Business Is Business
Encyclopedia
Business Is Business is a 1971 comedy
film
. The film is directed by Paul Verhoeven, and stars Ronnie Bierman
, Sylvia de Leur, Piet Römer
, and Jules Hamel. The story is about the lives of two prostitutes in Amsterdam
, and is based on two books written by Albert Mol
.
) and Nel (Sylvia de Leur), two female
prostitutes in Amsterdam
. Greet and Nel are friends and live on different floors of the same canal
house at the Prinsengracht. In this house they also receive customers.
. These incidents are recounted in the form of anecdote
s throughout the film. The roleplaying involves Greet being a wig
ged witch, a schoolteacher, a feathered chicken
, a corpse, a woman commanding her cleaner
, and a surgeon
. Sometimes Nel assists her by playing a part in the roleplaying.
) and they fall in love. In another fight Sjaak almost kills Nel with a knife and Nel decides to move in with Bob in Eindhoven. Bob turns out to be boring, and Nel visits Greet in Amsterdam. Nel doesn't want to work as a prostitute anymore, and she turns out to be pregnant. Nel and Bob marry in Amsterdam, and all of Nel's former colleagues pretend that she worked as a seamstress.
) in the bar where she hangs out. Piet takes her to a striptease club, and they have sex afterwards at her house. Unlike the other men, he doesn't have to pay. Piet brings Greet a bouquet
of red rose
s. The next time they meet, they create a romantic atmosphere and Piet stays over night with Greet. Later, Piet takes Greet to a classical concert. She dislikes it and makes a scene in the concert hall. When Piet finds out his wife is pregnant he stops seeing Greet. In the end of the film they meet again and Greet says he should name his child "Greet" if it is a girl.
The film ends when Greet makes the customer that plays the cleaner clean up Nel's marriage party.
Gerard Soeteman
wrote the film scenario, which was his first feature film script. He based the story on the two books Wat zien ik!? and Haar van Boven written by Albert Mol
. Writer Albert Mol
also has a small role in the film himself as Mr. Van Schaveren.
The opening scene is shot at the airport Schiphol. Many scenes in the film are shot in the city of Amsterdam
, most in the canal house, in the red-light district
, and at the canal
s.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. The film is directed by Paul Verhoeven, and stars Ronnie Bierman
Ronnie Bierman
Ronny Greetje Bierman was a Dutch film and television actress.Ronnie Bierman was born in Amsterdam on July 12, 1938...
, Sylvia de Leur, Piet Römer
Piet Römer
Petrus Piet Römer is a Dutch television and film actor.-Feature films:*Like Two Drops of Water *Een huis in een schoen *Business Is Business *All Things Pass *The Elevator...
, and Jules Hamel. The story is about the lives of two prostitutes in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and is based on two books written by Albert Mol
Albert Mol
Albert Mol was a popular Dutch author, actor and TV personality, who appeared in movies and TV shows in a career that spanned nearly 60 years....
.
Plot
The film is about the customers and personal lives of Greet (Ronnie BiermanRonnie Bierman
Ronny Greetje Bierman was a Dutch film and television actress.Ronnie Bierman was born in Amsterdam on July 12, 1938...
) and Nel (Sylvia de Leur), two female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
prostitutes in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Greet and Nel are friends and live on different floors of the same canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
house at the Prinsengracht. In this house they also receive customers.
Sexual fantasies
Greet roleplays the customers' sexual fantasiesSexual fantasy
A sexual fantasy, also called an erotic fantasy, is a fantasy or pattern of thoughts with the effect of creating or enhancing sexual feelings; in short, it is "almost any mental imagery that is sexually arousing or erotic to [an] individual"...
. These incidents are recounted in the form of anecdote
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place...
s throughout the film. The roleplaying involves Greet being a wig
Wig
A wig is a head of hair made from horsehair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair, buffalo hair, or synthetic materials which is worn on the head for fashion or various other aesthetic and stylistic reasons, including cultural and religious observance. The word wig is short for periwig and first...
ged witch, a schoolteacher, a feathered chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
, a corpse, a woman commanding her cleaner
Cleaner
Cleaner is the name of a German project specializing in electronic music. Formerly known as Cleen, Myer released several albums on the American industrial music record label, Metropolis Records, as well as the labels Zoth Ommog and Accession Records....
, and a surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
. Sometimes Nel assists her by playing a part in the roleplaying.
Nel and Sjaak
Nel lives with Sjaak (Jules Hamel), a guy who likes fishing and who lives on Nel's money. Nel and Sjaak are continuously fighting. Greet convinces Nel to respond to a personal ad. The following blind date in a restaurant ends up in throwing cakes. Nel wants to clean her dress and then she meets Bob (Bernhard DroogBernhard Droog
Bernhard Droog was a Dutch actor who appeared in 17 films, including the 1997 Academy Award-winning Karakter, and numerous television and theatre roles. Droog was a recipient of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 1970.- Early life :Droog was born to Dutch parents living in Germany...
) and they fall in love. In another fight Sjaak almost kills Nel with a knife and Nel decides to move in with Bob in Eindhoven. Bob turns out to be boring, and Nel visits Greet in Amsterdam. Nel doesn't want to work as a prostitute anymore, and she turns out to be pregnant. Nel and Bob marry in Amsterdam, and all of Nel's former colleagues pretend that she worked as a seamstress.
Greet and Piet
Greet meets the married man Piet (Piet RömerPiet Römer
Petrus Piet Römer is a Dutch television and film actor.-Feature films:*Like Two Drops of Water *Een huis in een schoen *Business Is Business *All Things Pass *The Elevator...
) in the bar where she hangs out. Piet takes her to a striptease club, and they have sex afterwards at her house. Unlike the other men, he doesn't have to pay. Piet brings Greet a bouquet
Flower bouquet
A flower bouquet is a collection of flowers in a creative arrangement. There are different kinds including nosegay, crescent, and cascading bouquets. Flower bouquets are often given for special occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries. They are also used extensively in weddings. Traditionally...
of red rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s. The next time they meet, they create a romantic atmosphere and Piet stays over night with Greet. Later, Piet takes Greet to a classical concert. She dislikes it and makes a scene in the concert hall. When Piet finds out his wife is pregnant he stops seeing Greet. In the end of the film they meet again and Greet says he should name his child "Greet" if it is a girl.
The film ends when Greet makes the customer that plays the cleaner clean up Nel's marriage party.
Cast
- Ronnie BiermanRonnie BiermanRonny Greetje Bierman was a Dutch film and television actress.Ronnie Bierman was born in Amsterdam on July 12, 1938...
as Blonde Greet - Sylvia de Leur as Neeltje "Nel" Muller
- Piet RömerPiet RömerPetrus Piet Römer is a Dutch television and film actor.-Feature films:*Like Two Drops of Water *Een huis in een schoen *Business Is Business *All Things Pass *The Elevator...
as Piet - Jules Hamel as Sjaak
- Bernhard DroogBernhard DroogBernhard Droog was a Dutch actor who appeared in 17 films, including the 1997 Academy Award-winning Karakter, and numerous television and theatre roles. Droog was a recipient of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 1970.- Early life :Droog was born to Dutch parents living in Germany...
as Bob de Vries - Albert MolAlbert MolAlbert Mol was a popular Dutch author, actor and TV personality, who appeared in movies and TV shows in a career that spanned nearly 60 years....
as Mr. Van Schaveren, Nel's date
Production
Business Is Business was Paul Verhoeven's first feature film.Gerard Soeteman
Gerard Soeteman
Gerard Soeteman is a Dutch screenwriter. He worked together with Paul Verhoeven on several films, such as Turkish Delight and Black Book...
wrote the film scenario, which was his first feature film script. He based the story on the two books Wat zien ik!? and Haar van Boven written by Albert Mol
Albert Mol
Albert Mol was a popular Dutch author, actor and TV personality, who appeared in movies and TV shows in a career that spanned nearly 60 years....
. Writer Albert Mol
Albert Mol
Albert Mol was a popular Dutch author, actor and TV personality, who appeared in movies and TV shows in a career that spanned nearly 60 years....
also has a small role in the film himself as Mr. Van Schaveren.
The opening scene is shot at the airport Schiphol. Many scenes in the film are shot in the city of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, most in the canal house, in the red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
, and at the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s.