1973 film by
Paul Verhoeven of
Robocop fame, long before he
sold out to
Hollywood. Stars
Rutger Hauer (in his
debut) and
Monique van de Ven; shot by
Jan de Bont. Outstanding
incidental music by
Toots Thielemans.
Sort of an earthier Love Story, Turkish Delight is a truly lovely, poignant film. Too sentimental for the jaded viewer, and slightly dated by its production design, it's a story about a young couple in Holland who fall in love, defy their parents, and actualize their artistic dreams only to be crushed by the fell hand of Fate. As with Verhoeven's other early work (Soldier of Orange, Spetters), it's got a wonderfully sociable, funny, lighthearted lust-for-life feeling that sets up the tragedy something awful.
Nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, but had the bad luck to be up against Day For Night. Highly recommended, and not just because it has (imho) the best love scene since Siddhartha.