Flesh + Blood (1985)
Betrayed by power. Corrupted by love. Bound by honor.
Director: Paul Verhoeven · Writers: Paul Verhoeven, Gerard Soeteman
A band of medieval mercenaries take revenge on a noble Lord who cheated them by kidnapping his son's fiancée. 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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Trailer
Director
Paul Verhoeven
Cast
Rutger Hauer
Martin 
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Agnes 
Tom Burlinson
Steven 
Jack Thompson
Hawkwood 
Susan Tyrrell
Celine 
Ronald Lacey
Cardinal 
Brion James
Karsthans 
John Dennis Johnston
Summer 
Bruno Kirby
Orbec 
Fernando Hilbeck
Arnolfini 
Marina Saura
Polly 
Kitty Courbois
Anna User Reviews (3)
***Moral ambiguities and barbaric reality in post-Medieval Europe*** At the beginning of the 16th century in plague-ridden Western Europe an uncouth band of lawless mercenaries led by the charismatic Martin (Rutger Hauer) kidnap a virgin noblewoman (Jennifer Jason Leigh) as revenge against a double-dealing Lord (Fernando Hilbeck). The tough commoners hole up in a small castle while the Lord’s son, Steven (Tom Burlinson), tries to save his betrothed (Leigh) with his militia. While the events in "Flesh+Blood" (1985) take place just after the medieval period, it could be categorized as a medieval flick. It takes the general setting & color of “The Last Valley” (1971) and mixes-in the music & tone of “Conan the Barbarian” (1982) with genius Basil Poledouris scoring both (although this score is nowhere near as notable). The film’s brutal grit and vulgarities influenced “Ro…
The supporting characters make this a classic. Most classic films are that way. This tale of Middle Ages blood and gore and survival is quite epic. Paul Verhoeven directs, so we can expect the "in your face" style that he's best at doing. There isn't the comic relief that you get in a lot of his movies. This is hard nosed action and blood. I guess that's why it's "Flesh+Blood". The romantic triangle are aging warrior Martin (Rutger Hauer), the plain blueblood virgin Agnes (Jennifer Leigh, who usually isn't this plain), and the nobleman's son, Steven (Tom Burlinson). We get hints that Steven is heroic at first, compared to his wicked father who cheats his soldiers and does what he can for money. Steven is a scholar who we are supposed to care about because he reads. Well, he quickly becomes a monster worse than his father. Martin actually works for the cardinal. In the Middle Ag…
The Lord "Arnolfini" (Fernando Hilbeck) makes quite a misjudgement when he promises a fortune to mercenary leader "Martin" (Rutger Hauer) if he agrees to help him retake his castle, only to renege on the deal. "Martin" and his merry band duly attack a caravan that is carrying his son "Steven" (Tom Burlinson) and fiancée "Agnes" (Jennifer Jason Leigh). She is brutally raped by the men, with the complicity of their leader who quickly claims her as his own. Their travels take them to a castle which they decide to capture, but what they don't realise is that the army of their former employer is giving chase. If he succeeds in catching up with them, then we might be in for quite a lively siege. This is quite a fun drama with plenty of earthy, even bawdy, action scenes that depict quite plausibly just how a marauding band of 16th century adventurers might have behaved. There's some enjoyable …
