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| Reviewed by: Chris Burton 19 Sep 2007 Black Book
| |  "The sonner we admit our capacity for evil the less apt we are to destroy each other."- Paul Verhoeven
Gratuitous sex and violence in film seems to be the forte of Paul Verhoeven. Keep in mind, that's not a criticism. My only definition of anything gratuitous in film is when its unnecessary to the plot. But that doesn't mean it can't add something on its own. RoboCop is one of the most violent films ever made, and seems to be incredibly over the top in its gore. But even though it would probably work on some level without all the violence, it just doesn't make as much sense. Verhoeven is a believer in showing violence as it is. As horribly brutal and disgusting. Black Book is his most mature work, and one which elevates his use of sex and violence into a realm probably now accepted by more of the major critics and their delicate sensibilities.
Paul Verhoeven is incredibly capable of directing strong female leads. One needs to only look at Basic Instinct to see how Sharon Stone totally blew the audience away. Even in Showgirls he tried. At least he tried. Now, he's redeemed himself finally with the strongest lead he's ever directed. Caric van Houten is Rachel Stein, a Jewish singer who infiltrates the Gestapo for the Dutch resistance in 1944. She takes advantage of her raw sexuality to seduce the SS officer Ludwig Muntze.
The Black Book is impressive because it doesn't fall for any of the traditional plot cliches one would be expecting. And even when you do know what's going to happen next, Verhoeven portrays it so honestly that nothing ever seems forced. Ms. van Houten's performance drives the film, though. She is excellent, and rivals any American actress working today.
This breathtaking Blu-ray disc is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen and encoded at 1080p. Right off the bat, one sees the immense advantage of high definition, and it makes me want to see many more historical dramas in this format. Its interesting to see a different world portrayed so accurately and, because of the video quality, vividly. The color palette is lush and beautiful, which makes the film's subject matter all the more unsettling. Overall detail is absolutely incredible. Blacks and shadow detail are excellent. There are no grain or noise issues. Basically, I could find absolutely nothing to complain about with the video presentation. If I had a grading system for these reviews, Black Book would get the highest marks possible.
This movie is in Dutch! Run! I don't speak Dutch! I don't come to the movies to read! And it sounds incredible! Impossible! Audio is PCM 5.1 surround, and utterly perfect for a war film that is really more of a character study than any kind of action picture. The track knows when to kick in, and does it ever. Gunshots and explosions reverberate completely through the surrounds. Bass is heavy and strong. Even when the film is in its more subdued, the surrounds are still surprisingly active. |
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Copyright (c) 2007 Rock Star Media Works, Inc. All rights reserved.
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