Verhoeven (1971-1973)

1971 - Wat Zien Ik [Business is Business] - Fairly pointless character piece concerning a prostitute in Amsterdam. Maybe it's because this was his first big film, but Verhoeven seems like he's holding back. The number of amusing fetishes he squeezed into the film is notable, however. Due to cultural differences, I can't help but feel like I missed a lot of the humor.

1973 - Turks Fruit [Turkish Delight] - From the first scenes of fantasized violence, to Erik's first scatological line in the movie, I immediately knew Verhoeven wasn't going to hold back this time. This was exactly what this whirlwind, nothing-withheld love story needed; we can really see why Erik loved Olga so damned much. I was also impressed with Hauer's subtle character work. In the hands of anyone else, this probably would've been degraded into cheap melodrama (man finds love of his life, loses her, and she dies from a brain tumor), but Verhoeven makes it work on an entirely higher level.

(comment in the main post)