Black Book - 6

This film sits firmly in the tradition of WWII films about the underground struggle to fight off the Nazi's. Set in Holland (and directed by Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven), the story follows Rachel Stein (Carice van Houten), a Jew who joins the resistance and uses her beauty and body to infiltrate the Dutch Nazi's in power. In a world built out of deception, it becomes harder and harder for people to really know others. The film is an intricate story where bonds of trust are created and broken. This distrust manifests in each of the characters in different ways as they try to survive and long for the end of the war. Rather than provide a picture of good versus evil, the story highlights the good and bad desires that we all have- and the sort of character that these desires and our choices help create. The film is well made and engaging.