i come across this film under the title hot sweat at my local video store and and rent it out of curiosity while i have see many movie by this director and and always think his work be severely underated . the movie really surprise me with it unsensationalistic style and well do cinematography . although the female lead be very beautiful and and manages to get undressed frequently and there be always a tension to her sexuality . she be force to rely on it only because the audience be clearly make aware that on the other side be the penniless abyss . rutger haur play totally against type a a foppish young bank officer who adopt her a his mistress . i think most people today think of holland a a totally liberal and affluent country . this film go a long way towards dispel that stereotype and and i would recommend it to anyone look for a ( sometimes brutally ) realistic picture of 19th century life among the underclass in amsterdamn . i like it .