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:

Betrayed by power. Corrupted by love. Bound by honor.

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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

In this movie, Rutger Hauer commands a band of medieval mercenaries, among them Brion James. In Blade Runner (1982), Hauer commands a band of rebel androids ("replicants"). James is one of them.

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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

Featured in Slotavond van de Nederlandse Filmdagen (1985)

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Soundtracks

Throughout the Years
Composed by Charles Williams

User Reviews

A Surprisingly Good Film

I decided to watch this film after a very heavy three day drinking session and to be honest was not expecting a great deal. However, at the end I deemed it to be the best two hours of my life. What a film!

The Cardinal (Ronald Lacey) was by far the most outrageous and stand out performance. I may be a bit biased from England but over the top acting from Lacey seems to be his forte and he certainly does not disappoint. Rutger puts in a typically strong performance as does Jason-Leigh and the supporting cast.

My favourite scene had to be Soldier Martin standing in front of the upturned carriage with the wheel representing the halo from the statue of Saint Martin. For me this was the icing on the cake.

The only question mark about this film is the contraption that Steven constructs to storm the castle. It definitely is a work of art and for those times would be considered quite an Engineering achievement. Not to mention the time in which it is built in such an effortless manner. However, PV seems to make this fit with the spirit of the film and after a few chuckles it is all forgiven.

Its certainly a film that will not stand up today with modern attitudes and morals but I fully recommend this film. Add it to your collection NOW!