Flesh+Blood (1985)

In medieval Europe, a young girl from a noble family is obsessed with her captors-commoners.

Director:

Paul Verhoeven

Writers:

Gerard Soeteman (screenplay), Gerard Soeteman (story)

Stars:

Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Burlinson

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

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. As the plague and warfare cut a swathe of destruction throughout the land, the mercenaries hole up in a castle and await their fate.

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Plot Keywords:

nudity | pregnant prostitute | prostitute | female removes her clothes | rape victim | 

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Taglines:

In a savage time, torn between two rivals she fought for survival with the only weapon she had... herself.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

Netherlands Spain USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

30 August 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Flesh & Blood

Filming Locations:

Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$6,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$100,000, 1 September 1985

Company Credits

Production Co:

Riverside Pictures, Impala

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min 128 min (uncut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul Verhoeven: [religious imagery] Martin's group idolizes the statue of a saint, which "points" them the way forward. In one shot Martin appears to have a halo over his head.

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Goofs

When Captain Hawkwood is announcing to the mercenaries that Arnolfini is reneging on the promise of reward, the cannons that he is standing behind, as if ready to fire them at the mercenaries, are 19th-century "parrot guns" used during the American Civil War.

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Quotes

Steven: What are you doing in this filthy place? Are you looking for something?
Agnes: I read a book in the convent library, about love and black magic. There was a passage I found fascinating.
Steven: What was it about?
Agnes: A magic root. Mandrake. It grows in a place like this. If a man and a woman eat of it, they will love each other forever.
Steven: Did it also say why you have to dig in this particular spot?
Agnes: The nuns inked out that passage very carefully.
Steven: When a man is hanged, he comes and his semen spills to the ground. ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The R-rated US video version has cut out some of the more explicit nudity of Jennifer Jason Leigh during the rape of her character. Also cut was part the more explicit lovemaking of the servant girl Kathleen. The full version has been shown on some US/Canadian cable stations.

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Connections

Referenced in Verhoeven Versus Verhoeven (2016)

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Soundtracks

Throughout the Years
Composed by Charles Williams

User Reviews

Paul Verhoeven's Best

I think this is Paul Verhoeven's best work. The story is set in Medieval Europe. The first time I saw this was on Netflix. It was the Not Rated Version. I've never seen this movie cut.I am going to get this movie on video and hopefully it will be the cut version. Flesh + Blood was cut to avoid an X rating It was cut. My book The Cutting Room Floor says Paul Verhoeven had to go back to the MPAA about three or four times. This is a explicit movie but no where near Basic Instinct. I think Rutger Hauer did an excellent performance as Martin. The cinematography is great, the sets are great, and the acting is great. Jennifer Jason Leigh does a good job as Agnes.