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 role of resistance leader Gerben Kuipers was originally to be played by Gijs Scholten van Aschat. When the production was delayed due to budgetary problems, Scholten van Aschat had become unavailable because of his theatre commitments. Director Paul Verhoeven got the idea of casting Derek de Lint, with whom he had worked 28 years earlier on Soldier of Orange, when he accidentally came across De Lint's picture in the casting directors office. Ironically, De Lint played the complete opposite, a collaborator to the Germans, in 'Soldaat van Oranje'.

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Goofs

The one half track to appear in the movie has the markings of a Gross Deutschland vehicle. This was an elite Werhmacht unit that was never in the Netherlands.

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Quotes

Gerben Kuipers: You can stay here. But you have to work.
Rachel Stein aka Ellis de Vries: The harder the better.

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Connections

Edited into Zwartboek: The Special (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Red Sails in the Sunset"
Written by Will Grosz (as Wilhelm Grosz), Jimmy Kennedy
Performed by Al Bowlly
Publisher: Peter Maurice Music Co. Ltd.
EMI Music Publishing (Holland) BV
(P) 1935 His Masters Voice

User Reviews

Hold on for an epic thrill ride

I attended the North American premiere of "Black Book" at the Toronto International Film Festival. Although my main interest lies in independent film, and I did see many indies as well as foreign films and documentaries in Toronto, I also saw a few of the "Gala" selections. Of those "big movies" on my list, the one which impressed me the most was this Dutch production from Paul Verhoeven. Set in Nazi-occupied Holland during World War II, the film centers around a young Jewish woman named Rachel, who changes her name (and hair, and personality, and more) to Ellis and enters an odyssey of determination and sheer luck in an effort to survive what would otherwise be certain death.

Make no mistake about it: this is an epic in the true sense of the word. The visuals are stunning. Everything about the production from the sound to the effects to the score says "big budget." The story is chock full of more twists and turns than just about any film I've seen in this genre. And just when you think that, perhaps, Verhoeven is beginning to stretch the bounds of credulity, you realize (at the end credits, if not before) that "Black Book" is based on fact.

Most of all, the film's power is due to the magnificent acting of Carice van Houten. Her Rachel/Ellis is a character so unique, so original, that it holds up against the great heroines of contemporary cinema. Combine her marvelous performance with a wonderful story and superb production values and you end up with a thrill ride from start to finish. "Black Book" left me breathless.