Flesh + Blood (1985)

Paul Verhoeven’s first film in the English language bores all the hallmarks of the Dutch director, whose most recent film Benedetta was one of last years’ finest.

Rutger Hauer, still probably most famous for his turn in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) stars as a mercenary seeking revenge on his dismissive employer after an aborted coup. Set in Italy in 1501 during the early modern period, Hauer’s group of warriors sets about wreaking havoc on their previous employers, and en route to doing that take everything and everyone they meet, with rape, pillaging and looting not being a rarity.

A young Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Agnes is central to proceedings, playing with the affections of Hauer’s Martin and Steven (Tom Burlinson) and she puts in a terrific performance amid what is ultimately a sprawling and flawed Verhoeven vehicle. There’s much to enjoy amongst the chaos, with echoes of Polanski’s Macbeth (1971) as well as Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) with these two examples giving you a feel of just how absurd Flesh + Blood can be at times.

But overall this is Verhoeven dabbling in the medieval era, which means his extreme violence is a surprisingly accurate portrayal of the time, and for all its madness, Flesh + Blood, although scrappy in places, is an undeniably enjoyable watch. 6.9/10