Paul Verhoeven - 2006
On the heels of Starship Troopers I ventured through this and it took me three nights to do so because of various distractions. My feelings are that this is certainly his premier film, his 6th feature after RoboCop (filmed in my home town of Dallas). It is interesting to see (and perhaps poll?) directors' finest efforts six to seven films in. Watch the "making of." Verhoeven has an irresistable love of the medium and the energy of a first time director.
The female leads in the film are outstanding. Carice van Houten and Halina Reign brilliantly capture the desperate attempt to stay alive using sexuality and male manipulation. In this sense, Verhoeven gives Camille Paglia a run for her money and solidifies himself as a Dutch feminist.
The production value of the second act is weak and is the only hint at the relatively small budget that Verhoeven had on the picture – it does play like a weak Sunday night television thriller.
This stands among the best of Holocaust films. It is on par with http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077025/ and better than Schindler’s List. Its a thiller that stands above all Verhoeven’s previous work. I think it’s the film that he was meant to make. Again, watch the "making of." His lead stars agree with me.
**** / *****
Starship Troopers (1997)
Robocop (1987)