I’ve mentioned before that in the late 1980’s I had a brief flirtation with the world of home video rental and retail.
Seriously, it was a great time to be in that unique subset of the entertainment business as each week video stores tapped into what looked like a never-ending stream of titles, foreign and domestic. Most of the larger outlets – the ones affiliated with chains big and small – weren’t exactly privy to what would be showing up as new releases in those weekly shipments, so every Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday – depending upon the mail service or truck delivery – was like Christmas morning. Regular customers would be stopping by to see what arrived, and I learned more than a thing or two about B-Movies and imports from a great many fans and fanatics who followed the film industry much closer than I did. That’s probably the only thing I truly miss about those particular days gone by: the constant education about what audiences both knew and wanted or were willing to take a chance on.
As I never had the time to watch each and every flick that came along, I learned how to best gather reliable impressions of the more trustworthy customers in order to make recommendations if and when I was asked by others. Because a great number of these new releases were practically unheard of by the vast majority of consumers, patrons did look to store clerks and managers much like some consult a favorite film critic in order to gauge whether or not something like Flesh+Blood (1985) – something that looked an awful lot like 1982’s Conan The Barbarian – was actually worth not only their $3 rental fee but also the loss of a few hours. Indeed, the packaging was impressive, but what more could I tell them to sway them into believing that such an investment was worthwhile?
Well …
A great number of folks had rented and returned Flesh+Blood, one of the reasons that writer and director Paul Verhoeven was eventually recruited to make films in America. Sadly, not all that many had much to say about it. Oh, there was some action in it. There was a bit of palace intrigue. And it felt like a serviceable enough medieval swashbuckler to make for an entertaining evening in. But what it also had – I think this was the only universal response across the board – was a somewhat notorious rape sequence of the on-the-cusp of stardom actress Jennifer Jason Leigh.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
Seriously, it was a great time to be in that unique subset of the entertainment business as each week video stores tapped into what looked like a never-ending stream of titles, foreign and domestic. Most of the larger outlets – the ones affiliated with chains big and small – weren’t exactly privy to what would be showing up as new releases in those weekly shipments, so every Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday – depending upon the mail service or truck delivery – was like Christmas morning. Regular customers would be stopping by to see what arrived, and I learned more than a thing or two about B-Movies and imports from a great many fans and fanatics who followed the film industry much closer than I did. That’s probably the only thing I truly miss about those particular days gone by: the constant education about what audiences both knew and wanted or were willing to take a chance on.
As I never had the time to watch each and every flick that came along, I learned how to best gather reliable impressions of the more trustworthy customers in order to make recommendations if and when I was asked by others. Because a great number of these new releases were practically unheard of by the vast majority of consumers, patrons did look to store clerks and managers much like some consult a favorite film critic in order to gauge whether or not something like Flesh+Blood (1985) – something that looked an awful lot like 1982’s Conan The Barbarian – was actually worth not only their $3 rental fee but also the loss of a few hours. Indeed, the packaging was impressive, but what more could I tell them to sway them into believing that such an investment was worthwhile?
Well …
A great number of folks had rented and returned Flesh+Blood, one of the reasons that writer and director Paul Verhoeven was eventually recruited to make films in America. Sadly, not all that many had much to say about it. Oh, there was some action in it. There was a bit of palace intrigue. And it felt like a serviceable enough medieval swashbuckler to make for an entertaining evening in. But what it also had – I think this was the only universal response across the board – was a somewhat notorious rape sequence of the on-the-cusp of stardom actress Jennifer Jason Leigh.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“In medieval Europe, a young girl from a noble family is obsessed with her captors - commoners.”
Throughout my life, friends and family have always accused me of being hard on films, even those flicks that I truly love. While I never mean any production so much as a sliver of disrespect, I still keep my expectations high. If I’m going to give a picture a few hours of my life, then is it too much to expect that I be both mildly entertained and educated? By educated, I’m not asking for a collegiate dissertation. I am suggesting that I should learn something about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, even if that comes down to celebrating a particular performance before or behind the camera.
This is where I usually part ways with many, and that’s probably the case, too, with Verhoeven’s very good and very capable Fantasy/Thriller Flesh+Blood. Unlike others, I appreciate the fact that the film probably portrays the authentic levels of risk those who lived way, way, way back then experienced, be it from foreign invaders, inclement weather, or something we casually dismiss as ‘the plague.’ You come down with a bout of those dark sniffles in the Middle Ages, and statistically you were less likely to survive the week. Not everyone perished from rapists and pillagers sacking their village: many more simply fell ill, and Flesh+Blood has a subplot that rather grimly points that out.
But dissecting the chronicle further, I’m still a bit confused as to who’s story this is, so let me explain.
At the onset, (King?) Arnolfini (played by Fernando Hilbeck) has built a small army with the intent of taking back the castle and a small city that apparently was usurped from him. Among his very best soldiers are Captain Hawkwood (Jack Thompson) and his best lieutenant (of sorts) Martin (Rutger Hauer). When Arnolfini’s son and scholar Steven (Tom Burlinson) hatches a scheme with which to blast their way through the gates, the tried-and-true soldiers scoff, as they know – perhaps better than most – that such inventions can never replace the sheer ferocity of battle. Steven’s plot fails, but the siege is nonetheless successful.
“In medieval Europe, a young girl from a noble family is obsessed with her captors - commoners.”
Throughout my life, friends and family have always accused me of being hard on films, even those flicks that I truly love. While I never mean any production so much as a sliver of disrespect, I still keep my expectations high. If I’m going to give a picture a few hours of my life, then is it too much to expect that I be both mildly entertained and educated? By educated, I’m not asking for a collegiate dissertation. I am suggesting that I should learn something about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, even if that comes down to celebrating a particular performance before or behind the camera.
This is where I usually part ways with many, and that’s probably the case, too, with Verhoeven’s very good and very capable Fantasy/Thriller Flesh+Blood. Unlike others, I appreciate the fact that the film probably portrays the authentic levels of risk those who lived way, way, way back then experienced, be it from foreign invaders, inclement weather, or something we casually dismiss as ‘the plague.’ You come down with a bout of those dark sniffles in the Middle Ages, and statistically you were less likely to survive the week. Not everyone perished from rapists and pillagers sacking their village: many more simply fell ill, and Flesh+Blood has a subplot that rather grimly points that out.
But dissecting the chronicle further, I’m still a bit confused as to who’s story this is, so let me explain.
At the onset, (King?) Arnolfini (played by Fernando Hilbeck) has built a small army with the intent of taking back the castle and a small city that apparently was usurped from him. Among his very best soldiers are Captain Hawkwood (Jack Thompson) and his best lieutenant (of sorts) Martin (Rutger Hauer). When Arnolfini’s son and scholar Steven (Tom Burlinson) hatches a scheme with which to blast their way through the gates, the tried-and-true soldiers scoff, as they know – perhaps better than most – that such inventions can never replace the sheer ferocity of battle. Steven’s plot fails, but the siege is nonetheless successful.
However, once he’s been returned to his place on the throne, Arnolfini has no further need for an army of savages, nor does he wish to retain them in the city wherein they might eventually take up arms against him. As such, he orders Hawkwood to betray the men – including Martin and his gallery of vicious oddballs – by leading them into a trap. Rather than see them killed, Arnolfini allows for them to be ceremoniously stripped of their weapons and thrown out of his kingdom.
Now, structurally, all of this really accomplishes is setting up the opposing forces for Flesh+Blood. It becomes obvious very early on that Martin and his comrades are intent upon amassing their own riches – their self-proclaimed Cardinal (Ronald Lacey) prophesies that their leader will lead them into the upper class – and it’s easy to suspect that these two ‘empires’ will inevitably come into conflict. Hawkwood retires from military life, taken to caring for a nun he unfortunately wounded while retaking the city. Hoping to safeguard his rule by building new allegiances, Arnolfini arranges for his son Steven to wed Agnes (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a lovely princess from a nearby realm.
The catalyst that pits Steven against the re-emerging Martin and his band of radicals occurs when those nefarious rogues ambush the carriages ferrying Agnes to the castle. Once she’s discovered in hiding, the virginal would-be queen is raped by Martin and ends up – in typical Hollywood fashion – falling in love (or lust) with him. And why not? He’s introduced her into a world with sex, violence, and villainous debauchery that she’s never known and only heard about; so when girls just wanna have fun Agnes becomes this ultimate medieval good-time consort who’s willing to beg, borrow, or steal to get ahead in times of crisis.
Eventually, Steven, his father, Hawkwood, and the remaining soldiers surround Martin and his men in a nearby castle they’re seized; and the showdown is set. Once more, Steven uses his uncharacteristic genius to concoct another grand invention which similarly fails, but it does give him access (in its failure) to the castle grounds. (Well, the truth is he falls into a tree inside the property, so it worked inadvertently.) Still, there’s really no big throwdown between our two warring men, and it’s a calamitous fire that kinda/sorta spells Martin’s kinda/sorta doom … though not really.
Now, structurally, all of this really accomplishes is setting up the opposing forces for Flesh+Blood. It becomes obvious very early on that Martin and his comrades are intent upon amassing their own riches – their self-proclaimed Cardinal (Ronald Lacey) prophesies that their leader will lead them into the upper class – and it’s easy to suspect that these two ‘empires’ will inevitably come into conflict. Hawkwood retires from military life, taken to caring for a nun he unfortunately wounded while retaking the city. Hoping to safeguard his rule by building new allegiances, Arnolfini arranges for his son Steven to wed Agnes (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a lovely princess from a nearby realm.
The catalyst that pits Steven against the re-emerging Martin and his band of radicals occurs when those nefarious rogues ambush the carriages ferrying Agnes to the castle. Once she’s discovered in hiding, the virginal would-be queen is raped by Martin and ends up – in typical Hollywood fashion – falling in love (or lust) with him. And why not? He’s introduced her into a world with sex, violence, and villainous debauchery that she’s never known and only heard about; so when girls just wanna have fun Agnes becomes this ultimate medieval good-time consort who’s willing to beg, borrow, or steal to get ahead in times of crisis.
Eventually, Steven, his father, Hawkwood, and the remaining soldiers surround Martin and his men in a nearby castle they’re seized; and the showdown is set. Once more, Steven uses his uncharacteristic genius to concoct another grand invention which similarly fails, but it does give him access (in its failure) to the castle grounds. (Well, the truth is he falls into a tree inside the property, so it worked inadvertently.) Still, there’s really no big throwdown between our two warring men, and it’s a calamitous fire that kinda/sorta spells Martin’s kinda/sorta doom … though not really.
As you might see from this synopsis, Flesh+Blood isn’t your typical jaunt through one of history’s harshest eras. Yes, it benefits greatly from a realistic depiction of violence and the lack of practical medicine to save lives, but Verhoeven – who cowrote this with Gerard Soeteman – otherwise saddles the narrative with a great deal of rather obtuse melodrama. The earthy and provincial women in Martin’s gang turn up their noses at having to endure Agnes’ participation in their spoils – the script dabbles with far too many potential consensual and non-consensual hook-ups to delineate – and even the men grow tired of Martin’s on-again-off-again self-proclaimed sainthood. About the time when any of it is coming to a head, we’re pitched into battle once more, leaving the dynamics unresolved and ready to rear their head again once the action subsides.
While Leigh is a truly great talent, she’s pretty much sidelined with a character that makes little sense.
Her early scenes are portrayed with an almost childlike innocence surrounding affairs of the heart; and yet once she’s splayed out on the ground by Martin’s men and women she seemingly can’t wait for the fun to start. (Yes, I realize she was doing what she felt entirely necessary to save herself, but there was no threat of bloody murder, was there?) Later, she begins vacillating repeatedly between wanting to be rescued to Steven – whom she only lightly seemed smitten with on their meeting – while celebrating nakedly in Martin’s thuggish embrace at every opportunity. I’m sorry but did she want to be rescued or didn’t she? Is she happy with a life beyond the royal trappings, or was she looking for the fast-track back into the lifestyles of the rich and famous? Here, it honestly looks like she could’ve gone either way – her part is even played as such with no significant commitment to either man – so is this what Verhoeven believes accounts for true love in medieval times? Girl, make up your mind, already!
Further muddying the waters is the fact that Flesh+Blood crescendos with a somewhat predictable big battle in the final reel. Much of the success for the Arnolfini’s forces is owed to Hawkwood when the man hatches a plot to use biological warfare well before such a term was likely coined. Sadly, Steven – our hero (???) – is pretty much along for the ride rather than a key player. He does manage to pluck his bride-to-be Agnes from the onslaught, and – while she does go with him – I’m not entirely certain she wanted to. I guess at this juncture she just decides, “Why not? If I’m destined to be nothing more than a wife, then it may as well be with a castle free of the Bubonic Plague.” Can’t say I blame her.
While Leigh is a truly great talent, she’s pretty much sidelined with a character that makes little sense.
Her early scenes are portrayed with an almost childlike innocence surrounding affairs of the heart; and yet once she’s splayed out on the ground by Martin’s men and women she seemingly can’t wait for the fun to start. (Yes, I realize she was doing what she felt entirely necessary to save herself, but there was no threat of bloody murder, was there?) Later, she begins vacillating repeatedly between wanting to be rescued to Steven – whom she only lightly seemed smitten with on their meeting – while celebrating nakedly in Martin’s thuggish embrace at every opportunity. I’m sorry but did she want to be rescued or didn’t she? Is she happy with a life beyond the royal trappings, or was she looking for the fast-track back into the lifestyles of the rich and famous? Here, it honestly looks like she could’ve gone either way – her part is even played as such with no significant commitment to either man – so is this what Verhoeven believes accounts for true love in medieval times? Girl, make up your mind, already!
Further muddying the waters is the fact that Flesh+Blood crescendos with a somewhat predictable big battle in the final reel. Much of the success for the Arnolfini’s forces is owed to Hawkwood when the man hatches a plot to use biological warfare well before such a term was likely coined. Sadly, Steven – our hero (???) – is pretty much along for the ride rather than a key player. He does manage to pluck his bride-to-be Agnes from the onslaught, and – while she does go with him – I’m not entirely certain she wanted to. I guess at this juncture she just decides, “Why not? If I’m destined to be nothing more than a wife, then it may as well be with a castle free of the Bubonic Plague.” Can’t say I blame her.
What’s truly sad is that Flesh+Blood ends with Martin’s survival. (This is not a complaint.) We’re shown that he escaped death by fire after absconding with some of his band’s collected treasure whilst climbing down one of the castle’s towers in the distance. Because the ‘bad guy’ lived and – for all intents and purposes – the ‘good girl’ was proven to be in love with him, who’s to say that Agnes wouldn’t ultimately have wanted to make off with him to a life in the wild? There was absolutely nothing tying her to the ‘good guy’ Steven – well, despite the arranged marriage and the promise of a seemingly good life – so what really was all the pre-marital fuss about?
Flesh+Blood is a spectacle without heart. It’s a tale told vividly that, ultimately, truly amounts to nothing more than the deflowering of a woman promised to one man while being wildly ridden and put back wet (and thrilled with the sexual progress) by his political adversary. While I can appreciate the hard knock life for what it was, Verhoeven’s feature still leaves us with so little to celebrate; and I suspect that’s why it underperformed back in the day and largely survives now on cult statis. Some suggest that it was ‘ahead of its time,’ but I say it was all a bit too directionless and anticlimactic to amount to much more than a passing fancy.
Flesh+Blood (1985) was produced by Riverside Pictures and Impala. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Capelight Pictures. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still see that the original source for this release isn’t in the best shape in a few spots. Night sequences especially show a great deal of grain. None of it is particularly distracting, but I’m just being honest from a viewer’s perspective: it’s there, and it’s rather obvious. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts a director’s commentary along with a few interviews: it’s just enough to probably keep serious fans interested.
Recommended, but …
I have to confess that on many levels Flesh+Blood (1985) is a hard film to suggest others check out because – structurally – it really goes nowhere. There’s some good set-up along with some twists and turns, but that’s about all there is textually. Everything we learn about the characters at the beginning is pretty much the same come the big, bold, battling finish; so there’s been very little narrative progress. Yes, our young maiden Agnes has – ahem – blossomed into a scheming royal; and yet I can’t help but wonder which man she would’ve chosen had the film gone forward into a further chapter. Frankly, that, too is a bugaboo of mine from seeing it back in the day – it seems a story left unfinished – and aside from its technical prowess from a younger director Verhoeven the flick is at best a guilty pleasure, maybe even for all the wrong reasons.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Capelight Pictures and MPI Home Video provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Flesh+Blood (1985) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Flesh+Blood is a spectacle without heart. It’s a tale told vividly that, ultimately, truly amounts to nothing more than the deflowering of a woman promised to one man while being wildly ridden and put back wet (and thrilled with the sexual progress) by his political adversary. While I can appreciate the hard knock life for what it was, Verhoeven’s feature still leaves us with so little to celebrate; and I suspect that’s why it underperformed back in the day and largely survives now on cult statis. Some suggest that it was ‘ahead of its time,’ but I say it was all a bit too directionless and anticlimactic to amount to much more than a passing fancy.
Flesh+Blood (1985) was produced by Riverside Pictures and Impala. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Capelight Pictures. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still see that the original source for this release isn’t in the best shape in a few spots. Night sequences especially show a great deal of grain. None of it is particularly distracting, but I’m just being honest from a viewer’s perspective: it’s there, and it’s rather obvious. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts a director’s commentary along with a few interviews: it’s just enough to probably keep serious fans interested.
Recommended, but …
I have to confess that on many levels Flesh+Blood (1985) is a hard film to suggest others check out because – structurally – it really goes nowhere. There’s some good set-up along with some twists and turns, but that’s about all there is textually. Everything we learn about the characters at the beginning is pretty much the same come the big, bold, battling finish; so there’s been very little narrative progress. Yes, our young maiden Agnes has – ahem – blossomed into a scheming royal; and yet I can’t help but wonder which man she would’ve chosen had the film gone forward into a further chapter. Frankly, that, too is a bugaboo of mine from seeing it back in the day – it seems a story left unfinished – and aside from its technical prowess from a younger director Verhoeven the flick is at best a guilty pleasure, maybe even for all the wrong reasons.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Capelight Pictures and MPI Home Video provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Flesh+Blood (1985) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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