Paul Verhoeven is best known for his brutal science fiction films. He has shot genre classics such as RoboCop, Total Recall and Starship Troopers, among others. If we take a closer look at Verhoeven’s work, completely different films come to light, for example the historical film Black Book from 2006.
Black Book on TV: Paul Verhoeven crosses several boundaries in his provocative war film
The story of Black Book takes you to the Second World War. Strictly speaking, we find ourselves in September 1944 again, where the Jewish singer Rachel Stein (Carice van Houten) fears for her life. She was once a celebrated revue star. Now she is on the run from the Gestapo and takes on a new identity.
The situation becomes dicey when she meets SS-Hauptsturmführer Ludwig Müntze (Sebastian Koch), who falls in love with her and hires her as his secretary. Rachel plays along with the game, but is secretly looking for a way out of the tricky situation. But then she has to realize that she too Feelings for Coin has.
You can watch the trailer for Black Book here:
Black Book – Trailer (English)
Black Book is no ordinary historical film. Verhoeven provocatively mixes elements from different genres. We are moving in a mixture of thriller and drama, while a war film can be heard in the background. And then there is the love story exclusively in gray areas emotional.
Is this story true? Nope. The actual plot of the film is fictional. However, Verhoeven was inspired by true events. In an interview with IndieWire, he revealed that Rachel was based on the Dutch resistance fighter Esmée van Eeghen who had an affair with a German officer. At first she wanted to get information, later she fell in love and married the officer.
When will Paul Verhoeven’s Black Book be on TV?
Black Book airs tonight, October 30, 2023, at 10:05 p.m. on Arte. The broadcast lasts until 00:25 a.m. There is no repeat. Alternatively, you can currently watch the film with a streaming subscription on Amazon Prime.
*. If you purchase through this link, we will receive a commission.