The Black Book: Story of a Jewish Woman Trying to Survive World War II in Holland

"The Black Book" or "Zwartboek" is the story of a Jewish woman trying to survive World War II in Holland after the German invasion. Director and writer Paul Verhoeven and writer Gerard Soeteman created a beautiful movie whose potential is never quite realized.

After the Germans invaded Holland, Rachael goes into hiding because she is a Jew. After her hide-out is bombed, Rachael (Carice van Houten) is forced into the open. After a life changing traumatic incident Rachael changes her name to Ellis and enters the belly of the beast. She gets in bed with the head of the German Security Police, Ludwig Müntze; giving the gem "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" new meaning. Backed up by a group of Holland freedom fighters, she wiggles her way into the operations of the Nazis.

The writing in "The Black Book" is best described as "almost." The characters are almost full and well rounded. There is a lot of almost suspense. "The Black Book" is chalked full of almost erotic scenes. The Nazis are almost scary. Some of the Nazis are almost human and relatable. While this movie doesn't completely miss the mark, its script isn't a straight shot either. It meanders, wanders, wades through the marshes and can't seem to find its way to the cheese. There are a lot of plot turns, betrayals, and surprises that should be more suspenseful and exciting but it just fizzed out in the end. The film isn't boring, it kept my attention the entire time, but it was missing the emotional resonance to make it a good movie. The writers would have been better off to make a few fewer plot twists and instead give the few it does give a strength and power lacking in each of the betrayals in this movie. I think the script weighs the actors down like sinkers.

The acting in this movie rates about the same level as the writing. Most of the scenes are believable and well acted. There are times in this movie when any human being should have shown a little emotion and Carice Van Houten does not. When she enters the lair of the Nazis in Holland she does not waver, even for a second. Some might call that bravery. I think it would have been good to blink just a little too long, even if it was just one time. Sebastian Koch, who plays the almost lovable Nazi Ludwig Müntz, is charming but lacks the menace necessary to make his transformation to almost forgivable work with any emotional depth. The supporting cast ranges from fantastic to fatally flawed. There is a father in the movie whose son is picked up by the Nazis. His performance is powerful. He jumps from devastated to angry just as I imagine I might if my son were taken by the Nazis.

This is by far the sexiest Holocaust movie I have ever seen. Carice van Houten is topless through a good portion of the movie. Don't get me wrong, this isn't pornography but there does seem to be gratuitous boobage from time to time. I can't say I was complaining because she has the best breasts I have seen in a movie in a long time. There is another actress Halina Reijn, who plays Ronnie, who also goes top free and there is no shame in her breasts either. It's nice to see historical pieces because there are no implants. An added bonus is a tastefully done crotch shot.

The cinematography in "The Black Book" is fantastic. The cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub took me back into World War Two. The scenes are beautifully shot. The angles, lighting, shading, are planned out to with a visible attention to detail. It's too bad that Job ter Burg and James Herbert, "The Black Book"'s film editors made each of these beautifully shot scenes last far too long. No movie, no matter how well it is shot, pays enough attention to detail that a scene can't become boring when the characters are just wandering around.

"The Black Book" is aesthetically brilliant but in every other way lacks the intangible magic to make it a great movie. "The Black Book" isn't a complete waste of time, but I won't run out and see it again.