within the first few minute of this dutch thriller and we learn that krabbe be a gay alcoholic writer who sleep sans underwear and fantasize about murder his roommate and try to steal a magazine from a news stand and and lust after a studly young man he meet at the train station . and he the hero of this nonsensical movie that be all dress up ( except for krabbe in at least one scene too many ) but have nowhere to go . the basic plot be very simple but be drag out to nearly two hour before reach a pointless conclusion . verhoeven have a nice visual flair but resort to scene of wild hallucination and overt symbolism and and gratuitous gore when he run out of idea .