Such a frustrating disappointment

i must have seen a different film!!

Good concept, poorly executed.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

When l saw this picture for first time in 1988,it's overwhelm myself so realist movie where the director Verhoeven describe fully lecherous behavior of people from the medieval era,actually were hard times to everyone to survive in a lawless land,the powers come from state cities and ruled by the Catholic church mainly....so this piece of art made by Verhoeven careless more adjectives to explain so magnificent movie,of course there are some minor faults like the unbelievable war machine build in the whole night and ready to use in next day and the scene where the boy use a lightning bolt to break the chains....therefore the movie didn't reach the high standard to me!!! Resume: First watch: 1988 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 8.5

It's 1501 Western Europe. Martin (Rutger Hauer) leads a group of veteran mercenaries. Arnolfini promises them 24 hours of looting but he recants on his promise. Arnolfini's son Steven (Tom Burlinson) is engaged to Agnes (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Their caravan is attacked by Martin and Agnes is taken. Steven struggles to rescue her.Paul Verhoeven gives us lots of sex and violence in this medieval drama. It has since become his signature move. It's over the top nature was only restrained by his budget. Of course, Verhoeven gets people to walk around naked especially Jennifer. This could be categorized as cheese. Mind you, it's extremely high class expensive cheese. The humor can be very broad. Some of the acting is very big. All of it very memorable. The best part may be the sexual relationships that goes on in this movie. Who seduces who is maybe the most compelling question. The love triangle looks different depending on which side you're coming from. It's both compelling and a fun guilty pleasure.

A band of medieval mercenaries take revenge on a noble lord who decides not to pay them by kidnapping the betrothed of the noble's son.As the plague and warfare cut a swathe of destruction throughout the land, the mercenaries hole up in a castle and await their fate...The film can be very confusing and downright odd at times. One moment it's serious and quite depressing, the next, Hauer has you laughing out loud from his facial gestures and one liners.But Verhoevens first American movie is just what you would expect from the auteur. We have violence aplenty, nudity for no good reason, and as much of Jennifer Jason Leighs bare body anyone could care for.And she really steals the film, playing a very nasty and downright near schizophrenic character who may or may not care for either of the men her life.But it wouldn't be a hard decision to make though thanks to the portrayals. In one instance, Hauer comes across as the caring one of the two men, full of warmth and loyalty to his friends and to her.And we have the other guy, who looks like a young Simon Le Bon, and spends the majority of the film whining about this and that, and this becomes very difficult for the viewer as we are supposed to empathise for this spoilt waste of space.There are many references to religion, and even in one scene, we see Hauer and a halo around his head, something that crops up in a lot of the directors movies.There are a few standout scenes, and the film has a very cold and murky feel to it, but it's a great Hollywood debut and a great performance from Hauer who is as iconic as ever, and a lovely sinister performance from Leigh.

Am about 2/3ds through this film because of Paul Vanderhoeven. It's been a real slog--horrible script, beyond the worst clichés--stupidity isn't the word. Phony 16thC music out of a 40's Robin Hood movie doesn't help. Even Rutger Hauer looks uncomfortable. Did Vanderhoeven plan to do this as campy satire of the genre and then at the last minute cable the scenes together as "serious"? I'll try to get through the rest, but it's just a big yawn; plot(?), there isn't any. So many spears through chests, as dramatic as watching grasshoppers eat grass. There are a few laughs in this mess, imagining it as satire, but then it just keeps going, more grass and grasshoppers. I was waiting for a tried and true boiling oil over the castle ramparts to "the bad guys"; maybe it's yet to come; maybe a few cocktails will help. The one plus are Jennifer Jason Leigh's breasts.