Finally another GOOD Dutch film

Rating: 9/10 (28 September 2006)

Zwartboek, or Black Book as the international title goes, tells the sad and dark story of a young Jewish woman living in a shelter house in The Netherlands, close to the ending of World War 2. As the story starts she finds herself on the run, in the need of finding new shelter.
From there the film keeps rolling. For 2.5 hours, without ever stopping for a pause. Its grim nature doing the work very well, keeping one locked to the screen until after the ending credits roll by. A film that is filled with all the prime emotions - light and dark. And a film that with that works out very well.
Acting is superb, characters are likable and dis-likable enough to make the watcher a part of the story - and one that wants to see certain people live and certain people die. It brings emotion, the occasional grin and a good bit of tension.
Good stuff. 9 out of 10 casualties of war. And I'm already waiting for its DVD release.