Flesh+Blood (1985)

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writers:

Paul Verhoeven (screenplay)
Gerard Soeteman (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

30 August 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

A timeless adventure, a passion for wealth and power. Only the strongest will survive

Plot:

A band of medieval mercenaries take revenge on a noble lord who decides not to pay them by kidnapping the betrothed of the noble's son...

Plot Keywords:

Mercenary | Noble | Plague | Kidnapping | Revenge

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Rutger Hauer	...	Martin
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Agnes
Tom Burlinson	...	Steven
Jack Thompson	...	Hawkwood
Fernando Hilbeck	...	Arnolfini (as Fernando Hillbeck)
Susan Tyrrell	...	Celine
Ronald Lacey	...	Cardinal
Brion James	...	Karsthans
John Dennis Johnston	...	Summer
Simón Andreu	...	Miel
Bruno Kirby	...	Orbec
Kitty Courbois	...	Anna
Marina Saura	...	Polly
Hans Veerman	...	Father George
Jake Wood	...	Little John
Héctor Alterio	...	Niccolo
Blanca Marsillach	...	Clara
Nancy Cartwright	...	Kathleen
Jorge Bosso	...	Sterz
Mario De Barros	...	Herman
Ida Bons	...	Roly Poly
Jaime Segura	...	Lord of the Castle
Bettina Brenner	...	Lady of the Castle
Siobhan Hayes	...	Child of the Castle
Susan Beresford	...	Sturdy Woman
Mònica Lucchetti	...	Tongueless Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anne Lockhart	...	Wife (uncredited)

Directed by
Paul Verhoeven

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gerard Soeteman		screenplay
Gerard Soeteman		story
Paul Verhoeven		screenplay

Produced by
José Antonio Sáinz de Vicuña	....	associate producer
Gijs Versluys	....	producer (as Gys Versluys)

Original Music by
Basil Poledouris

Cinematography by
Jan de Bont

Film Editing by
Ine Schenkkan

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton
Valorie Massalas

Art Direction by
Félix Murcia

Costume Design by
Yvonne Blake

Makeup Department
Francisca Guillot	....	hair stylist
Kathy Kühne	....	makeup artist
Miguel Sesé	....	chief makeup artist (as Miguel Sese)

Production Management
Malcolm R. Harding	....	production supervisor (as Mack Harding)
David Middlemas	....	post-production supervisor
Carlos Orengo	....	local production manager
Marta Pérez Ferrándiz	....	first assistant production manager
Carlos Ramón	....	first assistant production manager
Remmelt Remmelts	....	unit production manager
Walter Saxer	....	second unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steven-Charles Jaffe	....	second unit director
Jindra Markus	....	first assistant director
Mischa Muller	....	assistant director: spata

Art Department
César Benítez	....	property master (as Cesar Benitez)
Elly Claus	....	artistic coordinator
Julián Martín	....	painter
Laura Moreno	....	second assistant art director
Ramón Moya	....	construction manager (as Ramon Moya)
Luis Vallés	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Danniel Danniel	....	sound editor
Marcel De Hoogd	....	head sound assistant
Kees Linthorst	....	sound editor
Nick Meijer	....	sound mixer
Marc Nolens	....	sound editor
Ad Roest	....	foley mixer
Ad Roest	....	foley recordist
Ad Roest	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ad Roest	....	sound
John Tak	....	sound recordist
Tom Tholen	....	sound recordist
Tom Tholen	....	sound

Special Effects by
Reyes Abades	....	special effects chief technician
Joe Digaetano	....	special effects coordinator
Carlos Paradela	....	special effects makeup
Antonio Parra	....	special effects chief technician
David Domeyer	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Mario De Barros	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Solier Fagundez	....	stunts
Juan Maján	....	stunt coordinator
Joaquin Olivas	....	stunts
José Panizo	....	stunts
Javier Piementel	....	stunts
José Sacristán	....	stunts
Victoriano Terrón	....	stunts
Camilo Vila	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter De Bont	....	operator: second unit
Marc Koninckx	....	Steadicam operator
José Luis Martínez	....	gaffer (as Jose Luis Martinez)
Hugo Van Baren	....	key grip
Robert Wiesmann	....	assistant camera
Alexander Witt	....	first assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Adoración Almela	....	wardrober
Martín Díaz Porras	....	wardrobe master
Martín Díaz Solaz	....	wardrober
Isabel Díaz	....	wardrober
Pablo Espinosa	....	wardrober
Joaquín Montero	....	wardrober
Isabel Perales	....	wardrober
Delfín Prieto	....	wardrober
Marina Rodríguez	....	wardrober

Editorial Department
Genevieve Saifi	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Dan Carlin Sr.	....	music editor (as Dan Carlin)
Nick Hosker	....	music editor
Greig McRitchie	....	orchestrator
Basil Poledouris	....	conductor
Jack Smalley	....	orchestrator
Eric Tomlinson	....	music recording engineer

Other crew
Frans J. Afman	....	motion picture banking
Paco Ardura	....	horse master
Javier Chinchilla	....	production assistant
Anastasio Díaz	....	wrangler
Robert Easton	....	dialect coach
Tom Elliott	....	safety officer
Francisco González	....	wrangler
Rachel Griffiths	....	script supervisor
John L. Hargreaves	....	post-production representative
Fabienne Hulsebos	....	production secretary
Timoteo Navado	....	wrangler
Susana Prieto	....	production secretary
Carlos Alonzo Roco	....	wrangler
Anthony Shaffer	....	creative consultant
Lucas Uranga	....	wrangler
Joyce van Rijn	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• Riverside Pictures
• Impala (co-production)

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• Cannon Tuschinski Film Distribution (1985) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Kinosto (1986) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Orion Pictures Corporation (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Rank Film Distributors (198?) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinema Classics (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Globo Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Koch Media (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1995) (Finland) (TV)
• Nelonen (1999) (Finland) (TV)
• Nordic Video (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Roadshow Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Simitar Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Skorpion Home Video (unknown) (Italy) (VHS)
• Spentzos Film Home Video (1987) (Greece) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  prints by (as DeLuxe)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

126 min | Netherlands:125 min | Sweden:117 min

Country:

Spain | USA | Netherlands

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (1986) | France:12 | Norway:16 (1986) | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-16 (1996) | Iceland:16 | Australia:R | USA:R (cut) | New Zealand:R16 | USA:Unrated (DVD rating) | USA:X (original rating) | Netherlands:16 | Brazil:16

Filming Locations:

Belmonte, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Company:

Riverside Pictures

Trivia:

Nastassja Kinski and Rebecca De Mornay were considered for the part of Agnes. De Mornay was rejected because she demanded that her then boyfriend, Tom Cruise, be cast as Steven. Jennifer Jason Leigh was ultimately handpicked by director Paul Verhoeven himself.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Toward the end of the film, a bright set light seen reflected in Summer's sword blade.

Quotes:

Cardinal:Why are you so scared? Everything is predestined. Life runs its own course. Look at this little angel! Saint Martin has sent us a little angel to play with!

Movie Connections:

References Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Soundtrack:

Throughout the Years

"Flesh" & "Blood": Verhoeven's clever euphemisms for "Sex" & "Violence", his trademarks. Exceptional.

Ok, we're talking about a movie that's basically titled Sex & Violence by none other than Paul Verhoeven?! Those of us who know better should know what to expect here. For those of you who don't, know this: the same man responsible for the ultra sexy "Basic Instinct" and the ultra violent "RoboCop" made his debut (in American cinema, at least) with this masterwork concoction of ultra sex AND ultra violence.

Set in medieval Europe, the utter savagery of the sex and violence in this film is perhaps more at home than it could have been in any other setting. Depredation and debauchery: to the victor go the spoils, be they women, wealth, or what have you. And just a brief word about the plague: there's been a lot of criticism about the accuracy of its use in this movie. How 'bout the sheer ingenuity of it: the use of plague ridden slabs of dog as biological weaponry. Repugnant. Vile. Ingenious. Priceless, I loved it.

Rutger Hauer is excellent, this is probably my favorite performance of his. He's a power inflated pillager who is a bit of a tyrant to his followers. He's the devil we expect him to be. Jennifer Jason Leigh is surprisingly good in her youth as a sexually curious, devious little wench whose loyalties sway with the wind. She's a survivor.

Who this movie is NOT for: Those who have to think too hard about every movie they see, who demand a certain level of intellectuality (which is commendable). Plot holes? Are you kidding me, what plot? This isn't English Patient, its Sex and Violence. And for those with inhibitions about film content, who demand a certain level of decency (which is understandable), again, Sex and Violence, this movie is certainly not for you.

One of the few films I would call a masterpiece. But that's coming from someone who thinks Apocalypse Now is the finest cinematic experience ever realized, so take that for what its worth. RoboCop, I would call a masterpiece. U Turn, I would call a masterpiece. Big Lebowski, I would call a masterpiece. Flesh & Blood I would call a masterpiece.

10/10 easy