The Dutch praise their own no matter what.

I am also from Holland, and I don't watch a lot of Dutch movies, because most aren't in the league of foreign films. Zwartboek wasn't that bad though. I just didn't think it was excellent, and it wasn't emotionally engaging.
Hve you ever listened to Voicst? That's like the only dutch band/artist I like.

Stickatheist -

Black Book may not be a masterpiece - thought it was a bit perverse, myself - but it got big respect because it was not your average war film. It dealt with issues of collaboration and the goodness of bad people (and vice versa).

It skated right up to sleaziness & walked away.

Remember, Britain wasn't occupied during WW2, so it was bravery all round here.
Different story in Europe.

So big shout-out to any filmmaker who can still be bothered to make a film about collaboration.
Brits have a lot of respect for Holland. Seriously.

I've watched Black Book again since my original post, three years ago.
I haven't changed my mind - it's an extraordinary, calm, measured look into the darkness of the human heart & complex motivations.


I walked away from the film feeling educated in the best way.

I'm not Dutch but I'm Jewish, so I'm partisan.

I'm sorry that there's been a bit of muck-flinging between Dutch posters about this film.

It's an honourable film, Dutch friends.
Be proud of it.

You champion your country's finest, America does the same and virtually ignores foreign films. The Dutch at least aren't attracted to false gods like Spielberg but are on their knees for the true master Verhoeven.

A very enjoyable adventure film from a great filmmaker.

That's just generalizing bullocks. I assume that by 'praise' you mean marketing. I'm Dutch too and Wit Licht, for instance, was cut down in pretty much every major review here! Do you even read newspapers? And seriously... Volle Maan? I don't know anyone who thinks that movie isn't a piece of trash.

C'mon Frans Bauer and such are folk artists for common people. The ones that love it are much louder than the ones that don't. You have artists like that in every darn country! I think they suck too, but you make it sound like we ALL love them here. That's just a simplistic and generalizing way to look at things. It´s like saying that every American loves country music. Maybe you live in the kind environment where you´re surrounded by people that praise De Toppers and Frans Bauer, and if so I pity you, but I don´t live among such people. It's a common denominator thing, you know... Like people loving hamburgers instead of French cuisine. It´s stuff for the masses and stuff for the masses usually sucks by the standards of more critical people. Still, if you'd rate this 3.2 you're just out of your mind. Sure 6 or 5 I would be able to understand. But it's certainly not on par with anything listed as 3.2 on this site. Just dive in the garbage heap of the bottom top 100 and you´ll see what I mean.

Anyhow, I'd suggest you get rid of your black & white view and enjoy the world in full color. It´s less comprehensible, but much more realistic and fun.

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All that we see or seem. Is it but a dream within a dream?

What a bunch of crock. If anything the Dutch are more critical of their own and this thread is a good example. It's apparent for all Dutch work that crosses the borders. Compared to other nationalities there are far more "haters". Just looking at the ratings you'd see that US voters rate the movie slightly higher than non-US voters.

Speak for yourself. I don't remember Volle Maan was praised here.
I enjoyed Zwartboek, but msot Dutch movies are really bad.

And since when are Frans Bauer and Jan Smit praised music artists??

It's the same in every country and there is also the counterpart to that: People who think that every piece of art from their country sucks, no matter how good it is. I don't take either part serious.

I agree (partially). Dutch movies are (over) hailed for the past 5-10 years. And not only in the Netherlands; Dutch-Horror seems to be a culty sub-genre in USA.

Before the 1990's, the Dutch critics always downplayed their own movies. That's one of the reasons that (self-concious) Paul Verhoeven went to America.

When you dig a bit deeper into Paul Verhoeven, see some docu's and read some interviews - he is a pretty intelligent guy. Robocob = Jezus Christ.

Most of his movies are well known and rated 6/7+. Paul was also the first director who showed up in person to pick up his Razzie for his 'Showgirls'.

Don't talk cheap about Paul Verhoeven and Dutch movies.