Turkish Delight (1973)

A young love must struggle against an old problems.

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writers:

Gerard Soeteman (screenplay), Jan Wolkers (novel)

Stars:

Monique van de Ven, Rutger Hauer, Tonny Huurdeman

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Monique van de Ven	...	Olga
Rutger Hauer	...	Eric
Tonny Huurdeman	...	Moeder
Wim van den Brink	...	Vader
Hans Boskamp	...	Winkelchef
Dolf de Vries	...	Paul
Manfred de Graaf	...	Henny
Dick Scheffer	...	Accountant
Marjol Flore	...	Tineke
Bert Dijkstra	...	Functionaris
Bert André	...	Functionaris in Limburg
Jon Bluming	...	Beveiliging
Paul Brandenburg	...	Bruidegom
Suze Broks	...	Eric's One night stand (as Suzie Broks)
David Conyers	...	Amerikaan

Storyline

Sort of a cross between "Love Story" and an earthy Rembrandt painting, this movie stars Rutger Hauer as a gifted Dutch sculptor who has a stormy, erotic, and star-crossed romance with a beautiful young girl. The story follows the arc of their relationship and his interaction with her family. Told in flashback form, initially Hauer is seen as a libertine lothario collector, taking trophies from his sexual conquests and pasting them in a book. He sees a sculpture he made of his lost lover and goes into a flashback of his relationship with his wife. He meets the girl, falls in love with/marries her, and we meet her parents: a charming, well meaning, bumbling father, and his shrew of a wife, who's convinced Hauer's too much of a bohemian to make a good mate for her daughter. Eventually, the petty jealousies, the sexual hijinks, and the climactic vomit scene prove too much for the marriage, and sculptor and his lady fair separate. Flash forward several months, and Hauer finds the girl back...

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Plot Keywords:

female removes her clothes | female full frontal nudity | nude model | pink panties | panties | 

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Taglines:

This is the indulgence of passion

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch English

Release Date:

27 September 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eric and Olga

Filming Locations:

Alkmaar, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Budget:

NLG 800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Verenigde Nederlandsche Filmcompagnie (VNF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene at the beach was different in the original script. Olga (Monique van de Ven) was to have used a German SS knife from home to make the sandwiches, revealing that her mother had gotten it during a relationship with an SS officer during the war. However, when it was time to film the scene, they had forgotten to bring the knife. In his desperation to come up with a solution, Paul Verhoeven remembered an anecdote from writer Jan Wolkers (on whose book the movie was based) about how he once covered his wife from neck to toe under the sand. Verhoeven used this idea in the movie as well, and he liked the result far better than the original scene.

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Goofs

During the thunderstorm, when Eric is walking towards Olga who is standing outside in the rain, the reflection of a spotlight providing "lightning" can be seen on the surface of the door.

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Quotes

Eric Vonk: I screw better than God.

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Connections

Featured in Allemaal film: De gouden jaren (2007)

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Soundtracks

Meisjes met rode haren
(uncredited)
Written by Manfred Oberdörffer (uncredited) & Hans Georg Moslener (uncredited)
Dutch lyrics by Pim van Zijl (uncredited)
Performed by Arne Jansen (uncredited)

User Reviews

The image of the multi-talented

Turkish delight is a book by the Dutch true artist Jan Wolkers: a painter, a sculptor, a writer. Symbol of sexual liberation in the 60's and 70's with a series of books about his youth, freeing himself of protestant chains and the general revolt against the bourgeoisie, Wolkers made himself big. But he became larger than life with his contribution to Dutch culture and the understanding of the Dutch mind. The movie itself is a delight with scenes shot in Amsterdam and the greater Amsterdam area: all that is fashionable passes by, not just sexual freedom and the confrontation with society. And the beauty of both Rutger Hauer and Monique van der Ven, is a well deserved extra.