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...
Release Year: 1985
Rating: 6.7/10 (7,643 voted)
Director:
Paul Verhoeven
Stars: Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Burlinson
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.
Writers: Paul Verhoeven, Gerard Soeteman
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
Taglines:
In a savage time, torn between two rivals she fought for survival with the only weapon she had... herself.
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:
Factual errors:
After drinking from the contaminated well, several characters immediately fall ill from plague. Plague by any vector has an incubation period of at least one day.
Quotes: Hawkwood:
I didn't see the damn thing! Martin:
I did sir
[helps Hawkwood]
Martin:
. Hawkwood:
Bless you Martin, your reward is in heaven. Martin:
I'd rather get paid sooner sir if you don't mind.
User Review
Machiavellian, Violent, Amoral and Hypnotic Adventure in the Middle Ages
Rating: 9/10
In 1501, in the Western Europe, in a period when the black plague is
jeopardizing the populations, an army of mercenary peasants leaded by
Martin (Rutger Hauer) fights side-by-side with the noble Arnolfini
(Fernando Hilbeck) to retrieve his castle, with the promise of a huge
reward. However, the band is betrayed by Arnolfini, and decides to pay
him back, assaulting and stealing a caravan under the command of
Arnolfini and his son and student, Steven (Tom Burlinson). In one of
the wagon is traveling the fiancée of Steven, Agnes (Jennifer Jason
Leigh), who is accidentally kidnapped and later raped by the group.
Agnes becomes Martin's mate, and the mercenaries decide to invade a
castle, without knowing that the army of Arnolfini is chasing them.
"Flesh & Blood" is one of the best movies in the Middle Ages I have
ever seen: it is a Machiavellian, violent, amoral and hypnotic
adventure, indeed very brutal, with the peasants being poor and
ignorant people, with dirty clothes, spoiled teeth, living in dirty and
muddy villages. Therefore, a vision totally different from Hollywood
movies, with fancy castles and villages with beautiful people. The
direction of Paul Verhoven is efficient and perfect as usual, and the
entire cast has magnificent and very natural performances, highlighting
the amazing Rutger Hauer in the role of Martin, and Jennifer Jason
Leigh who has one of her best performances, in the stunning role of a
young woman that uses her body to fight for survival in a hostile
environment. I have this movie on VHS, but I bought the DVD recently
released in Brazil by the distributor Continental, and it was a
worthwhile investment, since the widescreen image and the sound are
excellent. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Conquista Sangrenta" ("Bloody Conquest")
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