Flesh & Blood (1985)

Directed by: Paul Verhoeven | 126 minutes | action, drama, war, adventure, history | Actors: Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Burlinson, Jack Thompson, Fernando Hilbeck, Susan Tyrrell, Ronald Lacey, Brion James, John Dennis Johnston, Simón Andreu, Bruno Kirby, Kitty Courbois, Marina Saura, Hans Veerman, Jake Wood, Héctor Alterio, Blanca Marsillach, Nancy Cartwright, Jorge Bosso, Mario De Barros, Ida Bons, Jaime Segura, Bettina Brenner, Siobhan Hayes, Susan Beresford, Mònica Lucchetti, Anne Lockhart

Before Paul Verhoeven put himself on the international map with ‘Robocop’, the filmmaker had already tried to gain worldwide fame. That first attempt was called ‘Flesh & Blood’. Verhoeven’s trademarks are clearly present in this Spanish/American production. So get ready for a lot of violence and sex if you want to see this film.

‘Flesh & Blood’ is about Martin (Hauer) and his gang of robbers. The club earns their living from mercenary work in which they kill as many people as possible in exchange for money. A life full of massacres and rapes pleases the gang, until they get angry with their old clients. Soon the gang is hunted by the army and they have to flee. During the flight, Martin meets the princess Agnes (Jason Leigh). Initially, the girl is kidnapped, but later an affair develops between her and Martin. Although. Agnes knows that her fiancé and the military are looking for her to rescue her from the gang. Is the princess playing a game with Martin or does she really like him?

‘Flesh & Blood’ is an incredibly hard film. Not only is the violence rather rudely portrayed, it is mainly a few rape scenes that are difficult to digest. Verhoeven has portrayed those unpleasant moments very explicitly and realistically and that just doesn’t feel right. Exactly what Verhoeven had in mind: to shock. In ‘Flesh & Blood’ you can see Verhoeven’s vision of the Middle Ages. A time when a human life meant nothing and where lust for power and self-preservation are the only reasons for existence. The director’s bleak vision makes for a depressing film that you won’t soon forget. Hauer is on a roll and portrays the unhinged hit man as an intensely evil person with a lot of charisma. Although Martin is a depraved person, you still empathize with him because he is the product of a perverted world. He doesn’t know any better. He’s not much worse than the other characters. Everyone in this movie is looking for something they can’t find. Love, happiness or money: the end goal is clear. But in a world where everyone can only rely on themselves, those elements are very scarce. Verhoeven takes the heavy atmosphere even further by playing with your emotions. The characters all have a dual agenda and who you can trust is left guessing. If the love between Martin and Agnes turns out to be the only pillar of support in the film, Verhoeven is not afraid to put that certainty into question.

Nothing is what it seems in ‘Flesh & Blood’. The film is certainly exciting and in terms of action there is little to criticize about this movie. The film is shot at full speed and the mass scenes are impressive. Unfortunately, not everything is equally successful. At the end of ‘Flesh & Blood’ the realism disappears and gives way to strange plot twists that don’t care much for logic. Unfortunate. People with a strong stomach should not miss this Floris on acid. Hard-hitting fairy tales like this are no longer made.