On my first day at work I met another new hire – an older black gentleman speaking with the funny accent. We’ve spent some time going to school together and one day after class over a drink he told me one of the most fascinating stories I’ve heard in person. Turns out my new friend, a real African-American, was a refugee from Nigeria, where he was one of the top military officers in the country, had his personal car with driver, nice things, recognition and respect. He felt that for the good of the country he needed to support a planned military coup. They were betrayed, some people were killed, others were arrested, he had to flee to the neighboring country and leave his family behind. For 2 or 3 years he operated a TV repair shop while his family was under house arrest. He was offered a refugee status in US but declined until his family managed to fool the guards and cross the border to meet with him. Several years later the coup leader they supported ended up winning and offered my co-worker to come back and take a job with the new government. He refused to put his family in this position again. Now they live in KC and this heroic officer is working as a technician at a large telecom company.
This brings me to the movie I will be recommending here – “Black Book”. This is possibly one of the greatest WWII thrillers I’ve ever seen, and I will argue that in the WWII movie department I am way ahead of an average American, not because I like them so much but because movies about war were endlessly shown on all 3 TV channels of my childhood. The movie starts with the main character teaching children in Israeli Kibbutz. She is dressed simply and seems to be enjoying her work. Unexpected visit from a tourist brings back memories of her historic past. She was involved with Dutch Resistance movement, worked undercover, fell in love with a German officer, was falsely framed and accused, captured and humiliated after the war and even survived an attempted murder. And just 10 years later this true hero is teaching Israeli children and no one knows what she had to go through to get there. The movie is non-stop action and unexpected plot turns, double and triple betrayals, revenge, love and misery, honest and brave Dutch saving Jewish lives and their scumbag countrymen preying on defenseless. All the way to the end there is suspense and finale is somewhat unexpected. The movie is based on true events, but the story itself is fiction. The movie is in Dutch with subtitles and there is some nudity (the actress is beautiful) ,blood and torture (even water boarding).
I am still all shaken under impression. Wow! Highly recommended.
Some links:
Wikipedia:Black Book
Rotten Tomatoes:Black Book