"The Black Book" is probably best described as a historical mystery or espionage movie, which contains a mix of swashbuckling, romance and intrigue. Interestingly, it draws upon some of the symbolism and imagery seen in noir movies. (Note the persistent use of mirrors, which can represent both duplicity and veracity.)
The least one can say is that "The Black Book" takes a dim view of the founding fathers of the French Revolution - or at least those founding fathers still alive in the era in which the story is set. When not persecuting hapless citizens, various ideologues and various heads of espionage and police services are busy sliming, blackmailing or killing each other, in a ruthless struggle for power. Whether this picture is entirely accurate or not is a question I gladly leave to the professional historians among us. However, there's quite a lot that feels truthful, especially when one considers parallels with certain forms of 20th century chaos or tyranny. The various courts and coups surrounding a Hitler or a Stalin spring to mind...
Anyway, "The Black Book" successfully evokes the kind of political environment where pretty much everybody is out to get everybody else, either out of ideological conviction or else for profit and fun. As a result the plot is dipped into a rich, black irony. People are looking for a specific "black book" containing explosive information but it is a given that there must be ten, twenty, thirty similar books going around : this milieu counts enough grudges, quarrels and gossip to inspire a whole library.
I liked the movie, both for its general atmosphere and for its John Dickson Carr feel. I also liked the performances. Arnold Moss is particularly good as a clever, knowing, malevolent Fouché. One rather gets why the real-life Fouché went on to become the patron saint of cynical turncoats everywhere...
The least one can say is that "The Black Book" takes a dim view of the founding fathers of the French Revolution - or at least those founding fathers still alive in the era in which the story is set. When not persecuting hapless citizens, various ideologues and various heads of espionage and police services are busy sliming, blackmailing or killing each other, in a ruthless struggle for power. Whether this picture is entirely accurate or not is a question I gladly leave to the professional historians among us. However, there's quite a lot that feels truthful, especially when one considers parallels with certain forms of 20th century chaos or tyranny. The various courts and coups surrounding a Hitler or a Stalin spring to mind...
Anyway, "The Black Book" successfully evokes the kind of political environment where pretty much everybody is out to get everybody else, either out of ideological conviction or else for profit and fun. As a result the plot is dipped into a rich, black irony. People are looking for a specific "black book" containing explosive information but it is a given that there must be ten, twenty, thirty similar books going around : this milieu counts enough grudges, quarrels and gossip to inspire a whole library.
I liked the movie, both for its general atmosphere and for its John Dickson Carr feel. I also liked the performances. Arnold Moss is particularly good as a clever, knowing, malevolent Fouché. One rather gets why the real-life Fouché went on to become the patron saint of cynical turncoats everywhere...