Amateur dirt-bikers Rien and Hans–and their mechanic Eef–each fall in love with Fientje, a young woman who, with her brother Jaap, works a concession stand at the races. Everyone seeks a better life: Fientje wants out of the business and away from Jaap; and Rien and Hans aim to make their marks as pro racers, like their hero, Gerrit Witkamp.
Direction
Verhoeven's ruthless eye for bodily fluids and social cruelty.
Acting
Soutendijk's Fientje: devastating, calculating, unforgettable.
Cinematography
Mud, oil, skin, rain — you can smell this film.
Director
Paul Verhoeven
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Verhoeven called it his 'Dutch trilogy' bridge to Hollywood; critics savaged it as pornographic, but it's his most class-conscious work.
The infamous hot dog scene? Improvised. Soutendijk had no idea what was coming, and her reaction is genuine shock.
NL
