Flesh and Blood
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Fernando Hilbeck, Jack Thompson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rutger Hauer, Tom BurlinsonBrand: HAUER,RUTGER
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Color, DVD, Letterboxed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 126 minutes
Published: 2004-02-01
DVD Release Date: 2004-02-03
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Movie Reviews of Flesh and Blood
Movie Review: Graphic Sword and Princess story shows more medieval truth than most similar films
Summary: 5 Stars
'Flesh And Blood' was made in 1985, so get ready for a VERY young Jennifer Jason-Leigh as Agnes, a maiden of noble blood on her way to her fiancé. Nobleman Arnolfini (Fernando Hilbeck) has decided its time for his book-headed son, Stephen (Tom Burlinson), to wed.
So much for love, but on the war side, Arnolfini has used a rowdy band of commoners and mercenary peasants led by Martin (a very young Rutger Hauer) to clear his city of miscreants. The peasants present a problem in and of themselves, so Arnolfini reneges on his promise to them, refusing to pay them for their help.
Led by Martin and a mad priest, the band of peasants raid Arnolfini's caravan, wounding Arnolfini and unknowingly kidnapping young Agnes. As the peasants celebrate their spoils, Agnes is discovered hiding underneath a pile of clothing and is pulled out and raped. Yes, the rape scene is pretty graphic, but it actually blends with the movie. The surroundings of Flesh And Blood are not the pretty castles and noble knights and clean cities of LOTR. The women are prosties, course and vulgar, the speech is rough, the landscape mud and blood and hanged men.
Agnes, however, is a selfish girl, spoiled and used to getting her way. She manipulates Martin into choosing her over his wanton wench, so that he would keep her to himself and not share her around the group. At first reluctantly, and then with more vigor, she joins with the marauders as they raid and capture a castle.
Stephen finds he must pull his head out of his books and rescue Agnes, so he gathers and army to assault the castle the peasants have barricaded themselves in. Using engines and structures of his book's designs, he lays siege to the castle, including flinging corpses riddled with plague over the walls.
Agnes, it seems, is torn. Who should she back in this battle to the death? He betrothed nobleman? Or the wild mercenary who has shown her the pleasant things in life?
'Flesh And Blood' is gritty and visually real, though there are flaws in the film as well. Such as, the speed in which plague takes to infect and sicken a person, but its flaws do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the film. Especially if you like medieval type flicks.
There is violence, nudity, and blood, so this isn't an LOTR kind of movie made for kids. The supporting cast, especially Brion James, performs extremely well. The film has excellent cinematography, a good script, great acting, superb costume design, and lots of grittiness. Enough to keep this horror/fantasy girl quite happy. Definitely a 'Buy'. Enjoy!
Summary of Flesh and Blood
In the battle between good and evil, only the strong survive! From visionary director Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct) comes this "vivid and muscular" (Variety) epic adventure of medieval bravery and blood lust starring Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh! In the chaotic, morally bankrupt Europe of 1510, a cold-hearted warrior named Martin (Hauer) leads his motley crew of mercenaries into battle to reclaim the castle of an ousted nobleman. But when the despot betrays them, Martin and his band of ruffians strike back by kidnapping the innocent young maiden (Leigh) betrothed to the nobleman's sona fearless Renaissance man who must risk life and limb to rescue the woman he loves!A rarely screened cult favorite from Paul Verhoeven, this story of medieval war and revenge should please action fans and admirers of the director and his semi-regular leading man, Rutger Hauer, but its graphic scenes of sexual violence earmark it for mature viewers only. Hauer stars as a 16th-century mercenary hired by a Western European ruler (Fernando Hilbeck) to assault a neighboring kingdom; when the king reneges on his promises to Hauer and his men, they kidnap his son's fiancee (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and hole up in a nearby castle. Hauer and Leigh are standouts in a strong cast that includes Tom Burlinson, Bruno Kirby, the late Brion James, and Susan Tyrrell; Verhoeven's realistic approach to the down-and-dirty facts of medieval life and the bloody aftermath of warfare offers a refreshing alternative to most Hollywood period films, but a pair of brutal rape scenes may be too much for some audiences. MGM's DVD is widescreen. --Paul Gaita
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