Thursday, January 25, 2007
Better late than never. Last Sunday I went to see Paul Verhoeven's new film "Zwartboek" or "Black Book".
I really love Paul Verhoeven. I love his outrageousness. I love his chutzpah. I love the way he only seems to have a limited knowledge of political correctness and chooses to give it the finger when he encounters it. I love the way he turned up at the Razzies to collect the Worst Film and Worst Director awards for "Showgirls" (sure it's bad, but it's entertaining). I've not seen his early films, but I have loved everything since "Flesh + Blood" in 1985.
"Zwartboek" is interesting because if you take away the extreme sex, violence and horror what you are left with is an old fashioned Sunday afternoon WWII melodrama. You know the kind of thing. You've seen it a million times. In the dying days of WWII a plucky Jewish singer, hiding out from the Nazi's, starts to work as a spy for the Resistance. She dyes her hair blonde (all her hair) and starts to get close to a senior Nazi. She falls in love...
So far, so typical, but it is a good film. Not a film, perhaps, that he would have got away with making with an English cast. (It's mostly in Dutch.) There is a interesting ambiguity in that not all of the Nazi's are bad and not all of the Resistance are good. In fact, some of the Resistance are as racist as the Nazi's. Verhoeven winding up his audience again? Good man.
This weekend I will be seeing "The Fountain" and something else, yet to be decided.
I might watch films on TV tomorrow night. If I do, I will be back on Saturday.
I really love Paul Verhoeven. I love his outrageousness. I love his chutzpah. I love the way he only seems to have a limited knowledge of political correctness and chooses to give it the finger when he encounters it. I love the way he turned up at the Razzies to collect the Worst Film and Worst Director awards for "Showgirls" (sure it's bad, but it's entertaining). I've not seen his early films, but I have loved everything since "Flesh + Blood" in 1985.
"Zwartboek" is interesting because if you take away the extreme sex, violence and horror what you are left with is an old fashioned Sunday afternoon WWII melodrama. You know the kind of thing. You've seen it a million times. In the dying days of WWII a plucky Jewish singer, hiding out from the Nazi's, starts to work as a spy for the Resistance. She dyes her hair blonde (all her hair) and starts to get close to a senior Nazi. She falls in love...
So far, so typical, but it is a good film. Not a film, perhaps, that he would have got away with making with an English cast. (It's mostly in Dutch.) There is a interesting ambiguity in that not all of the Nazi's are bad and not all of the Resistance are good. In fact, some of the Resistance are as racist as the Nazi's. Verhoeven winding up his audience again? Good man.
This weekend I will be seeing "The Fountain" and something else, yet to be decided.
I might watch films on TV tomorrow night. If I do, I will be back on Saturday.
# posted by Pynchon @ 10:05 pm 
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"The Fountain"'s supposed to be a good movie, from what I've read of it.
But then what would you expect from Darren Aronofsky.
But then what would you expect from Darren Aronofsky.
I can't wait to see that movie. Last night we saw Letters from Iwo Jima. Have you seen that yet? I would be suprised if it doesn't walk away with an Oscar, it was that good.
# posted by 
: Friday, January 26, 2007 2:47:00 am
: Friday, January 26, 2007 2:47:00 am
I don't know that much about Paul Verhoeven, but he went up massively in my estimation after I saw the headline quote in one of his press interviews for 'Black Book':
"Of course there's nudity; I'm Dutch!"
"Of course there's nudity; I'm Dutch!"
# posted by : Friday, January 26, 2007 9:37:00 am
: Friday, January 26, 2007 9:37:00 am
threelight - I've heard very good reviews and very bad reviews. Irrelevant. I have loved Darren Aronofsky's last 2 films and I'll be watching it tomorrow.
Amon - "Letters From Iwo Jima" isn't out here yet, but it will be any time. I've heard that it is the best of Eastwood's recent war movies.
That's Paul Verehoeven for you.
Amon - "Letters From Iwo Jima" isn't out here yet, but it will be any time. I've heard that it is the best of Eastwood's recent war movies.
That's Paul Verehoeven for you.
Ooh I quite fancy that on the strength of your review. I like ambiguity and I like it when not all characters are 'to type'.
One should also remember that the Dutch were every bit as efficient at removing the Jews as the Germans. Anne Frank was handed over by her Dutch neighbours... No one beat the French though for turning in the Jews.
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One should also remember that the Dutch were every bit as efficient at removing the Jews as the Germans. Anne Frank was handed over by her Dutch neighbours... No one beat the French though for turning in the Jews.
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