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Verhoeven Collection (Business is Business / Katie Tippel / Turkish Delight / The Fourth Man / Soldier of Orange) [2008] [2007]
![Verhoeven Collection (Business is Business / Katie Tippel / Turkish Delight / The Fourth Man / Soldier of Orange) [2008] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T-GfqGGRL._SL160_.jpg)
RRP: £29.99
Our Price: £16.95 (subject to change)
A Fantastic Box Set for Fans and Newcomers Alike
Review date: 2008-05-31 Rating: 10 out of 10
This fantastic box set comprises Paul Verhoeven's first five Dutch feature films and is a brilliant introduction to the work of the acclaimed film maker.
The first film, Wat zien ik (Business is Business) stars Ronnie Bierman as Greet, a prostitute living in the seedy Red Light District of Amsterdam with her friend and co-worker, Nel. The two women cater to their clients' strange and shocking fetishes while trying to cope with Nel's abusive boyfriend and Greet's new love interest. The film focuses on the possibility of escape for the two women and whether or not they can ever adapt to normal lives and forget the past. A real gem - and often overlooked and forgotten - that features strong performances and some amusing moments, Verhoeven's debut is very entertaining and worth seeing.
The second film, Turks fruit (Turkish Delight), stars Rutger Hauer - in the first of many collabirations between the pair - as a womanising sculptor who finds himself falling in love with a beautiful young girl named Olga. However, it soon becomes clear that their love story will not go smoothly and that they may not even manage to stay together at all. Hauer and van de Ven's performances are flawless and the film was nominated for Best Foreign Language film at the 1974 Academy Awards - beaten by La Nuit américaine - and was also named the Best Dutch Film of the Century.
The third film, Keetje Tippel (Katie Tippel) reunites the stars of Turkish Delight - Rutger Hauer and Monique van de Ven. The film is set in the 1880s - a rare period piece for Verhoeven - and stars van de Ven as a young girl from a poor family who find themselves struggling to make ends meet. Her older sister is working as a prostitute and it is soon decided that she should follow in her footsteps. She discovers the corrupt nature of the world and eventually meets two wealthy men - one of whom is played by Hauer - who may be able to save her from her misery. An interesting and rare period film of Verhoeven's Katie Tippel was the most expensive Dutch film produced at the time and its lavish budget is obvious in the rich detail of the sets and costumes.
The fourth film, Soldaat van Oranje (Soldier of Orange) stars Rutger Hauer once more, as Erik Lanshof, a young university student who finds his whole world changed when World War Two breaks out throughout Europe. As many other young men of his age did, he decides to join the Dutch resistance and defend his country against the threat of Nazism before it is too late. One of Verhoeven's most critically-acclaimed films - along with Turks fruit - and nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1980 Golden Globe Awards, it is a fantastic war film told in stark detail and with unflinching realism.
The final film, Di Vierde man (The Fourth Man) is an intriguing story of murder and passion starring Jeroen Krabbé - another Verhoeven regular - and Renée Soutendijk. Krabbé plays an alcoholic writer who keeps having mysterious visions of his doom that are unexplainable. Meanwhile, Soutendijk plays a young woman who has been married three times. The strange thing about this is that she has also been tragically widowed three times. The fourth man of the title is her next husband - possibly Krabbé, if she can win him over - whom she goes in pursuit of as soon as the third one is gone. However, will he manage to escape her or will she be done with him and move on to the fifth? An enthralling film filled with elements of horror and suspense, Di Vierde man is one of Verhoeven's best with some echoes of his later film, Basic Instinct.
This collection solidifies Paul Verhoeven's talent as a film maker. From his first feature up until the last, there is a clear progression in his talent and techniques. Each of these films is a reflection of his great ability to tell stories filled with passion, violence, intrigue and great artistry. An ideal present for any Verhoeven fan or anyone who loves world cinema or film in general, this box set delivers on many levels.
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Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Monique van de Ven
Ronnie Bierman
Jeroen Krabbé
Rutger Hauer
Sylvia de Leur
Director(s):
Recording label: Tartan
Manufacturer: Tartan
EAN: 5023965378521
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 5
Format: Colour, Full Screen, Mono, PAL, Subtitled,
Release date: 2008-05-26
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 536 minutes
Language: Dutch (Original Language)