Hannah de Leeuwe in Katie Tippel (1975)

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It's a Dutch movie. Round up the usual suspects.

Paul Verhoeven is directing. Rutger Hauer and Monique van de Ven star.

Actually, Verhoeven got in a little trouble with the Dutch Film Commission because he didn't have a role for Jeroen Krabbe.

As you may know, those were the only three Dutch-speaking actors in the universe at the time. Hauer and van de Ven actually had to play all the parts in this film, often changing wigs right in front of the camera.

OK, I'm kidding.

Although this is not at all a bad movie, it's actually one of the weaker entries among Verhoeven's later Dutch films. He made this one in between Turkish Delight and Soldier of Orange, both of which are far superior.

The film does have a lot of positives.

It is faithful to the memoirs of Neel Doof, which were nominated for a Nobel Prize. Doff is a woman who migrated as a teen to Amsterdam in 1881 with her family. As you know, there was a massive drive toward European urbanization in the 19th century, spurred by the industrial revolution. When those people arrived in the cities, they all too often found a dearth of jobs, harsh living conditions, and crime. Young women were often forced into prostitution. It was the squalor of these urban conditions that led eventually to the socialist revolutions. That's the backdrop for the story.

Some scenes were memorable. The opening scene, as the family prepared to sail, is magnificent. Several of the Amsterdam city shots, interior and exterior, are beautiful when they picture the life of the rich. There is a scene where our heroine rides her horse while the swells look on. This one is filmed from really interesting camera angles. There are other examples as well. Verhoeven is a talented director.

Lots of nudity, male and female.

So what's wrong with it? Nothing. Except that is pretty much of a docu-drama. There is not much of a cinematic hook. The story tells her story in strict chronological order, drifting from her poverty, to her hat making, to prostitution, to her affair with a banker who had no intention of marrying her, to her emergence as a lady, to her involvement in a socialist demonstration, to her ultimate triumph as a rich woman. It is presented well, but I think you'll find it “uninvolving” unless you have some interest in this historical epoch.

If you aren't predisposed to be interested, it's a well-photographed docu-drama with very explicit male nudity, and some fairly explicit female nudity, including the beautiful van de Ven.

Nudity Report: Monique van de Ven and Hannah de Leeuwe show their entire front views, from head to toe.

IMDB Summary: IMDb voters score it 6.7.

DVD Info: Widescreen anamorphic, 1.66:1. Full-length director commentary.


Written by: Scoopy …courtesy of Scoopy.net