Flesh+Blood is a 1985 film directed by Paul Verhoeven. It is set in the year 1501 in Italy, and follows a group of mercenaries as they loot, rape and kill. The script is partly based on unused material for the Dutch TV series Floris, which was the début for Paul Verhoeven, Gerard Soeteman and Rutger Hauer. The movie was also known as The Rose and the Sword on early VHS releases. In 1501, a city in Italy has been taken by a coup d'état while its rightful ruler, Arnolfini , is away. Arnolfini promises mercenaries 24 hours of looting if they succeed in retaking the city, and they do... so. But in the middle of their revelry, Arnolfini wants them gone. Hawkwood , the commander of his troops, is caring for a young nun he mistakenly attacked during the siege. Arnolfini promises to get her medical attention and Hawkwood leads Arnolfini's cavalry, betraying his former lieutenant, Martin . The cavalry ejects the mercenaries from the city without their loot. Soon after, Martin's son is stillborn. Burying the infant unearths a wooden statue of Saint Martin of Tours - a saint with a sword.
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| Release date: | August 30, 1985 |
| Directed by: | Paul Verhoeven |
| Runtime: | 126 Minutes |
| Producer: | Gijs Versluys |
| Editor: | Ine Schenkkan |
| Music by: | Basil Poledouris |
| Cinematography: | Jan de Bont |
| Screenplay by: | Gerard Soeteman, Paul Verhoeven |
| Estimated budget: | $6,500,000 |
| Genre: | Adventure |