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dangermousieI finally saw the Dutch movie Black Book.
And had a blast. No, it’s not the best movie ever made but it’s very entertaining. This story of a Jewish-pretending-to-be-Dutch-joining-the-Resistance-becoming-a-spy-falling-for-the-Nazi-commander flick really made me think of Casablanca.
Don’t misunderstand me, this is nowhere near the universe of awesome Casablanca is (though as I said, it’s an entertaining movie). But it has the same ethos, the same feel as did all those glossy, snarky movies made in the 40s by Warner Brothers: with the gorgeous anti-fascist heroines, heroes with European accents, and a cast of supporting players. It shares the same faintly exotic, faintly heroic vibe.
You can easily imagine Ingrid Bergman or Hedi Lamarr play the heroine and a cast of WB character actors fill the movie. Though since the closest thing this movie has to a leading man is a Nazi commander, even if he is a good guy, I can’t see Paul Henreid or Gary Cooper taking that role on :D
It’s fun, it’s fast-paced, it doesn’t have a sense of self-importance (nor should it), it’s twisty, and while hardly an emotional whirlpool, it does not leave you uncaring.
And damn it all, if I wasn’t rooting for a Jewish girl to live happily ever after with her Nazi.
Actually, I have a nitpick, but it’s spoilery.
I understand that it was in keeping with the movie’s cynical, darkish and Third-Man feel to have Muntze shot in the way he was, but WTF?
Basically, what happened is that Muntze, the Nazi commander Ellis was sent to seduce but fell for instead because he turned out to be a really good guy (I am willing to suspend my disbelief that he made it this high up in the Nazis while being a decent person for the purposes of the movie), was arrested and was ordered summarily executed because he was negotiating with the Resistance so they wouldn’t attack and he won’t execute their captured men, and also because he believed Hitler’s Germany’s days were numbered. Oh, and he tried to get one of his equals arrested because he was luring in rich Jews and executing them and robbing them.
Ellis tried to get him out, it failed, but they managed to escape anyway.
After the Liberation, he was chasing after the real mole in the Resistance and got caught by the Allies.
So far, so good.
However, he is WTF comes in. I would have no problems if he got shot by the Allies who would after all, not know he is a good guy.
But they were going to cart him off to jail and then see what to do with him. But the guy who was in charge before the Army surrendered (and who ordered Muntze’s earlier execution for defeatism) was somehow in charge of the German troops/working with Canadian commander and he said that hey, this order for execution was still valid because it was an order in the field and these are accepted.
So, because the Canadian didn’t want to face paperwork, Muntze got executed for actually being good to the Resistance! On the expired order of a Nazi army! By the guy who used to be the Nazi top dog and is apparently back on top now.
Fine, I am all for cynicism. But how would that guy who hated Muntze be in sufficient power to argue with the Canadian commander and have a squad of his own. I don’t care how civilized the Allies were being, this was no way. He would be carted to POV camp in the best case scenario. He would not be in some position of authority. You have got to be kidding me.
But the irony was awesome.
Another WTF is not a plot one (because it’s not a plot hole) but really made me want to shake Ellis. Muntze finds out her roots are dyed and asks if it’s because she is Jewish. Her response is basically ‘does it matter, I am gorgeous and a good kisser and you so want me and we have chemistry.’ Lady, you are insane. He is Gestapo. It’s your luck (and movie’s narrative push) that you apparently came across the sole decent person in the organization. Normally you’d be dead so fast I wouldn’t have time to blink.
On a shallow note, Sebastian Koch is yummy.
And had a blast. No, it’s not the best movie ever made but it’s very entertaining. This story of a Jewish-pretending-to-be-Dutch-joining-the-Resistance-becoming-a-spy-falling-for-the-Nazi-commander flick really made me think of Casablanca.
Don’t misunderstand me, this is nowhere near the universe of awesome Casablanca is (though as I said, it’s an entertaining movie). But it has the same ethos, the same feel as did all those glossy, snarky movies made in the 40s by Warner Brothers: with the gorgeous anti-fascist heroines, heroes with European accents, and a cast of supporting players. It shares the same faintly exotic, faintly heroic vibe.
You can easily imagine Ingrid Bergman or Hedi Lamarr play the heroine and a cast of WB character actors fill the movie. Though since the closest thing this movie has to a leading man is a Nazi commander, even if he is a good guy, I can’t see Paul Henreid or Gary Cooper taking that role on :D
It’s fun, it’s fast-paced, it doesn’t have a sense of self-importance (nor should it), it’s twisty, and while hardly an emotional whirlpool, it does not leave you uncaring.
And damn it all, if I wasn’t rooting for a Jewish girl to live happily ever after with her Nazi.
Actually, I have a nitpick, but it’s spoilery.
I understand that it was in keeping with the movie’s cynical, darkish and Third-Man feel to have Muntze shot in the way he was, but WTF?
Basically, what happened is that Muntze, the Nazi commander Ellis was sent to seduce but fell for instead because he turned out to be a really good guy (I am willing to suspend my disbelief that he made it this high up in the Nazis while being a decent person for the purposes of the movie), was arrested and was ordered summarily executed because he was negotiating with the Resistance so they wouldn’t attack and he won’t execute their captured men, and also because he believed Hitler’s Germany’s days were numbered. Oh, and he tried to get one of his equals arrested because he was luring in rich Jews and executing them and robbing them.
Ellis tried to get him out, it failed, but they managed to escape anyway.
After the Liberation, he was chasing after the real mole in the Resistance and got caught by the Allies.
So far, so good.
However, he is WTF comes in. I would have no problems if he got shot by the Allies who would after all, not know he is a good guy.
But they were going to cart him off to jail and then see what to do with him. But the guy who was in charge before the Army surrendered (and who ordered Muntze’s earlier execution for defeatism) was somehow in charge of the German troops/working with Canadian commander and he said that hey, this order for execution was still valid because it was an order in the field and these are accepted.
So, because the Canadian didn’t want to face paperwork, Muntze got executed for actually being good to the Resistance! On the expired order of a Nazi army! By the guy who used to be the Nazi top dog and is apparently back on top now.
Fine, I am all for cynicism. But how would that guy who hated Muntze be in sufficient power to argue with the Canadian commander and have a squad of his own. I don’t care how civilized the Allies were being, this was no way. He would be carted to POV camp in the best case scenario. He would not be in some position of authority. You have got to be kidding me.
But the irony was awesome.
Another WTF is not a plot one (because it’s not a plot hole) but really made me want to shake Ellis. Muntze finds out her roots are dyed and asks if it’s because she is Jewish. Her response is basically ‘does it matter, I am gorgeous and a good kisser and you so want me and we have chemistry.’ Lady, you are insane. He is Gestapo. It’s your luck (and movie’s narrative push) that you apparently came across the sole decent person in the organization. Normally you’d be dead so fast I wouldn’t have time to blink.
On a shallow note, Sebastian Koch is yummy.
