Black Book

8/10
This was a refreshingly unusual take on the War, at least from my American media-saturated perspective. Our media tends to focus on America's role in the conflict and largely ignores the dynamic struggles that took place between Nazi authorities and underground resistance movements throughout occupied Europe.

Black Book tells the story of Rachel Stein, a Jewish woman who joins the resistance in Holland at the end of the war, as Allied forces are on the brink of liberating the country. Stein is given the task of seducing the head of the local branch of the gestapo, who turns out to be a fairly decent guy, and complications ensue. Further complexity is injected as each member of the gestapo comes to grip with the fact that Germany has lost the war and regime change is fast approaching. Double- and triple-agentry abounds, with satisfying results.

Another usual aspect of the film is the universally negative portrayal of devout Christians. At the beginning of the story, Stein is sheltered in the attic of a rural Dutch family whose patriarch makes her memorize and recite passages praising Jesus before each meal as a condition of receiving food. He tells her that the Jews would not be in their current predicament if they had just listened to Jesus. Near the end of the film, Stein finds herself in an internment camp where she is again forced to recite Christian scripture before she is literally covered in shit.

The only overtly devout member of the Dutch resistance initially reacts in horror as his compatriots are forced to kill Nazis in self-defense, but is later eager to serve as executioner for the crime of blasphemy. Again, it seemed odd from the perspective of someone who is accustomed to media which tends to offer either universally positive or at least balanced portrayals of devout Christians.

The film also stands out in that it shows a diverse range of opinion within the ranks of the gestapo itself. The Nazis range from psychopathic to sympathetic, and some migrate from one extreme to the other over the course of the film. The members of the Dutch resistance are similarly flawed, which adds to the film's sense of authenticity.

On the downside, Black Book does appear to have been made on a limited budget, with substandard film stock and nothing remarkable in the way of cinematography or special effects. The acting is a bit heavy-handed at times, particularly on the part of the main antagonist.

That said, I would easily recommend this film to anyone who is looking for a fresh perspective on the War, particularly those who enjoy espionage and underground resistance plot devices. Viewers who are offended by nudity or subtitles should steer well clear.