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As the Nazis move into the Netherlands, Dutch Jews go into hiding, fearing for their lives. Among them is Rachel Stein (Carice van Houten), formerly a popular singer, who’s forced to hide in a small, hidden room in a farmhouse. When the farmhouse is bombed, though, she’s not sure where to go—until a member of the Resistance offers to help her escape to Belgium. She’s reunited with her family before they begin their late-night journey—but their boat is discovered by Nazi soldiers, and Rachel is the only survivor.
Rachel is once again rescued by the Resistance and brought to safety. To help her hide in plain sight, they dye her dark hair blonde, change her name to Ellis de Vries, and help her find a job. When she’s asked to help with the Resistance’s efforts, though, she readily agrees. She knows it’s dangerous—but she figures she’s got nothing to lose.
On her first mission, Ellis meets Nazi SS officer Ludwig Müntze (Sebastian Koch)—and their encounter offers the Resistance a new option. If Ellis can get close to Müntze, they can use her as a spy inside the Nazis’ headquarters. But once she’s inside, she begins to realize that the people she once trusted may not be all that trustworthy after all.
Black Book (or Zwartboek in Dutch) may be nearly two and a half hours long, but I barely noticed the length—because I was so engrossed in the story and the characters. It’s so gripping, in fact, that I don’t think I took my eyes off the screen long enough to blink. The story moves along at a quick pace, with rarely a dull moment. And the main characters are brought to life through spectacular performances by Koch (who was equally spectacular in the Oscar-winning The Lives of Others) and the absolutely stunning van Houten.
Director Paul Verhoeven hasn’t exactly had the best track record lately—as his recent films include Hollow Man and Showgirls—but his return to his native Dutch makes up for both of those cinematic headaches. Though Verhoeven loves to throw a little bit of shock value into his films—often to the point of distracting the viewer from the story—he doesn’t overdo it this time. And while there are still a few moments that may not be entirely necessary, some of the film’s most shocking moments actually help to make the story even more powerful.
Though the film’s fast pace and the suspenseful story’s constant twists may occasionally have you racing to keep up (especially when you’re trying to follow along with the subtitles at the same time), it’ll only leave you wanting to watch it all again. Thanks to the gripping story and the stunning performances, Black Book is a film that you won’t soon forget.
