Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch director, producer and screenwriter, active in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. His blending of graphic violence and sexual content with social satire is a trademark of both his
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
and
science fiction film
Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...
s.
After receiving attention for the TV series ''
Floris'' in his native Netherlands, Verhoeven got his film breakthrough with romantic drama ''
Turkish Delight
Turkish delight or lokum ( ota, لوقوم) is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often f ...
'' (1973), starring frequent collaborator
Rutger Hauer
Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century.
Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...
. The film was nominated for
Academy Award for Best Foreign Film
The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...
and later received the award for Best Dutch Film of the Century at the
Netherlands Film Festival
The Netherlands Film Festival ( nl, Nederlands 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. Be ...
. Verhoeven later directed successful Dutch films including the period drama ''
Keetje Tippel
''Katie Tippel'' (Dutch title: ''Keetje Tippel'') is a 1975 film by Paul Verhoeven. The film is based on the memoirs of Neel Doff (1858–1942) and was the most expensive Dutch film produced up to that time. The film was a box office success, bei ...
'' (1975), the war film ''
Soldier of Orange
''Soldier of Orange'' ( nl, Soldaat van Oranje, ) is a 1977 Dutch romance-thriller film directed and co-written by Paul Verhoeven and produced by Rob Houwer, starring Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbé. The film is set around the German occupation o ...
'' (1977), the teen drama ''
Spetters
''Spetters'' (English translation: ''Splashes'') is a Dutch film released in 1980 and directed by Paul Verhoeven. The film follows the lives of three young men who have little in common but their love for dirt-bike racing. Set on the outskirts ...
'' (1980) and the 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 action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferre ...
'' (1987), ''
Total Recall'' (1990), ''
Starship Troopers'' (1997) and ''
Hollow Man
Hollow may refer to:
Natural phenomena
*Hollow, a low, wooded area, such as a copse
*Hollow (landform), a small vee-shaped, riverine type of valley
*Tree hollow, a void in a branch or trunk, which may provide habitat for animals
Places
* Sleepy ...
'' (2000), as well as the erotic thriller ''
Basic Instinct
''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film follows San Francisco police detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), who is investigating the brutal murder of a wealt ...
'' (1992).
He later returned to Europe, making the Dutch war film ''
Black Book'' (2006), French psychological thriller ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'' (2016), and the religious drama ''
Benedetta Benedetta is a feminine given name of Italian origin, the feminine equivalent of the masculine name Benedetto, a cognate of Benedict. Persons having the name include:
* Benedetta Barzini (contemporary), Italian actress and model
*Benedetta Bianchi ...
'' (2021), all receiving positive reviews. ''Black Book'' and ''Elle'' were both nominated for
BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language
The BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language is given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and presented at the British Academy Film Awards. The award was first given at the 36th British Academy Film Awards, rec ...
and ''Elle'' won
Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is a Golden Globe Award presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film coul ...
and
César Award for Best Film
The winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Film ( French: ''César du meilleur film'').
Winners and nominees 1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
See also
*Lumières Award for Best Film
*Louis Delluc Prize for Best Film
* ...
. ''Black Book'' was also voted by the Dutch public, in 2008, as the best Dutch film ever made. In contrast, he won the
Golden Raspberry Award
The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
s for
Worst Picture
The Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture is an award given out at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst film of the past year. Over the 39 ceremonies that have taken place, there have been 202 films nominated for Worst Picture and 42 ...
and
Worst Director for ''
Showgirls
''Showgirls'' is a 1995 erotic drama pulp noir film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film stars Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi, Alan Rachins, and Gina Ravera.
Produced ...
'' (1995); he is one of the few people to have
accepted their Golden Raspberry awards in person, and was the first person to go to the ceremony to receive it. ''Showgirls'' was a notorious box office flop at its initial theatrical release, but later enjoyed huge success in the home video market and became a
cult classic
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
.
Verhoeven's films altogether received a total of nine
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominations, mainly for editing and effects.
Early life
Paul Verhoeven was born in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
on 18 July 1938, the son of a schoolteacher, Wim Verhoeven, and a
hatmaker, Nel van Schaardenburg. His family lived in the village of
Slikkerveer
Slikkerveer is a village in the municipality of Ridderkerk, Netherlands. In 2004, 8550 people lived in Slikkerveer. It is located about 6 km east-southeast of the city of Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rot ...
.
In 1943 the family moved to
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
, the location of the German headquarters in the Netherlands during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. 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
A movie projector is an opto-mechanical device for displaying motion picture film by projecting it onto a screen. Most of the optical and mechanical elements, except for the illumination and sound devices, are present in movie cameras. Modern ...
. Verhoeven and his father also liked to see American films that were shown in cinemas after the liberation, such as ''
The Crimson Pirate
''The Crimson Pirate'' is a 1952 British-American international co-production Technicolor tongue-in-cheek comedy-adventure film from Warner Bros. produced by Norman Deming and Harold Hecht, directed by Robert Siodmak, and starring Burt Lancaste ...
'' (1952).
Verhoeven and his father went ten times to see ''
The War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...
'' (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 ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdu ...
. 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 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...
'' and the
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
Barsoom
Barsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs. The first Barsoom tale was serialized as ''Under the Moons of Mars'' in 1912 and published as a novel as ''A Princess of Mars' ...
series.
Verhoeven attended public secondary school
Gymnasium Haganum
The Gymnasium Haganum is one of the oldest public schools in the Netherlands, located in the city of The Hague. First mentioned in 1327, the school is currently housed in a monumental Renaissance Revival architecture building, built in 1907. It ...
in The Hague. Later, beginning in 1955, he studied at
Leiden University
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince o ...
. 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., though this abbreviation is no longer used). The title is acquired by passing the ''doctoraalexamen'', the exam wh ...
(MSc) with a double major, in
Mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
and
Physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its 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 which r ...
.
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
The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world a ...
as a conscript. He made the documentary ''Het Korps Mariniers'' ("''The Marine Corps''", 1965), which won the French 'Golden Sun' award for military films.
![Floris1968Verhoeven3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Floris1968Verhoeven3.png)
When he left the Navy, Verhoeven took his skills to Dutch television. First, he made a documentary about
Anton Mussert
Anton may refer to: People
*Anton (given name), including a list of people with the given name
*Anton (surname)
Places
*Anton Municipality, Bulgaria
**Anton, Sofia Province, a village
*Antón District, Panama
**Antón, a town and capital of th ...
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. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century.
Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...
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 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting st ...
'' and ''
Thierry La Fronde''.
First feature films (1969–1983)
Verhoeven's first feature film ''
Business Is Business
''Business is business'' (french: :fr:Les affaires sont les affaires, Les affaires sont les affaires) is a French comedy in three acts, by the novelist and playwright Octave Mirbeau, performed in April 1903 on the stage of Comédie-Française, in ...
'' was released in 1971 and was not well received. His first national success came in 1973 with ''
Turkish Delight
Turkish delight or lokum ( ota, لوقوم) is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often f ...
'', starring Rutger Hauer and
Monique van de Ven
Monica Maria Theresia "Monique" van de Ven (; born 28 July 1952) is a Dutch actress and director.
Life and career
From 1973 until 1988 she was married to Dutch cinematographer and director Jan de Bont, with whom she lived in Los Angeles for a ...
. This film, based on a novel by bestselling Dutch author
Jan Wolkers
Jan Hendrik Wolkers (26 October 1925 – 19 October 2007) was a Dutch author, sculptor and painter. Wolkers is considered by some to be one of the "Great Four" writers of post-World War II Dutch literature, alongside Willem Frederik Hermans, Ha ...
, tells the passionate love story of an artist and a young liberal girl from a conservative background. The film received an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination for
Best Foreign Language Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
in 1974. In 1999 the film won a
Golden Calf for Best Dutch Film of the Century. Verhoeven's 1975 film ''
Katie Tippel
''Katie Tippel'' (Dutch title: ''Keetje Tippel'') is a 1975 film by Paul Verhoeven. The film is based on the memoirs of Neel Doff (1858–1942) and was the most expensive Dutch film produced up to that time. The film was a box office success, be ...
'' 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 his
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
-nominated film ''
Soldier of Orange
''Soldier of Orange'' ( nl, Soldaat van Oranje, ) is a 1977 Dutch romance-thriller film directed and co-written by Paul Verhoeven and produced by Rob Houwer, starring Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbé. The film is set around the German occupation o ...
'', starring Rutger Hauer and
Jeroen Krabbé. The film, based on a true story about the Dutch resistance in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, was written by
Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema
Siebren Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (3 April 1917 – 26 September 2007) was a Dutch writer who became a resistance fighter and RAF pilot during the Second World War. Near the end of the war he was adjudant (assistant) to Queen Wilhelmina. He was ...
. ''Soldier of Orange'' received the 1979 LA Film Critics Award for best foreign-language film. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe in 1980.
In 1980 Verhoeven made the film ''
Spetters
''Spetters'' (English translation: ''Splashes'') is a Dutch film released in 1980 and directed by Paul Verhoeven. The film follows the lives of three young men who have little in common but their love for dirt-bike racing. Set on the outskirts ...
'' with
Renée Soutendijk and Rutger Hauer. The story is sometimes compared to ''
Saturday Night Fever
''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American dance drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man from the Brooklyn borough of New York. Manero spends his ...
'', but the film has more explicit violence and sexuality (in this case also homosexuality), which are sometimes seen as the director's trademarks. Verhoeven's film ''
The Fourth Man'' (1983) is a horror film starring Jeroen Krabbé and Renée Soutendijk. It was written by
Gerard Soeteman
Gerard Soeteman (born 1 July 1936 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch screenwriter. He worked together with Paul Verhoeven on several films, such as ''Turkish Delight'' and '' Black Book''. He also wrote the screenplay for '' The Assault'', which won the Ac ...
from a novel by the Dutch writer
Gerard Reve
Gerard Kornelis van het Reve (14 December 1923 – 8 April 2006) was a Dutch writer. He started writing as Simon Gerard van het Reve and adopted the shorter Gerard Reve in 1973. Together with Willem Frederik Hermans and Harry Mulisch, he i ...
, and was Verhoeven's last Dutch film production until the 2006 film ''
Black Book''.
''
The Seattle Times
''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington (s ...
'' praised Verhoeven by saying he "often appears to be a one-man Dutch movie industry". ''
The San Diego Union-Tribune
''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868.
Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...
'' 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. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century.
Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...
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 as Stacy Hamilton in ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). She ...
. 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'' and ''Total Recall''—each of which won an
Academy Special Achievement Award
The Special Achievement Award is an Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most pres ...
: ''
RoboCop
''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferre ...
'' for Sound Effects Editing, and ''
Total Recall'' for Visual Effects.
![Basic Instinct Cannes 1992](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Basic_Instinct_Cannes_1992.jpg)
Verhoeven followed those successes with the equally intense and provocative ''
Basic Instinct
''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film follows San Francisco police detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), who is investigating the brutal murder of a wealt ...
'' (1992), an erotic thriller. The ninth-highest-grossing film of the year, the movie was a return to themes Verhoeven had explored in ''
Turkish Delight
Turkish delight or lokum ( ota, لوقوم) is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often f ...
'' and ''
The Fourth Man''. The film's most notorious scene shows
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...
'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.
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 sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
that would have starred
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
. The film entered pre-production in 1993, but a year later the studio backing the film (
Carolco) pulled funding for the project. Verhoeven would continue to discuss the film throughout the 1990s.
Verhoeven's next film was the poorly received,
NC-17
The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures ...
-rated ''
Showgirls
''Showgirls'' is a 1995 erotic drama pulp noir film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film stars Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi, Alan Rachins, and Gina Ravera.
Produced ...
'' (1995), about a stripper in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
trying to make a career as a showgirl. The film won seven
Golden Raspberry Awards
The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
including Worst Film and Worst Director; Verhoeven became the first director to accept his award in person. Afterward, the film enjoyed success on the
home video
Home video is prerecorded media sold or 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, Blu-ray and streaming me ...
market, generating more than $100 million from video rentals and became one of
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
's top 20 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
Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...
,
and ''
Hollow Man
Hollow may refer to:
Natural phenomena
*Hollow, a low, wooded area, such as a copse
*Hollow (landform), a small vee-shaped, riverine type of valley
*Tree hollow, a void in a branch or trunk, which may provide habitat for animals
Places
* Sleepy ...
'' (2000). Each film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.
Return to Europe (2006–2021)
After about 20 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
Gerard Soeteman (born 1 July 1936 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch screenwriter. He worked together with Paul Verhoeven on several films, such as ''Turkish Delight'' and '' Black Book''. He also wrote the screenplay for '' The Assault'', which won the Ac ...
, Verhoeven made ''
Black Book'' (2006). The director was hailed by the host of the
Netherlands Film Festival
The Netherlands Film Festival ( nl, Nederlands 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. Be ...
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. The film ''
Beast of Bataan'' had been announced, but once the shooting for ''Black Book'' resumed, the other film was not made.
![Paul Verhoeven International Jury Berlinale 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Paul_Verhoeven_International_Jury_Berlinale_2017.jpg)
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 ( nl, De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, french: L'Ordre du Lion Néerlandais) is a Dutch order of chivalry founded by King William I of the Netherlands on ...
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'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'', an adaptation of a novel by
Philippe Djian
Philippe Djian (; born 3 June 1949) is a popular French author of Armenian descent. He won the 2012 Prix Interallié for the novel ''"Oh..." (Elle'' for the English translation).
Life and career
Djian graduated from the Ecole Supérieure de J ...
. A psycho-thriller where
Isabelle Huppert
Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Described as "one of the best actresses in the world", she is known for her portrayals of cold and disdainful characters devoid of morality. She is the recipient of sev ...
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
The 67th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 9 to 18 February 2017 with Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven as President of the Jury. ''Django (2017 film), Django'', directed by Etienne Comar, opened the festival. The Golden Bear ...
, scheduled to take place in February 2017.
In April 2017, it was announced that filming of ''
Benedetta Benedetta is a feminine given name of Italian origin, the feminine equivalent of the masculine name Benedetto, a cognate of Benedict. Persons having the name include:
* Benedetta Barzini (contemporary), Italian actress and model
*Benedetta Bianchi ...
'', his next French film, would begin in August of the same year. It is a biographical film about the life of
Benedetta Carlini, portrayed by ''Elle'' co-star
Virginie Efira
Virginie Efira (born 5 May 1977) is a Belgian actress and television presenter.
Efira got her first leading role in the romantic comedy ''It Boy'' (2013). She subsequently received critical praise for her performance in the comedy drama '' In Be ...
, 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
Tessa Charlotte Rampling (born 5 February 1946) is an English actress, known for her work in European arthouse films in English, French, and Italian. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, she began her career as a model.
She was cast in the role ...
would play a key supporting role. The film premiered at the
2021 Cannes Film Festival
The 74th annual Cannes Film Festival took place from 6 to 17 July 2021, after having been originally scheduled from 11 to 22 May 2021. American director Spike Lee was invited to be the head of the jury for the festival for a second time, after t ...
in competition for the
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
.
Return to filmmaking in the United States (2022–)
Verhoeven is currently preparing his next film, which reunites him with ''
RoboCop
''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferre ...
'' screenwriter
Edward Neumeier
Edward Neumeier (born August 24, 1957) is an American screenwriter, producer and director best known for his work on the science fiction movies ''RoboCop'' and ''Starship Troopers''. He wrote the latter's sequels '' Starship Troopers 2: Hero of ...
. ''Young Sinner'' is an erotic political thriller set in Washington DC about a "young staffer who works for a powerful Senator
ndis drawn into a web of international intrigue and danger."
Other activities
Verhoeven was a member of the
Jesus Seminar
The Jesus Seminar was a group of about 50 critical biblical scholars and 100 laymen founded in 1985 by Robert Funk that originated under the auspices of the Westar Institute.''Making Sense of the New Testament'' by Craig Blomberg (Mar 1, 200 ...
, 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 (the Old Testament and New Testament).''Introduction to Biblical Studies, Second Edition'' by Steve Moyise (Oct 27, 2004) pages 11–12 Fo ...
.
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 interpretations ...
, 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 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 Senior Fello ...
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
Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that nega ...
prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
.
In 2007, Verhoeven wrote the book ''Jesus of Nazareth'' ( nl, Jezus van Nazaret) about the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The book reviews the ideas of Jesus of
Nazareth
Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
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
Seven Stories Press is an independent American publishing company. Based in New York City, the company was founded by Dan Simon in 1995, after establishing Four Walls Eight Windows in 1984 as an imprint at Writers and Readers, and then incorpora ...
.
Personal life
In 1967 Verhoeven married Martine Tours, with whom he has two daughters, Claudia (b. 1972), and Helen (b. 1974).
Filmography
Awards and nominations
Academy Awards
Golden Globe Awards
BAFTA Awards
César Awards
Saturn Awards
Golden Raspberry Awards
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verhoeven, Paul
1938 births
20th-century Dutch male writers
21st-century Dutch male writers
Action film directors
Best Director Lumières Award winners
Cultural critics
Dutch critics
Dutch documentary film directors
Dutch documentary film producers
Dutch documentary filmmakers
Dutch expatriates in the United States
Dutch film directors
Dutch film producers
Dutch male screenwriters
Dutch screenwriters
Dutch television critics
Dutch television directors
Dutch television producers
French-language film directors
German-language film directors
Golden Calf winners
Knights of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Leiden University alumni
Living people
Male television writers
Royal Netherlands Navy personnel
Science fiction film directors
Video game producers
Mass media people from The Hague
Members of the Jesus Seminar
Postmodernist filmmakers