Of many films made about World War II over the past 15 years or so, there are a few that have stood out above the rest. The first is Schindler’s List, which is probably one of the most gut-wrenching movies I’ve ever seen. Couple that with the technical details of how the film was shot and written, and you can understand why it garnered so much praise when released. The next is The Pianist. For some reason, that film struck a chord with me. It gave a different perspective on the war, and showed in detail the transformation of daily life from before the Polish occupation to the height of Nazi power in Europe. Finally, Band of Brothers is in my opinion the finest film about WWII ever made. Now, I know it was an HBO miniseries, but that format allowed such deep character development that you actually felt like you were part of the group by the end. I’m a firm believer that every American should see it to have an appreciation for the sacrifices others have made to ensure our freedoms in this country.
Ok, let’s get off my soapbox.
Black Book looks at the war from a perspective I hadn’t see before. It examines the latter days of the war in early 1945, and details the Dutch Resistance movement against Nazi occupation through the liberation of the country. It’s a film that’s not as disturbing or “in your face” as the previous three I mentioned, but I still fee that it’s definitely worth seeing. It’s always interesting to see a European production of the goings on of the war. The entire film is shot in Dutch, but as with many other fine foreign films, you shouldn’t let that scare you away.Check it out!
