Paul Verhoeven
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Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch filmmaker, who has worked variously in the Netherlands, the United States, and in France. He is known for directing
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with strong
satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...
elements, often featuring graphic violence and/or sexual content. Many of his films are considered provocative, and were controversial when released. After receiving attention for the TV series '' Floris'' in his native Netherlands, Verhoeven's breakthrough film was the romantic drama '' Turkish Delight'' (1973), starring frequent collaborator
Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor, with a career that spanned over 170 roles across nearly 50 years, beginning in 1969. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. H ...
, which received an
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nomination for Best Foreign-Language Film. He later directed successful Dutch films including the period film '' Keetje Tippel'' (1975), the
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
film '' Soldier of Orange'' (1977), the adolescent drama '' Spetters'' (1980) and the Gerard Reve-adapating psychological thriller '' The Fourth Man'' (1983). In 1985, Verhoeven made his first Hollywood film '' Flesh and Blood'' and later had a successful career in the United States, directing science fiction films such as ''
RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American Science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen (actress), Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Dani ...
'' (1987), '' Total Recall'' (1990), '' Starship Troopers'' (1997) and '' Hollow Man'' (2000), as well as the erotic thriller '' Basic Instinct'' (1992). He also directed the 1995 film '' Showgirls,'' which was critically panned on initial release but has developed a cult following and undergone critical re-evaluation. Verhoeven later returned to Europe, making the Dutch war film '' Black Book'' (2006), French psychological thriller ''
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'' (2016) and the religious drama '' Benedetta'' (2021), all receiving positive reviews. ''Black Book'' and ''Elle'' were both nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language and ''Elle'' won Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and César Award for Best Film. ''Black Book'' was also voted by the Dutch public, in 2008, as the best Dutch film ever made. Verhoeven's films have received a total of nine
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nominations, mainly for editing and effects.


Early life

Paul Verhoeven was born in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
on 18 July 1938, the son of a schoolteacher, Wim Verhoeven, and a hatmaker, Nel van Schaardenburg. Despite what is sometimes reported, he is not related to German filmmaker Michael Verhoeven, whose own father was also named Paul Verhoeven. In 1943, the family moved to
The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
, the location of the German headquarters in the Netherlands during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The Verhoeven house was near a German military base with V1- and V2-rocket launchers, which was repeatedly bombed by Allied forces. Their neighbours' house was hit and Verhoeven's parents were almost killed when bombs fell on a street crossing. From this period, Verhoeven mentioned in interviews, he remembers images of violence, burning houses, dead bodies on the street, and continuous danger. As a small child, he experienced the war as an exciting adventure, and has compared himself with the character Bill Rowan in '' Hope and Glory'' (1987). Verhoeven's father became headteacher at the Van Heutszschool in The Hague, and Paul attended this school. Sometimes the two watched informative films at home with the school's film projector. Verhoeven and his father went ten times to see '' The War of the Worlds'' (1953). Verhoeven was a fan of the Dutch comic '' Dick Bos''. The character Dick Bos is a private detective who fights crime using
jujutsu Jujutsu ( , or ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu (both ), is a Japanese martial art and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponent ...
. Verhoeven liked comic drawing; he created ''The Killer'', a character in a detailed story of revenge. Other fiction he liked included ''
Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...
'' and the
Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American writer, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best known for creating the characters Tarzan (who appeared in ...
Barsoom series. Verhoeven attended public secondary school Gymnasium Haganum in The Hague. Later, beginning in 1955, he studied at
Leiden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; ) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince of Orange as a Protestantism, Protestant institution, it holds the d ...
. He graduated with a
doctorandus Doctorandus (; ; drs.) is a Dutch academic title according to the pre- Bachelor– Master system. The female form is doctoranda (dra.; this form is not commonly used). The title is acquired by passing the ''doctoraalexamen'', the exam which usua ...
(MSc) with a double major, in
mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
and
physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
.


Career


Short films and TV series (1960–1969)

Verhoeven made his first film ''Één hagedis teveel'' ("''One Lizard Too Many''") for the anniversary of his students' corps in 1960. In his last years at university Verhoeven also attended classes at the Netherlands Film Academy. After this he made three more short films: ''Nothing Special'' (1961), ''The Hitchhikers'' (1962) and ''Let's Have a Party'' (1963). Verhoeven has not professionally used his mathematics and physics degree, opting instead to invest his energies in a career in film. After his studies, he entered the Royal Dutch Navy as a conscript. He made the documentary ''Het Korps Mariniers'' ("''The Marine Corps''", 1965), which won the French 'Golden Sun' award for military films. When he left the Navy, Verhoeven took his skills to Dutch television. First, he made a documentary about Anton Mussert titled ''Mussert'' (1968). His first major success was the 1969 television series '' Floris'', starring
Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor, with a career that spanned over 170 roles across nearly 50 years, beginning in 1969. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. H ...
in the title role. The concept of ''Floris'' was inspired by foreign series such as ''
Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...
'' and '' Thierry La Fronde''.


First feature films (1969–1983)

Verhoeven's first feature film '' Business Is Business'' was released in 1971 and was not well received. His first national success came in 1973 with '' Turkish Delight'', starring Rutger Hauer and Monique van de Ven. Based on a novel by bestselling Dutch author Jan Wolkers, ''Turkish Delight'' tells the passionate love story of an artist and a young liberal girl from a conservative background. It received an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 1974. In 1999, the film won a
Golden Calf According to the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran, the golden calf () was a cult image made by the Israelites when Moses went up to Mount Sinai (bible), Mount Sinai. In Hebrew, the incident is known as "the sin of the calf" (). It is first mentio ...
for Best Dutch Film of the Century. '' Katie Tippel'' (1975) again featured Hauer and van de Ven, but it did not match the success of ''Turkish Delight''. Verhoeven built on his reputation and achieved international success with the Golden Globe-nominated '' Soldier of Orange'' (1977), starring Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbé. Based on a true story about the Dutch resistance in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, it was written by Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema. ''Soldier of Orange'' received the 1979 LA Film Critics Award for best foreign-language film, and it was also nominated for a Golden Globe in 1980. In 1980, Verhoeven made '' Spetters'' with Renée Soutendijk and Rutger Hauer. The story is sometimes compared to '' Saturday Night Fever'', but it has more explicit violence and sexuality (in this case also homosexuality), which are sometimes seen as the director's trademarks. '' The Fourth Man'' (1983) is a horror film starring Jeroen Krabbé and Renée Soutendijk. It was written by Gerard Soeteman from a novel by the Dutch writer Gerard Reve, and was Verhoeven's last Dutch production until '' Black Book'' (2006). ''
The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is an American daily newspaper based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891, ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region. The Seattle Time ...
'' praised Verhoeven by saying he "often appears to be a one-man Dutch movie industry". '' The San Diego Union-Tribune'' called Verhoeven "a busy bee whose movies pollinate the festival circuit".


Filmmaking in the United States (1983–2000)

Gerard Soeteman also wrote the script for Verhoeven's first English-language film, '' Flesh and Blood'' (1985), which starred
Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor, with a career that spanned over 170 roles across nearly 50 years, beginning in 1969. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. H ...
and
Jennifer Jason Leigh Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough in the teen film ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). She re ...
. Verhoeven moved to Hollywood for a wider range of opportunities in filmmaking. Working in the U.S., he made a serious change in style, directing big-budget, violent, special-effects-heavy hits ''RoboCop'' (1987) and ''Total Recall'' (1990)⁠ — each of which won an Academy Special Achievement Award: ''
RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American Science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen (actress), Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Dani ...
'' for Sound Effects Editing and '' Total Recall'' for Visual Effects. Verhoeven followed those successes with '' Basic Instinct'' (1992), an erotic thriller. The film's most notorious scene shows Sharon Stone's character in a police interrogation, where she uncrosses her legs, briefly revealing her vulva (she does not wear underwear underneath her skirt). The film received two Academy Award nominations, for Film Editing and for Original Music, and was the ninth-highest-grossing film of the year. During this time, Verhoeven also worked on creating an historical epic based around the
Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...
that would have starred
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
. It went into pre-production in 1993, but a year later the studio backing it, Carolco, pulled funding for the project. Verhoeven would continue to discuss it throughout the 1990s. Verhoeven's next film was the poorly received, NC-17-rated '' Showgirls'' (1995), about a stripper in
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trying to make a career as a showgirl. It won seven Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Film and Worst Director; Verhoeven became the first director to accept his award in person. To date, he is one of the few people to have accepted their Golden Raspberry awards in person, and the first to directly attend the ceremony to receive it. ''Showgirls'' enjoyed a large amount of success on the
home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...
market, generating more than $100 million from video rentals, and became one of
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's top twenty all-time bestsellers. After ''Basic Instinct'' and ''Showgirls'', Verhoeven returned to the science fiction genre, utilizing the graphic violence and special-effects tropes that had marked his earlier films, making '' Starship Troopers'' (1997), loosely based on the novel of the same name by Robert A. Heinlein, as well as '' Hollow Man'' (2000). Each film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. He also served as an executive producer on an animated TV series called '' Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles'', which was based on the movie and novel of ''Starship Troopers''. The series only ran for a single season, from August 1999 until April 2000.


Return to Europe (2006–2021)

After about twenty years of working and living in the United States, Verhoeven returned to the Netherlands for the shooting of a new film. Together with his screenwriter Gerard Soeteman, Verhoeven made '' Black Book'' (2006). The director was hailed by the host of the
Netherlands Film Festival The Netherlands Film Festival () is an annual film festival, held in September and October of each year in the city of Utrecht. During the ten-day festival, Dutch film productions and co-productions are exhibited. Besides feature films, the prog ...
with the words "The return of a hero". ''Black Book'' won six Golden Calves at this festival, including Best Director. When the shooting of ''Black Book'' was delayed due to financial issues, there was speculation about a new production. '' Beast of Bataan'' had been announced, but once the shooting for ''Black Book'' resumed, the other film was not made. Verhoeven was knighted in the
Order of the Netherlands Lion The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands (, ) is a Dutch honours system, Dutch order of chivalry founded by William I of the Netherlands on 29 September 1815. The Order of the Netherlands Lion wa ...
in 2007. Since ''Black Book'', Verhoeven has been connected to a large number of projects, but in the first decade after his return, none came to fruition. Some of those titles were produced with other directors at the helm, such as '' The Paperboy''. In 2016, however, Verhoeven followed ''Black Book'' by directing a French film: ''
Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...
'', an adaptation of a novel by Philippe Djian. A psychological thriller in which Isabelle Huppert plays a rape victim, ''Elle'' was selected for the Official Competition at the Cannes International Film Festival, where it obtained very favourable reviews. In December 2016, it was announced that Verhoeven would be the president of the jury for the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, scheduled to take place in February 2017. In April 2017, it was announced that filming of '' Benedetta'', his next French film, would begin in August of the same year. It is a biopic about the life of Benedetta Carlini, portrayed by ''Elle'' co-star Virginie Efira, and is an adaptation of the non-fiction book '' Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy'' by Judith C. Brown. In May 2018, it was announced that Charlotte Rampling would play a key supporting role. The film premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or.


Return to filmmaking in the United States (2022–present)

Verhoeven is currently preparing his next film, ''Young Sinner'', which reunites him with ''
RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American Science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen (actress), Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Dani ...
'' screenwriter Edward Neumeier. An erotic political thriller, it is set in Washington DC and is about a "young staffer who works for a powerful Senator ndis drawn into a web of international intrigue and danger." Verhoeven hoped to begin shooting ''Young Sinner'' in 2024, but in November of that year, he was still trying to secure financing.


Unrealized projects


Other activities

Verhoeven was a member of the Jesus Seminar, and he was the only member who does not have a degree in
biblical studies Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible, with ''Bible'' referring to the books of the canonical Hebrew Bible in mainstream Jewish usage and the Christian Bible including the can ...
. He graduated with a degree in mathematics and physics from the University of Leiden. Since he is not a professional biblical
exegete Exegesis ( ; from the Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Biblical works. In modern usage, exegesis can involve critical interpretation ...
, his membership in the Jesus Seminar has occasionally been cited by opponents of the Seminar as a sign that this group is less scholarly than it claims. For example,
Luke Timothy Johnson Luke Timothy Johnson (born November 20, 1943) is an American Catholic New Testament scholar and historian of early Christianity. He is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Candler School of Theology and a Sen ...
criticizes the Jesus Seminar's methods on exegetical grounds, and also criticizes what he perceives to be a dependence on the theatrical and an attempt to manipulate the mainstream media. He singles out Verhoeven as a key player in the media activities of the Jesus Seminar. On the other hand, some Jesus Seminar members were unhappy with Verhoeven's portrayal of Jesus as an eschatological
prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divinity, divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings ...
. In 2007, Verhoeven wrote the book ''Jesus of Nazareth'' () about the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The book reviews the ideas of Jesus of
Nazareth Nazareth is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...
and the alleged corruption of these same ideas over the last 2,000 years. Co-written with Verhoeven's biographer Rob Van Scheers, the book is the culmination of the research Verhoeven conducted in preparation for ''Jesus: The Man'', a motion picture about the life of Christ. The book tells about the Jewish uprising against Roman rule and characterizes Jesus as a radical political activist, downplaying any supernatural events and miracles as unproved or unprovable. ''Jesus of Nazareth: A Realistic Portrait'' was released in September 2008 in Dutch, and was published in English in May 2010 by Seven Stories Press.


Personal life

In 1967, Verhoeven married Martine Tours, with whom he has two daughters.


Filmography


Short films


Feature films


Television


Awards and nominations


Film festivals


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Verhoeven, Paul 1938 births Living people 20th-century Dutch male writers 21st-century Dutch male writers Action film directors Best Director Lumières Award winners Dutch critics Dutch documentary film directors Dutch documentary filmmakers Dutch expatriates in the United States Dutch film directors Dutch male screenwriters Dutch screenwriters Dutch television critics Dutch television directors French-language film directors German-language film directors Golden Calf winners Golden Globe Award winners Knights of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Leiden University alumni Male television writers Mass media people from The Hague Members of the Jesus Seminar Postmodernist filmmakers Royal Netherlands Navy personnel Dutch science fiction film directors Dutch satirists Dutch satirical film directors