Paul Verhoeven's Black Book

[nightflier]

I've got a gift card for some free movies and one of the ones I was considering was Verhoeven's Black Book about a mistress double-agent in occupied Holland during WWII. I like just about every other movie Verhoeven's done (Soldier of Orange, Total Recall, Starship Troopers, Hollow Man, etc.), but this is one director who doesn't shy away from graphic violence. I can deal with your basic shoot-em-up stuff, but I've drawn the line at torture scenes and well, a couple of online reviewers hinted at some pretty hairy moments in this film. Has anyone seen this film? Any thoughts about the violence?

BTW, I can get five movies if I hunt around for the best deals. Some of the other films on my list:

- Beowulf
- Days of Glory
- 1900
- There will be Blood
- The Good German

[Worf101]

I think "The Black Book" is Verhoeven's best film in many a day. In that he's Dutch, this tale of the Dutch resistence and underground in WWII is an unflinching and bald portrayal of life and death in a world cone mad. The film disturbed me for several days afterward. But I'd see it again... maybe in a few years.

Da Worfster

[nightflier]

Worf, I didn't think you could so easily be disturbed. What was it?

[Worf101]

Worf, I didn't think you could so easily be disturbed. What was it?

But being a military historian I knew KNEW what was going to happen to her. So you find yourself begging her to run away to safety with the "nice" nazi?

Da Worfster

[nightflier]

Thanks for the input.

Any disturbing torture scenes? I'm not a historian, but I've worked for Amnesty for a long time and frankly, I'm burned out on that part of our human nature.

[Worf101]

Thanks for the input.

Any disturbing torture scenes? I'm not a historian, but I've worked for Amnesty for a long time and frankly, I'm burned out on that part of our human nature.

Mob torture is the worst thing in there far as I'm concerned. Her being accused of being a collaborator then tortured by the very folks she spied for. Sad...

Da Worfster

[nightflier]

OK, I'll keep that in mind. By the way, if you like the genre, you should see Soldier of Orange with Rutger Hauer - it is the best film Verhoeven's done, IMO (well I haven't seen Black Book yet).

[PeruvianSkies]

OK, I'll keep that in mind. By the way, if you like the genre, you should see Soldier of Orange with Rutger Hauer - it is the best film Verhoeven's done, IMO (well I haven't seen Black Book yet).

AGREED! And speaking of which, the final scene is awesome with the freeze frame technique, which appears in a few others films of worthwhile mention: THE 400 BLOWS and GALLIPOLI.

SOLDIER OF ORANGE is in desperate need of rediscovery.

[Asterix77]

Soldier of Orange is great (Soldaat van Oranje). It's one of the best Dutch movies around (not that difficult to be honest )
Haven't seen "Zwartboek" yet (Blackbook) but it's on my list.

[nightflier]

Soldier of Orange is great (Soldaat van Oranje). It's one of the best Dutch movies around (not that difficult to be honest )
Haven't seen "Zwartboek" yet (Blackbook) but it's on my list.

Someone calling themselves Asterix must be either Dutch or Belgian. No?

[Asterix77]

Haha...you're right, I'm Dutch...and well one has to call himself something...my usual nick was taken
But is it that obvious?

[nightflier]

Ja, dat is het wel!

[Asterix77]

In general, I'm not a fan of Dutch movies.
But I heard pretty good things about Blackbook.
Just watch it....you can always turn it off if you don't like it.

[nightflier]

OK, I have Black Book. I'll probably watch it this week, although it's a 2 1/2 hour movie, maybe will have to wait until the weekend. I also purchased Vantage Point, The Good Shepard, and Babel. We watched Babel last night - not too violent, but holy crap, that's not a light movie, either. Gives you a whole new perspective on what it means to be an American and how that relates to the rest of the world - it probably added a few gray hairs to my head, too.

[Auricauricle]

Some violent movies are too rough for me. I can let go, if there is some mitigating element of distraction or some such. "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" was a masterpiece. There were pretty hairy moments, but the art and scope of the film cleverly helped me to get through the rest of the film.

I think it is sometimes far more effective to have the violence implied. In "Bound" there is a scene when all we know of a fellow being tortured is a few drops of blood appearing faintly in the loo and an almost inaudible scream thrrough the tile wall. Should've left it at that....I have not watched "Scarface" for fear that the violence would be too disturbing, and I do not need the emotional/visceral pollution.

[SlumpBuster]

I can deal with your basic shoot-em-up stuff, but I've drawn the line at torture scenes and well, a couple of online reviewers hinted at some pretty hairy moments in this film.

When I think torture scenes, I think of movies like Hostel or Borderland. Black Book doesn't have anything like that. There are some "hairy" scenes, but if you were okay with Babel, then there is nothing in Black Book you can't handle. It has some flaws, but is a fine movie worth seeing. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

FYI, the Good Shepard and Vantage Point are also both very good and underrated. Vantage Point is a bit mind blowing, but I don't want to spoil it. The Good Shepard takes a little effort in the first act, but the payoff is worth it.

[nightflier]

Slump, thanks for the input - that was the answer I was looking for.

And yeah, I skipped Hostel altogether. Auricauricle has a very good point as well: the thought of torture is a whole lot more off-putting than seeing it in all its goriness. I think the mind just goes numb, maybe even blocks out the terror effect completely, when seeing something like Hostel, but when watching Syriana, you really get that visceral spinal-tapped feeling that makes Torture so horrid. It's really appalling to know that the most barbaric and sadistic things are being done to people even now as we pontificate about it here.