Bold and brutal, this drama is a great example of Paul Verhoeven's frank, and often explicit, style that continues to cause controversy.

A true story set in 19th century Holland, Keetje Tippel is a young girl born into poverty whose mother takes her to work in a brothel. As men use her, so too, Katie decides, she can use them to obtain the social status she seeks. When she becomes the mistress of a young banker (Hauer), Keetje finds a foothold in the Dutch upper-class and uses it to wed one of the banker's wealthy friends with tragic consequences...