Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Flesh+Blood Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 25, 2014

Two years before he delivered “RoboCop” to the masses, director Paul Verhoeven attempted his first connection to Hollywood-style filmmaking with 1985’s “Flesh + Blood.” Remaining true to his European sensibility, Verhoeven didn’t simply deliver a big screen adventure with swinging swords, damsels in distress, and castle battles, but a picture with distinct elusiveness, eschewing heroes and villains to create a war movie with a sophisticated morality. And rape. Lots of rape. “Flesh + Blood” doesn’t display the helmer firing on all cylinders, but it’s an interesting chapter in his gore-stained career, unleashing his signature cinematic roar on an industry that often had no clue what to do with him.

“Flesh + Blood” is medieval adventure film, boasting rotting combatants, threat of the plague, and a noble quest. Through Verhoeven’s prism, the lines of decency are blurred, with the central love triangle between Agnes (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Martin (Rutger Hauer), and Steven (Tom Burlinson) more of a lustful free-for-all, with the princess playing both sides out of excitement, while the men encounter their fill of corruption. Despite an interesting tilt to the derring-do routine, “Flesh + Blood” is repetitive, cycling through the same beats of combat, agitation, and revelry while the production dreams up new ways to sexually assault the female characters.

Flesh+Blood Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation is strange, with cinematographic anomalies frequently popping into view, including a slight vertical stretch and outright distortion in one travel scene. It doesn't seem to be a question of poor materials, but there are distractions to those sensitive to such matters. Some mild sharpening appears, but nothing too distracting, while coloring is odd at times, drowning many moments in a suffocating glaze of red. Detail is satisfactory, isolating the grit of the era and its physical decay. Blacks are passable, with comfortable delineation during low-lit encounters. Grain is heavy, and the print shows no overwhelming signs of damage.

Flesh+Blood Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix requires some volume riding to master, emerging with a slightly quieter quality than the average BD release. Scoring is hearty, with blazing orchestral sweeps, delivering satisfying instrumentation that's balanced well with action sequences. Dialogue is somewhat problematic, offering a shrillness that's hard on the ears when received at top volume. This could be inherent to the original design, but it's disappointing, sounding sharp and flat. Hiss is minimal.

Flesh+Blood Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary with director Paul Verhoeven is included.

• "Composing 'Flesh + Blood'" (12:38, SD) interviews Basil Poledouris, who seems perfectly delighted with his efforts to bring the movie a level of musical regality. Recalling his impression of Verhoeven and his thoughts on motifs and cinematic power, Poledouris covers his creative process in full.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:35, HD), which amusingly plays down the performances, is included.

Flesh+Blood Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Flesh + Blood" is diverting, shares select moments of cleverness, and pursues a satiric tone at times (organized religion receives a pantsing), but it's also miscast, with Leigh way out of her league as a singular temptation, while Hauer can't keep up with Verhoeven's gusto. The movie just doesn't live up to the helmer's glorious sense of screen madness, more consumed with establishing ugliness than embracing the potential for a ripping medieval quest.