Turkish Delight (1973)

Disappointment for a huge fan!

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Paul Verhoeven is known as provocative filmmaker who likes to create daring visual images. He's mostly known by his Hollywood films with unsteady quality. 'Turkish Delight' was Verhoevens first hit in Netherlands and was voted as best Dutch film of the century. With the very first minutes Verhoeven manages to disturb the viewer and unsuspecting viewer can even start to think - what I just got myself into? Very bold depiction of sex and sexuality doesn't seem forced and even the small bursts of intense violence don't stand out from the rest of the film as some bright (or dark) spots.'Turkish Delight' is heartwarming and heartbreaking love story between free spirited Olga (Monique van de Ven) and care free sculptor Eric (Rutger Hauer). Both main stars have such a chemistry between them that nothing seems to forced. Their relationship seems as natural as sunshine in Florida (or rain in London).Very few directors are capable of making such warm films with provocative aplomb and Verhoeven is master at this game.

Turkish Delight is an erotic drama from Dutch director Paul Verhoeven, made early on in his career. Stylistically, this is similar to the dark eroticism of other '70s art-house flicks like THE NIGHT PORTER, IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES, and EMMANUELLE, although with the flamboyant Dutchman behind the camera it's a film that's quite unique and in a category all of its own.I'm not really a fan of the erotic genre like this - I find the structures of the films to be too limited, and they often feel padded with little true incident to recommend them. Nonetheless, there's plenty to enjoy about Turkish Delight, with superior cinematography from Verhoeven regular Jan De Bont and a wild, excessive performance from future big-shot Rutger Hauer in what is essentially a star-making performance.Although the plot of Turkish Delight is in essence a love story, Verhoeven uses the opportunity to throw in plenty of his trademarks. There's violence here, taking the form of vicious beatings, including some bad-taste comedy and lots of variously explicit stuff. The characters wander around naked for half the running time and the script is VERY crude. Inevitably, things take a bleaker turn at the climax. Turkish Delight's not my favourite Verhoeven, not by a mile, but it's worth a look for fans of the director/genre.

A story of true love and lots of passion, with superior acting by Rutger Hauer and a very young and till that time still unknown Monique van de Ven. Try not to be offended by the rather explicit sex scenes, see through them and notice that they are fully functional. A story without a happy ending, so sad... The way in which Rutger Hauer comforts Monique van de Ven in her last hours is very moving, but I wonder if people who don't speak Dutch, can sense the tenderness with which Hauer reads a magazine to van de Ven, because she's not able to read anymore. Excellent stuff, though.The only thing I have against this movie, is the horrible sound (at least in the Dutch version): it seems that the original recordings of the actor's voices are replaced by studio recordings, that sound completely unnatural.But the music is OK: we must not forget to mention the excellent soundtrack by the unforgettable Rogier van Otterloo, which really is a part of the movie. The title song is a brilliant piece of music, whistled by Toots Thielemans.

"Turks Fruit",based on the novel written by the legendary Dutch writer Jan Wolkers,is a true Dutch classic. That doesn't mean that much since my country isn't a major player in World cinema.Yet this film is very good and very famous.It was voted the best Dutch film ever a few years ago when a national poll was held in Holland.It's tough to agree with that,since I haven't seen all the classics but it's right up there,that much is true.The sex and dirty images of poo are not for everyone to see,yet it is essential to the free culture of Amsterdam in the 1970's.Amsterdam was the center of the world in the 70's,so my mother told me. That was probably the reason why she left France (she is French) and came to Amsterdam."Turks Fruit" shows a very poignant picture of the city at that time and the sexual liberation of them days.The directing by the,at that time,young Paul Verhoeven is splendid and it's no mystery why he left Holland to go to Hollywood.His talents are clear but another reason was that he was misunderstood in Holland so he said himself.The camera work is great,but that's no surprise since it's done by one of the greatest cameramen Jan de Bont (who became famous in the 90's with his action classics "Speed" and "Twister",especially "Speed" show the superb talents of de Bont when it comes to camera work).The film also launched the careers of Rutger Hauer and Monique van de Ven. Van de Ven stayed in Holland,playing in some of the best Dutch films and Hauer went to Hollywood and gained cult fame when he starred in "Blade Runner",a terrific performance by Hauer.Verhoeven and Hauer would team up again 4 years later to make the Dutch war classic "Soldaat van Oranje"."Turks Fruit" is truly the epitome of 70's Dutch cinema with it's liberated sex approach that would echo in several other Dutch films in the 70's and 80's.Very important for Holland but maybe too much for the rest of the world,especially for the rather prudish Hollywood.Essential viewing though for everyone who wants to know something about the Dutch cinema. 8/10