Black Book (2006)
"Zwartboek" (original title)

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

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writers:

Gerard Soeteman, Paul Verhoeven

Stars:

Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 14 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carice van Houten	...	Rachel Stein / Ellis de Vries
Sebastian Koch	...	Ludwig Müntze
Thom Hoffman	...	Hans Akkermans
Halina Reijn	...	Ronnie
Waldemar Kobus	...	Günther Franken
Derek de Lint	...	Gerben Kuipers
Christian Berkel	...	General Käutner
Dolf de Vries	...	Notary Wim Smaal
Peter Blok	...	Van Gein
Michiel Huisman	...	Rob
Ronald Armbrust	...	Tim Kuipers
Frank Lammers	...	Kees
Matthias Schoenaerts	...	Joop
Johnny de Mol	...	Theo
Xander Straat	...	Maarten

Storyline

Israel 1956. Rachel, a Jew, rather unexpectedly meets an old friend at the kibbutz where she is working as a teacher. It brings back memories of her experiences in The Netherlands during the war, memories of betrayal. September 1944. Rachel is in trouble when her hiding place is bombed by allied troops. She gets in contact with a man from the resistance and joins a group of Jews who are to be smuggled across the Biesbosch by boat to the freed South Netherlands. Germans from a patrol boat murder them all however. Only Rachel is able to escape. She is rescued by a resistance group under the leadership of Gerben Kuipers. When Kuipers' son is captured after trying to smuggle weapons, he asks Rachel to seduce SS-hauptsturmführer Ludwig Müntze. Soon she will find out the attack in the Biesbosch wasn't a coincidence.

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Plot Keywords:

resistance | hiding | boat | nazi | escape | 

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Taglines:

To fight the enemy, she must become one of them.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong violence, graphic nudity, sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [nl] Official site [us]

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch German English Hebrew

Release Date:

14 September 2006 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Black Book

Filming Locations:

's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Budget:

$21,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$112,521 (USA) (6 April 2007)

Gross:

$4,398,392 (USA) (17 August 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fu Works, Egoli Tossell Film, Clockwork Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

145 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first Paul Verhoeven movie in 23 years to feature a full frontal nude man. This was quite commonplace in Verhoeven's Dutch films, but due to the movie rating system being much more strict in the USA, the practice was abandoned.

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Goofs

When the underground people sit around the table listening to the two Nazis, Carice's cigarette goes from having a little piece of ash, to a long piece and back to a short piece again.

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Quotes

General Käutner: Obersturmführer, open your safe.
Günther Franken: Of course. Which files would you like to see?
General Käutner: None. You're suspected of killing rich Jews. There's nothing wrong with that. But you've been looting the bodies and keeping the valuables for yourself. Failure to turn Jewish property over to the Reich is punishable by death. Open the safe.
Günther Franken: As you wish, Obergruppenführer.

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Connections

Referenced in De wereld draait door: Episode #2.4 (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Ich bin die fesche Lola"
Music by Friedrich Hollaender (as Friedrich Hollaender)
Lyrics by Robert Liebmann
Performed by Carice van Houten
(c) 1930 by Ufaton-verlagsgesellschaft mbH (BMG Music Publishing Germany), Munich

User Reviews

Excellent WWII thriller

Saw it at Toronto Int. Film Festival with Paul Verhoeven and Carice van Houten on stage. This movie has Verhoeven's trademark stamp all over it. It's evident this film was a more personal project for him. Non stop action and good acting, especially from the lead actress, Carice van Houten. I've seen other films (American and French) about Resistance fighters during WWII, but non of them gripped me by the throat like this one. I admit Verhoeven is at times a bit heavy-handed, especially the sound effects of German machine guns, but the story never sags. It's a "By the seat of your pants" type of movie. After you leave the theater, the impact of the story stays with you for days. Go and see it when it comes to your local cinema in North America. I highly recommend it.