Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Black Book

Original title: Zwartboek
  • 20062006
  • RR
  • 2h 25m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
77K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,417
1,496
Carice van Houten, Michiel Huisman, and Sebastian Koch in Black Book (2006)
Theatrical Trailer from Sony Pictures Classics
Play trailer1:54
1 Video
99+ Photos
DramaThrillerWar
In the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, a Jewish singer infiltrates the regional Gestapo headquarters for the Dutch resistance.In the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, a Jewish singer infiltrates the regional Gestapo headquarters for the Dutch resistance.In the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, a Jewish singer infiltrates the regional Gestapo headquarters for the Dutch resistance.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
77K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,417
1,496
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Paul Verhoeven
    • Writers
      • Gerard Soeteman
      • Paul Verhoeven
    • Stars
      • Carice van Houten
      • Sebastian Koch
      • Thom Hoffman
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Paul Verhoeven
    • Writers
      • Gerard Soeteman
      • Paul Verhoeven
    • Stars
      • Carice van Houten
      • Sebastian Koch
      • Thom Hoffman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 273User reviews
    • 231Critic reviews
    • 71Metascore
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 13 wins & 23 nominations total

    Videos1

    Black Book
    Trailer 1:54
    Black Book

    Photos124

    Black Book (2006)
    Carice van Houten in Black Book (2006)
    Carice van Houten and Michiel Huisman in Black Book (2006)
    Carice van Houten in Black Book (2006)
    Carice van Houten and Sebastian Koch in Black Book (2006)
    Sebastian Koch in Black Book (2006)
    Waldemar Kobus in Black Book (2006)
    Carice van Houten and Michiel Huisman in Black Book (2006)
    Thom Hoffman and Carice van Houten in Black Book (2006)
    Carice van Houten and Sebastian Koch in Black Book (2006)
    Waldemar Kobus and Halina Reijn in Black Book (2006)
    Thom Hoffman in Black Book (2006)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Carice van Houten
    Carice van Houten
    • Rachel Stein…
    Sebastian Koch
    Sebastian Koch
    • Ludwig Müntze
    Thom Hoffman
    Thom Hoffman
    • Hans Akkermans
    Halina Reijn
    Halina Reijn
    • Ronnie
    Waldemar Kobus
    Waldemar Kobus
    • Günther Franken
    Derek de Lint
    Derek de Lint
    • Gerben Kuipers
    Christian Berkel
    Christian Berkel
    • Gen. Käutner
    Dolf de Vries
    • Wim Smaal - Notary
    Peter Blok
    Peter Blok
    • Van Gein
    Michiel Huisman
    Michiel Huisman
    • Rob
    Ronald Armbrust
    • Tim Kuipers
    Frank Lammers
    Frank Lammers
    • Kees
    Matthias Schoenaerts
    Matthias Schoenaerts
    • Joop
    Johnny de Mol
    Johnny de Mol
    • Theo
    Xander Straat
    • Maarten
    Diana Dobbelman
    • Mrs. Smaal
    Rixt Leddy
    • Anny
    Lidewij Mahler
    • Linda
    • Director
      • Paul Verhoeven
    • Writers
      • Gerard Soeteman
      • Paul Verhoeven
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Elle
    7.1
    Elle
    Tricked
    6.1
    Tricked
    Soldier of Orange
    7.6
    Soldier of Orange
    Flesh+Blood
    6.7
    Flesh+Blood
    The 4th Man
    7.2
    The 4th Man
    Turkish Delight
    7.1
    Turkish Delight
    Showgirls
    4.9
    Showgirls
    Basic Instinct
    7.0
    Basic Instinct
    Hollow Man
    5.8
    Hollow Man
    Spetters
    6.6
    Spetters
    Benedetta
    6.8
    Benedetta
    Katie Tippel
    6.6
    Katie Tippel

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Most actors speak more than one language in the film. Carice van Houten speaks four languages fluently in the course of the film: Hebrew in the scenes in Israel, German with Nazi soldiers, English with Canadian army personnel and Dutch for the majority of the film.
    • Goofs
      A torch is used to cut the hinges off of a metal door during the rescue scene. When the door is removed, it is handled right next to the cut hinge. In reality, the metal would be so hot it would be impossible to handle without serious injury.
    • Quotes

      Rachel Stein aka Ellis de Vries: I never knew this would happen. To fear the liberation...

    • Connections
      Edited into Zwartboek: The Special (2006)
    • 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 reviews273

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Verhoeven on top form
    Director Paul Verhoeven's self-confessed aim is to combine art and business, appeal to a broad audience, and yet still have some endurance. The fame of films like Basic Instinct and Total Recall is lasting, yet they court criticism with their use of sexuality or by playing to the (easily dismissible) sci-fi genre. Graphic sex and violence are common in his movies and, when you add the occasional major flop such as Showgirls, the work of Verhoeven often fails to be taken seriously. Yet Black Book deserves respect. It is a wartime resistance movie on an epic scale, freed of the conventions of British and American war movies, yet bringing their typically high production values to a uniquely Dutch film.

    Israel 1956. A Holy Land Tours bus stops off at a Kibbutz. One of the passengers recognises a teacher there, Rachel, from times they had shared during the war. As her friend leaves, Rachel thinks back to Holland in 1944. She was an accomplished cabaret singer but also Jewish. She was in hiding, waiting for the war to end. But chance misfortune means she has to try to make a getaway with some other Jewish people. They are ambushed, and she is almost shot. A little later she starts working for the resistance ('terrorists' as the Nazis call them) and infiltrates the Gestapo, seducing a high ranking officer called Muntze.

    What follows is a frantic game of cat and mouse, espionage and counter-espionage. Rachel (now called Ellis) is torn between the horrors inflicted on her friends close-by and the elaborate deceits she tries to play to save them. Gradually it becomes clear that Muntze, anticipating the end of the war, is risking his neck to try to minimize death and suffering on both sides, and one or more of the resistance fighters is selling out to the Nazis to reap rich profits. Muntze, like Rachel, has had to overcome great losses. Their humanity is a bridge that brings them closer.

    Rachel/Ellis is played by Carice van Houten, a leading actress of the Dutch screen. Her presence is luminous and charismatic (for British/American audiences, there is the curious sensation of watching someone unknown who radiates star quality with every breath). Her character has to adapt to many contrasting situations yet there is an underlying determination and fast thinking that shines through and makes such changes seem in character and unscripted. We share her emotional struggle and watch her pit her wits against the Gestapo (who are not exactly stupid). The movie is worth seeing for her performance alone.

    On the one hand, the film has been minutely researched, based on actual events and characters; on the other it still has the slightly larger than life gloss we might associate, say, with a James Bond film. The escapes are in the nick of time, the sex scenes are steamy, and the plot twists increase exponentially as we get closer to the end.

    Not content to portray the unique conditions of Holland during the occupation, Black Book goes on to catalogue post war atrocities and Rachel's eventual journey to Israel. The style and delivery will not appeal to everyone, but Black Book is Verhoeven on top form, delivering grand entertainment that shows his talents (and those of the remarkable Carice van Houten) at their finest.
    helpful•41
    8
    • Chris_Docker
    • Jan 30, 2007

    FAQ5

    • Why were there soldiers moving in to defend the kibbutz in the final scene?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 18, 2007 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Netherlands
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
      • Belgium
    • Official sites
      • Official site (Netherlands)
      • Official site (United States)
    • Languages
      • Dutch
      • German
      • English
      • Hebrew
    • Also known as
      • La lista negra
    • Filming locations
      • Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
    • Production companies
      • Fu Works
      • Egoli Tossell Pictures
      • Clockwork Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $21,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,398,532
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $112,521
      • Apr 8, 2007
    • Gross worldwide
      • $26,768,563
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 25 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Carice van Houten, Michiel Huisman, and Sebastian Koch in Black Book (2006)
    Top Gap
    What is the Hindi language plot outline for Black Book (2006)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    New & Upcoming Superhero Movies and Series
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Double Take: Celebrity Twins
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.