Paul Verhoeven is rightfully considered one of the most controversial directors in the cinema. Each of his paintings becomes a revelation for the viewer, although Verhoeven loves Hollywood cliches. Today it’s hard to find a movie buff who hasn’t heard of this American director of Dutch descent.
From the biography of Paul Verhoeven
The future famous screenwriter and film director was born in Amsterdam on July 18, 1938. His father was a village teacher. Paul's childhood passed in the setting of World War II and was filled with despair and fear: in 1940 the Netherlands was occupied by the Nazis. Before the boy's eyes were bloody bodies of people, burning planes. He woke up at night from the crash of the bombing. The war left an indelible mark on the soul of the child. That is why many scenes of cruelty in his future films look so realistic.
Verhoeven frankly missed school and entertained himself with painting for most of his school time. After classes, Paul often went to the cinema: he watched the first film when he was 10 years old. The teenager was greatly impressed by the fantastic picture "War of the Worlds". Already at that age Verhoeven had a good idea of what a good movie should look like.
After graduating from school, Paul became a student at the University of Leiden, enrolling in the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. He received his diploma in 1960. At the same time Verhoeven studied at the Netherlands Film Academy.
Creativity in the cinema
The former student was soon identified for military service in the fleet. Here he was lucky: he ended up in the film department, where he worked on propaganda videos for the Marine Corps. Specialists from television, who saw Verhoeven's work, invited him to start creating the series. This predetermined the career of a filmmaker.
While working on films in the Netherlands, Verhoeven, by his own admission, had more opportunities for self-expression than subsequently in Hollywood.
Verhoeven's first full-length film was the picture "Business is Business" (1970). Comedy tells the story of a woman who earns bread from an ancient profession. The meaning of film screening: “business” and love are incompatible things.
Three years later, Paul directed the drama Turkish Delights. There are many frank scenes in the film: the director was never afraid to be shocking. The relationship between a man and a woman Verhoeven served the public without Hollywood sugary, very realistic.
In the future, Verhoeven showed himself as a diverse director. In the piggy bank of his works are the films Clockwork (1979), Robocop (1987), Remember All (1990). In 1992, the light saw the “Basic Instinct” with Sharon Stone. Critics are still discussing this picture.
In 2006, Paul created the Black Book movie drama. The idea of the film arose in 1977. Here Verhoeven tried to convey the horrors of World War II extremely realistically.
