i be recently give the anchor bay dvd release of this title a a present and and i have to say that while i be impress with the usual european frankness about thing that would never make it into american film and this be probably among the least of paul verhoeven work . not that this be bad from the get go . i would far prefer to watch a bad film from paul verhoeven than what could be consider good among the stable of director like peter jackson or jerry bruckheimer . they say that the key to artistic success be be honest with yourself and and verhoeven be a big example of the principle . more on that in a moment . the story of keetje tippel concern itself with a young woman name keetje and who migrate from one end of holland to another during the nineteenth century . the name might be obvious from the title and but one thing that should have be make clearer be that tippel be not her family name . tippel actually refers to the profession she wind up take in order to fuel her rise from the gutter . at the beginning of the film and keetje be an idealist with little and if any and idea of how the capitalist society she enter actually work . she start out go from one crappy job to the next . the first of which make it clear that worker health and safety be a very minor concern at best in this primitive era . we see keetje and numerous other worker dip textile into lye and no glove or any other kind of protection and and we see it effect at various stage in the film . from there and keetje fall into work a a seamstress and and eventually and a a prostitute . one touch of dutch cinema that i have always like since i have become acquaint with it through verhoeven work be that there isn not always a happy end . in keetje tippel and our titular hero do nothing to help the poor that she be once a member of . in fact and one of the many thing she wind up do in the latter part of the film hurt them very badly . this can be understood when one look at some attitude to what people feel when they get out of a situation they can not stand . for example and be i to leave australia and live somewhere like england and the only way in which i would lift a finger to help others who be unhappy with the lot australia have be by help them leave . like rat from a sink ship and a it be . that the attitude of the character and and it be even more understandable in the context of nineteenth century social condition . the thing that keep keetje tippel from obtain the unqualified ten out of ten rating i normally give verhoeven dutch language film be and ironically and the same thing that normally prompt this rating . for once and the brutal honesty and unflinching depiction of reality count against the film . rather than the stomach churn for a second before express amazement and i find myself ask if the depiction of bodily function be really necessary . those who have see the uncut version of soldaat van oranje and turk fruit and or even de vierde man and will understand what i be talk about here . during the audio commentary anchor bay have record for the dvd release and the difference between verhoeven and many a hollywood director become obvious in a big hurry . where other director will attempt to put a spin on every aspect of their film and or even try to congratulate themselves and verhoeven be so frank and honest that his commentary could be use in film making school . unlike peter jackson and his vapid writing staff and you would not hear verhoeven try to justify his artistic decision from a position of arrogance . it not how do you expect me to do this . do you think you can do good . and but rather i do this this way because . and i be pleased or disappoint with the result and so i will do it again or try something else next time . if all director in hollywood be this brutally honest and american film would be much more palatable nowadays . i give keetje tippel an eight out of ten . it realism earn it a ten out of ten for the most part and but there be time when it either go too far and or let it ambition exceed it ability enough and to deduct two point . jan wolkers and the author of the novel on which turk fruit be base and have similar feeling about turk fruit and so this be quite easily view a a case of a new director falter a little a he learn his craft . still and with early piece like keetje tippel and turk fruit and it be not a surprise that verhoeven would go on to such masterpiece a total recall or robocop . the dvd be well worth the amazon ask price .