never noticed the subtitles.

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Critic Reviews

Claudia Puig
September 1, 2007
Claudia Puig, USA Today

A hard-core war film with raw violence, intense action, graphic sexuality and a twisting plot that offers a series of surprises. Full Review

Roger Moore
May 4, 2007
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Verhoeven never loses sight of the larger message -- that in those evil times, ordinary people were forced to do extraordinary, and even awful, things just to live long enough to tell their tale. Full Review

Jonathan F. Richards
April 30, 2007
Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com

Paul Verhoeven's WWII drama stars the lovely Dutch actress Carice van Houten as a Jewish Resistance worker, and costars her breasts. All three deserve awards consideration.

Rick Groen
April 27, 2007
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

The happy ending demands that [Verhoeven's] return-journey film -- Black Book -- be a rousing artistic triumph. It isn't. Too many of his lazy Hollywood habits have followed him home. Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
April 27, 2007
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Insanely entertaining -- and often just plain insane -- World War II melodrama. You may hate yourself in the morning, but you'll have to admit Verhoeven gives you a lot of bang for your buck. Full Review

Steven Rea
April 27, 2007
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Black Book doesn't let the grim facts of the Holocaust get in the way of some ripping pulp. Full Review

Bruce Newman
April 27, 2007
Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News

Despite the picture's subtitles and its imposing 145-minute running time, Black Book maintains a breakneck pace, pausing only long enough to raise some very interesting questions. Full Review

Peter Howell
April 27, 2007
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Judged in dramatic terms, situational ethics drive the film, never slackening the pace nor making the nearly 2 1/2-hour running time seem overlong. Van Houten is rarely out of the frame, but she's no ... Full Review

Colin Covert
April 23, 2007
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Black Book is a crackling good melodrama -- inspired, remarkably, by actual events -- with few clearly defined heroes and villains.

Stephen Hunter
April 23, 2007
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

A lurid, pulpy, slightly perverse potboiler, Black Book suffers mainly from its utter lack of seriousness. Full Review

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