Paul Verhoeven writes and directs Black Book, yet another previously untold WWII story. How many of these stories are there? Perhaps millions, doubtless one for each Jew that was killed in the genocide of WWII—and there are countless more from those who tried to protect the Jews, and those who sabotaged their safety. WWII is a terrible part of human history, and this is a film about desperate people in unbelievably horrible times acting predictably, given the circumstances. Black Book wonders aloud if there really ever are any heroes.

Verhoeven creates a film in which moral choices are made based on expedience. Human brutality is the universal commodity which reveals itself in brutal times, and Verhoeven’s vision of WWII teaches us that brutality can also be contagious, especially as it is practiced by the exceedingly widespread and insecure Nazi regime. Whole societies do a collective shoulder shrug and make survival their own justification for brutality in return. It is hard to be a pacifist when your enemy is not. Black Book makes a strong case that brutality can become so commonplace that even freedom fighters can forget they are fighting more than men; they are fighting evil, which they themselves can become.

Verhoeven’s film also deals with the other side of the story. True, the Nazis had seared their consciences in Poland, so Holland becomes their playground. But there are people who stand up to the Nazi genocide, even while being a part of it, and some Nazis are just doing their duty. Some innocent Dutch Jews are even spared because of others’ myopia. Then there are those who stand up to evil for selfish motivations—bribes from resistance fighters, sexual favors in exchange for leniency, and so on.

Back on the Dutch side, many are also bribed to help the Nazis, while others help them for free—all due to the seemingly overwhelming pervasiveness of evil. They simply decide to look out for their individual futures as it seems the Nazis are going to take over the world. And then, after the Nazis lose—when you would think the Dutch would have had enough—they go through the streets torturing those whom they suspect of being traitors or turncoats. They look strangely like Nazis. Bloodlust doesn’t look good on anyone, in any uniform.

I walked away wondering if anyone could possibly do anything out of the goodness of their hearts in these situations. Rachel, a Jewess who survives a massacre and goes into deep cover within Nazi ranks in order to survive, seems to. Naturally, her motives become misinterpreted by some and are exploited by others. One could even say she throws her morality out the window to exact revenge; but perhaps her personal sacrifice helps brings things to an end. The satisfying part is that she does survive to tell the truth about the double-crossing Dutch resistance fighters and their Nazi accomplices.

Something else that Black Book teaches: morals are very deceptive things. In times of peace, morality is very easy to discuss. There is no pressure to be totally correct. You are given the grace to have your own opinion. But in a completely amoral war, your personal opinions about right and wrong can get others killed. We all make quick risk assessments and adjust our convictions as the times require. Still think you should be able to judge your neighbor?

I personally find value in being continually reminded of the Holocaust. Seeing what despicable creatures the Nazi leadership were, and remembering the results of their “winning” attitude, gives profound credence to the idea that it could happen again. We see this type of brutality in the world today, in Darfur, Sudan, and other parts of the world. So human nature does not seem to have changed. If films like this can prevent another generation from considering themselves “more equal,” as H.G. Wells put it, then they have served us all well.

Eventually the Nazis shocked even themselves; this, too, contributed to the end of the war.

Black Book is rated R “for some strong violence, graphic nudity, sexuality and language.” Although I felt it was a very powerful and well-made movie, please leave your children under age 34 at home. Some of the nudity was wholly unimportant to telling the story while some of it was instructive as a depiction of brutal overlords and mendicant victims begging for any sign of mercy. But there is a lot of nudity, full frontal male and female. (I guess it is like falling: once you hit bottom, somewhat mercifully, you can’t go any farther.) It is tough to know how to advise. Suffice to say, Hitler and his cronies were evil; don’t do ye likewise.

Courtesy of a local publicist, Mike attended a promotional screening of Black Book.