![]() It is this ethical relativism that makes Black Book stand out from the crowd in WWII films. On the flip side, she becomes enemies with people on the resistance side who are actually collaborators with the Nazis and have betrayed the resistance consistently in order to become rich. He also truly loves Ellis and refuses to give her up, even upon finding out that she is a Jew. Though he should pay for his crimes, he is not as evil as other Nazi leaders and wants the war to end as soon as possible. Sent to become the girl of Captain Muntze (Sebastian Koch), Rachel/Ellis quickly discovers that he is a decent man who, in spite of his crimes he has committed, wants to see an end to the bloodshed. Interestingly, the film finds ethical people on both sides. Of course, men do rescue her in the film, but at all times, she is ten steps ahead of the men in the film and always capable of fighting back. Though the men in the film are obsessed with her breasts and she is constantly having them exposed, an act that would theoretically establish her as subservient to the men leering at her nude body, she retains power and control of the situations she finds herself in. This power and strength is a positive trait of the character and one that Van Houten exemplifies at all times. You can see what she has seen and had happen to her has a deep emotional impact, but on the outside, she is a rock and ready to take on all comers. She also handles herself in the dramatic scenes incredibly well, being both emotionally available while never crying. Subdued, sensual, and manipulative, Van Houten is a perfect fit for the sexuality demanded by Verhoeven's lead characters. With Carice van Houten starring as Rachel Stein/Ellis de Vries, Black Book is already off to a good start as Van Houten turns in a characteristically terrific performance. Set in the final day of Nazi occupation of Holland, the film is neither damning nor sympathetic to either side and Verhoeven finds a balance in the war, opting instead to tell the story of one incredible woman. With his trademark sexual exploitation and neck spurting violence, Black Book is a thrilling and suspenseful WWII thriller that constantly defies expectations with its portrayal of betrayal and the improbable allies and enemies made by our hero. Identified as the best Dutch film of all-time by the Dutch themselves, it is not hard to see why Verhoeven's film has become so praised. ![]() Identified as the best Dutch film of all-time by the Dutch themselves, it is not hard to see why Paul Verhoeven knows sex and violence and Black Book finds him utilizing both in a film about a Dutch Jew who joins the resistance in WWII and infiltrates the Nazi headquarters in Holland. Paul Verhoeven knows sex and violence and Black Book finds him utilizing both in a film about a Dutch Jew who joins the resistance in WWII and infiltrates the Nazi headquarters in Holland. ![]()
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