Flesh and Blood (1985) DVD - Non-USA Format, PAL Region 2 Import from Germany - Classic Medieval Adventure Movie for Film Collectors & History Enthusiasts

Although commonly called a "medieval" adventure, the film is actually set in the early Renaissance. Appropriately for the setting, it features the triumph of reason and technology over superstition and brute force, both literally and metaphorically. It also echoes growing cynicism toward a Church which for centuries had openly advocated the use of violence to attain worldly power and wealth. Director Paul Verhoeven allows these themes to be expressed via the action, without any preachy exposition, albeit with about the same degree of subtlety he displayed while skewering corporate greed in Robocop and Total Recall.If you're looking for black-and-white morality or unambiguous heroes and villains, look elsewhere. Rutger Hauer is in top form as Martin, a charismatic mercenary who seeks to reclaim status and power after his unit is cheated out of a promised reward by the nobleman who employed them. Tom Burlinson plays Steven, the nobleman's son, whose betrothed is kidnapped by Martin after the betrayal. Steven has recently returned from a university in Italy where he studied the works of Renaissance masters like Leonardo da Vinci, and aspires to be a scholar until a serious injury to his father during a confrontation with Martin forces the mantle of authority onto his shoulders. Burlinson's performance makes Steven's oscillation between idealism and ruthlessness completely believable. Jennifer Jason Leigh is absolutely riveting as Agnes, the highborn hostage, deftly playing the passions of the other characters against one another and callously using her femininity as a weapon in a bid to survive at all costs.The movie's few flaws stem from the relatively small budget with which it was made, primarily plot conveniences which serve as shorthand for "scenes that might have been", and a handful of special effects shots (like the lightning during the climactic battle) which seem dated by today's standards. However, those shortcomings are insignificant when taken in the greater context of a setting which evokes a gritty, authentic, "dawn of an era" atmosphere.