A war drama focusing on a jewish woman who infiltrates the nazi upper echelon occupying the netherlands in the early 1940s, the film finds verhoeven tempering some of his typical excess to present something as grounded as it is harrowing. I think this is a movie which should set us to thinking. Hollywood thinks audiences are stupid the outspoken dutch filmmaker discusses his triumphant return to cinema, elle. Sep 09, 2010 black book is one of my favorite movies. Filmmaker paul verhoeven returned to the netherlands after more than twenty years of success in hollywood to direct this epicscale war. Identified as the best dutch film of alltime by the dutch. The last film verhoeven made in the netherlands before black book, almost a quarter century later, the prickly, deliberately nauseating, and decidedly polanskiesque the 4th man bears as a striking familial resemblance to basic instinct in more ways than one, with more subtle connections to such distant cousins as total recall and elle. Paul verhoeven is a writer and comedian, and his book loose units is out through penguin publishing. C hristian petzolds whitehot existentialist noir transit is perhaps the best world war ii film since paul verhoeven s black book, even if it hinges on a suspension of disbelief thatll be too far a stretch for some. Paul verhoevens black book encompasses the best and very worst. Rather like its director paul verhoeven it is glossy, loud, garish, flamboyant, sexy, slick and comes over somewhat superficial although im sure. After 20 years of directing violent, sexually explicit and genuinely iconic movies in hollywood, paul verhoeven decided the only way hed be able to make more personal projects would be to return. Paul verhoeven made clear with this movie that in the end, lots. A car that was turning slowed down, and the window rolled down.
The film, credited as based on several true events and characters, is about a young jewish woman in the netherlands who becomes a spy for the resistance during world war ii after tragedy befalls her in an. Black book is verhoeven s first new movie in six years, the studios apparently having grown tired of him. Filmmaker paul verhoeven is at the top of his game with black book, the story o. Black book is one of the most harrowing ww ii stories every filmed, and deserves to be recognized in oscars best foreign film category at next years awards. The central performances are very good and the plot is quite interesting. He graduated with degrees in math and physics from the university of leiden and later did military service with the royal dutch navy. Director paul verhoeven is a madman, embracing everything about movie movies, all the while skewering them within an inch of their life. Gerard first came across it in the book moordenaarswerk by hans van straten that was published in the 1960s.
Paul verhoevens elle is a brutal, elegant, pitchblack comedy. Zwartboek is a 2006 war drama thriller film cowritten and directed by paul verhoeven and starring carice van houten, sebastian koch, thom hoffman, and halina reijn. With carice van houten, sebastian koch, thom hoffman, halina reijn. All the story lines in black book have their basis in true events. Carice van houten in black book h eaven knows, no one expects subtlety from paul showgirls verhoeven, but sitting through his cheesy new softporn second world war resistance drama is. Black book is verhoevens first new movie in six years, the studios apparently having grown tired of him. In the nazioccupied netherlands during world war ii, a jewish singer infiltrates the regional gestapo headquarters for the dutch resistance. I ts been 10 long years since paul verhoeven last graced cinema screens with black book. Zwartboek is a 2006 war drama thriller film cowritten and directed by paul verhoeven and starring carice van houten, sebastian koch. Verhoeven makes certain that parallels with americas occupation of iraq do not go unnoticed. In carice van houten and michiel huisman both starred in wwii drama called black book.
Jost vacano, who did spetters, soldier of orange, robocop and total recall had retired. Paul verhoeven s elle is a brutal, elegant, pitchblack comedy director verhoeven gleefully courts controversy with this bitterly sardonic film about the aftermath of a womans violent rape. Its clear that what i took from american filmmaking for black book, more than from my earlier dutch movies, is a very strong sense of dramatic, or compelling, or driving. Film festival with paul verhoeven and carice van houten on stage. Nov 09, 2016 paul verhoeven talks elle, total recall, jesus and more. In 2016 however, verhoeven followed black book by directing a french film. Black book is a rowdy genre picture about the most grim of subject matters. According to verhoeven, black book was born out of elements that did not fit in any of his earlier movies, and it can be seen as a supplement to his earlier film about world war ii soldier of orange. Paul verhoeven celebrity profile check out the latest paul verhoeven photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. Was offered the chance to direct the unbearable lightness of being 1988, but did not accept, as he was unsure how to handle the social and political aspects of the movie.
Two hours twenty minutes of excitement, suspense, and wonderful acting. Black book returns you to your roots, both as a dutchman and as a filmmaker. Thom hoffman and carice van houten in black book, sony pictures classics, 2007 robocop. Black book sees verhoeven return to his native land, his native dutch tongue and the 193945 war in an engrossing drama focusing on one young jewish woman played by the remarkable carice van houten, a member of the dutch resistance who finds herself right at the heart of the nazi war machine. May 21, 2016 there will be virtual reams of web print dedicated to unpicking the levels of offense that should be felt in response to paul verhoevens elle, which played for press this morning at the cann. Mar 30, 2007 in some ways, verhoevens latest film black book is a return to the basics of his 1978 wwii film soldier of orange as it examines the dutch resistance during the german occupation of holland. Like soldier of orange, black book is a wwii dramathriller set in holland. The carol burnett show official recommended for you. Paul verhoeven left hollywood and returned to holland to make black book 2006, a riveting world war ii resistance thriller with a runaway pace and a gripping sense of peril. Epic, passionate, breathtaking, black book relates an untold story of world war ii where the distinctions between good and evil become blurred by the complexities of human nature. Paul verhoeven s first film in seven years to be released in america after. Its true that, as many a wag has noted and verhoeven long ago confirmed, his great twin obsessions are hitler and jesus in perhaps that order. He talks about hollands occupation during world war ii, a project that hes been preparing for 20 years. From internationally acclaimed director paul verhoeven soldier of orange, elle, black book zwartboek is an epic and moving wartime tale, in which the distinctions between good and evil.
This movie was reminiscent of john sturges 60as type war movies like the great escape. The story is beautiful and intense, the actors are awesome, especially carice van houten who is incredibly talented. Black book was a very old project that i and soeteman, who has written all of my dutch movies, had been holding onto since the 70s. Paul verhoeven s black book aka zwartboek is a world war ii thriller that still manages to surprise no small thing, considering how many like it have been made. Culture verhoeven s nazi thriller black book opens in germany. The human being is bad and he cant stand more than five minutes of happiness. Non stop action and good acting, especially from the lead actress, carice van houten. Paul verhoeven abc news australian broadcasting corporation. Paul verhoeven decided the only way hed be able to make more personal projects would be to return to his native holland. Black book is one of the most harrowing wwii stories every filmed, and deserves to be recognized in oscars best foreign film category at next years awards.
Dutch filmmaker paul verhoeven returns to his roots with a wwii drama thats easily the best thing hes made in years. Director paul verhoeven was born in amsterdam, the netherlands on july 18, 1938. This limited edition version is limited to 3000 copies and includes a slipcase and a booklet. Starring a powerful carice van houten, paul verhoeven s black book is a sometimes searing portrait of resistance and human spirit. Strangely enough, i used those memories in black book only as an emotional and environmental background. Zwartboek black book 2006 paul verhoeven senses of cinema.
As in basic instinct, a lovely lady takes the lead in black book, but this time paul verhoeven has more than cheap thrills in mind. A beginners guide to paul verhoeven flickering myth. Black book internet movie firearms database guns in. Featured, bluray, dvd, foreign affairs, netflix 01242017 01242017 sean axmaker. In fact, his most current features are character driven spy thrillers like black book in 2006, or the revenge drama elle. I was a small boy during the war, but the mind takes these images like a. So the narrative of the movie had nothing to do with my youth, really, and the narrative was based on historical research that i did with my scriptwriter gerard soeteman for the last 20 years or even longer, before we got.
Paul verhoeven, isabelle huppert interview on elle deadline. Sadly it doesnt match up to the credentials of those former films in my humble opinion. Find movie and film cast and crew information for black book 2006 paul verhoeven on allmovie. Paul verhoeven returns to his roots with this film. A young jewish woman, the unsinkable rachel stein played with ferocious energy by the dutch actress. He worked together with paul verhoeven on several films, such as turkish delight and black book. Rachel steinn carice van houten is a beautiful jewish woman living in germanoccupied holland during late 1944. Inspired by actual events in the waning years of wwii, black book stars carice van houten as a popular jewish singer whose personal losses lead her on an action heros journey. Most famous for basic instinct and robocop, he makes films bordering on smut, packed with comic book violence and twofaced protagonists. Dutch filmmaker paul verhoeven had an incredible tenyear run in hollywood from 1987s classic robocop through total recall, basic.
In this case, it is the 2006 dutch film black book directed by paul verhoeven basic instinct. Paul verhoeven sat down with us recently to discuss his latest addition to the cinematic canon. Nov 10, 2016 paul verhoevens elle is a brutal, elegant, pitchblack comedy director verhoeven gleefully courts controversy with this bitterly sardonic film about the aftermath of a womans violent rape. Its evident this film was a more personal project for him. Sep 16, 2006 black book is a thriller inspired by true events. According to verhoeven, black book was born out of elements that did not fit in any. He also wrote the screenplay for the assault, which won the academy award for best foreign language film in 1986. He hosts steam punks on the abc, and cohosts the gaming podcast 28 plays later. Some of those titles were produced with other directors at the helm, such as the paperboy. Find movie and film cast and crew information for black book 2006 paul verhoeven. Paul verhoevens black book on netflix stream on demand. Six years after his hollywood career did a disappearing act in hollow man, paul verhoeven reemerges from his native netherlands with the barnstorming black book.
Black book 2006 paul verhoeven cast and crew allmovie. That film marked a return to his native netherlands after a run of six us productions. Paul verhoeven has made some tremendous science fiction action films such as robocop, total recall and starship troopers. Paul verhoeven graduated from the university of leiden, with a degree in math and physics. Paul verhoeven s supremely vulgar romp black book takes off in september 1944. Pages in category zwartboek black book this category contains only the following page. That film marked a return to his native netherlands after a. Zwartboek black book media in category zwartboek black book the following 5 files are in this category, out of 5 total. Known for black book director 2006 robocop director 1987.
Paul verhoeven s elle is a brutal, elegant, pitch black. Jan 15, 2020 black book signifies verhoeven s first return to dutchlanguage movies after 1983s the fourth man. As black book is a coproduction with germany and britain, it could be a german or a brit. It was during his time in the navy that he developed an interest in filmmaking.
Zwartboek black book 2006 paul verhoeven senses of. Gerard soeteman born 1 july 1936 in rotterdam is a dutch screenwriter. From internet movie firearms database guns in movies, tv and video games. Verhoeven was knighted in the order of the netherlands lion in 2007 since black book, verhoeven has been connected to a large number of projects, but in the first decade after his return, none came to fruition. Identified as the best dutch film of alltime by the dutch themselves, it is not hard to see why paul verhoeven knows sex and violence and black book finds him utilizing both in a film about a dutch jew who joins the resistance in wwii and infiltrates the nazi headquarters in holland. Read carice van houtens interview rachelellis read paul verhoeven s interview director interview with paul verhoeven director can black book be called a return to your roots. Another film focusing on the nazi invasion of holland during world war ii, this feature stars carice van houten as a beautiful jewish woman named rachel whose family is slaughtered by german troops after being promised safe transfer to belgium. Paul verhoeven s first film in seven years to be released in america after playing to blockbuster business overseas last year.
In paul verhoevens latest film, black book, sebastian koch plays ludwig muntze, head of the sd, one of the nazis military unit. Mar 30, 2007 paul verhoeven looks back on his career the basic instinct director talks about his past movies and his latest, black book. When he decides to side with the opposition to stop any further bloodshed, his life and the life of his lover, played by clarice van houten, are put in jeopardy. Self people love seeing violence and horrible things. With black book he does a significant departure from that genre, and. In adapting anna segherss 1944 novel of same name based on the authors experiences escaping nazi germany for france and later to mexico, petzold restages the story. I spoke to karl walter lindenlaub, who did independence day 1996 and the haunting 1999, in. Nov 17, 2018 tom jolliffe continues our series of beginners guides to iconic directors with controversial dutch director, paul verhoeven a man who never does anything by halves, paul verhoeven is a. Apr 06, 2007 check out what verhoeven had to say about his latest exhilarating suspense black book. After 20 years in hollywood paul verhoeven, the maker of robocop, basic instinct and show girls returned to europe to make.
He is both deadly serious and an absolute prankster. Paul verhoeven at an event for zwartboek in the nazioccupied netherlands during world war ii, a jewish singer infiltrates the regional gestapo headquarters for the dutch resistance. The new paul verhoeven film, black book, is set almost entirely in holland during. Zwartboek black book is a holland homecoming for director paul verhoeven, returning to the netherlands from the united states after the technically accomplished but narratively conventional for verhoeven hollow man 2000, which felt like hollywood had managed to blunt the edges that made him so distinctive as an artist. A furious mix of sex, violence, and moral relativism, black book is. Black book or zwartboek to give it its original dutch title is about the resistance movement in holland. Paul verhoeven is a dutch director, screenwriter, and producer, best known for films such as robocop, basic instinct, starship troopers and blackbook. Black book 2006 paul verhoeven on set with carice van houten.