De worstelaar

This 20 minute movie was the last of Verhoeven's shorts. It has the same super-ugly look (clashing, bleary colors, aggressively non-attractive people and compositions) that is characteristic of his early features, and the same raunchy bitterly ironic humor too. Made in 1970 - it is a typical (except anyone as talented as Verhoeven is never typical) example of swinging 60s sexual morality. Well paced, nicely amoral and with Verhoeven closet-fascist (I share his views entirely) disgust with the grossness and worthlessness of the age in which we live palpable beneath the surface. Wickedly, deadpan-ironic and confrontational as only Paul Verhoeven can be. All in all - it is a Paul Verhoeven picture and better in some ways than his early features - certainly better than the one about the Amsterdam hooker.

I'd sure love to see his other shorts - especially the one on Mussart and the Dutch Marines.