In Paul Verhoeven’s sexual psychodrama Turkish Delight — an adaptation of Jan Wolkers’ best-selling erotic novel — Rutger Hauer is Eric, an Amsterdam artist whose paintings and sculptures are all perverse. He spends his days wandering around the city and picking up young female lovers — whom he beds and then tosses aside mercilessly — and keeps an extensive scrapbook of mementos from his bedmates. Eric is deeply haunted, however, by a dysfunctional past relationship. He only fell in love on one occasion: with Olga, a mentally unstable woman dying of a brain tumor.
Director: Paul Verhoeven. AKA Turkish Delight
Writers: Gerard Soeteman (screenplay), Jan Wolkers (novel).
Stars: Rutger Hauer, Monique Van de Ven, Tonny Huurdeman, Win Van den Brink, Hans Boskamp, Dolf de Vries, Manfred de Graaf, Dick Scheffer, Marjol Flore, Bert Dijkstra, Bert André, Jon Bluming, Paul Brandenburg, Suze Broks, David Conyers.
1974 Academy Awards – Nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
RIP Rutger Hauer (January 23, 1944 – July 19, 2019).
Best love story film ever, mr. Hauer was amazing here!
Great acting from Rutger Hauer and Monique. Paul Verhoeven did a great job here too. I first saw this movie in the Netherlands in the early 80s. Definitely ahead of its time.
Fun fact: this is the most-watched dutch movie in the Netherlands cinemas.
This is easily one of my favorite films. A few years ago I first saw it on a gambit browsing this most valuable site. One of Verhoevens’ earlier works before coming to America. His movies since have often been popular (i.e. Robocop, Total Recall), but misunderstood (Starship Troopers). I dare anyone to name a better satirist on or of the US. Pile on another “thanks Jon!”