Saw "Soldier of Orange" several months ago in the wake of the death of Rutger Hauer as a tribute. It was outstanding! See it.

^ Seconded. The annals of Great Dutch Film is surprisingly thin, and many of the greats go on to do good things in Hollywood, but they are usually worn down or tempted by that system to churn out genre-conforming schlock like eveybody else.

Verhoeven came very close to fulfilling this model — directing a string of popular goofy gunk in the 1990s (Robocop, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Showgirls and Star Ship Troopers) — but he did it with a wry sneer, simultaneously expanding and satirizing these genres at the same time. So a little honest auteurship with a big dose of pay-day cynicism. His early works, like Soldaat van Oranje and Turkse Fruit, seem more pure and genuine, but I wonder whether this wasn't just a sign of more earnest times, and he just hadn't yet learned or earned the authority to express his campy, schlocky, cynical side.

What's the point of this column

Not a good movie

Huh. I love Rutger Hauer. And I've seen a few of Verhoeven's films. Plus, I've always been a bit of a WW II nerd. Sounds like Soldier of Orange should definitely be on my list. Thanks!

@3, what is the point of making such an insipid comment on a topic you obviously have no interest in?

Hugh Grant has nice big teeth. And nice hair in that photo.

@5 What is the point of the nine months piece more specifically. Enjoy soldier of orange. "Thanks!"