Turks Fruit (Turkish Delight)

Netherlands, 1973. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Monique van de Ven, Rutger Hauer, Tonny Huurdeman, Wim van den Brink.

Fascinating Dutch film from the early 1970s made by a pre-Hollywood Paul Verhoeven and featuring a young Rutger Hauer in the leading role. An interesting study of a stormy, passionate relationship unfortunately let down a little by its undisciplined style, which veers from comedy to tragedy and punctuated with erotic sex scenes. After watching the excesses here, one might feel Verhoeven was highly restrained by the time he got to Hollywood and filmed Sharon Stone crossing her legs in Basic Instinct. Monique van de Ven is convincing as the alluring Olga and Hauer is full of bohemian bravado and anger towards authority. But be warned - some people may find certain scenes hard to take (and I'm not talking about the sex!).