Flesh + Blood

Griffith · April 14, 2003

Check it out, this movie partially influenced Berserk:

Miura: “I wasn't really thinking of anybody at the time I created Guts. But if you're only talking about his looks and not about his personality then I guess Rutger Hauer was the model. I saw him playing a mercenary in a medieval movie, "Flesh & Blood" and I really liked him in that movie.”

Just by looking at the cover, the parallel to Berserk is obvious. I managed to find a copy of it that was taped off of HBO, so I’m going to watch it tonight (if this old tape actually works). It’ll be interesting to see the similarities between it and the series.

-Griffith

P.S. Told you Guts was Dutch. ;)

Shin Hakaida · April 14, 2003

yeah that movie as pretty gory, there were some similarities to berserk though, sometimes when you see a particular scene, you can't just help think of berserk, it was like that for me. rutger hauer's character is pretty cool though, but he gets pretty nuts at the end.

Griffith · April 14, 2003

Yeah, many aspects of the movie are present in Berserk. It’s hard to describe beyond that; especially some of the more abstract elements. It makes you wonder how much is coincidence, and how much the movie subconsciously affected Miura's writing.

-Griffith

D · April 14, 2003

Just some crappy B-movie, except the late middle-age setting it doesn't have anything in common with Berserk.

Walter · April 14, 2003

D-Fels said:
Just some crappy B-movie, except the late middle-age setting it doesn't have anything in common with Berserk.

Look Closer

Wereallmad · April 14, 2003

Isn't Rutger Hauer Roy batty in blade runner? I have a hard time picturing him as Guts.

Majin_Tenshi · April 14, 2003

D-Fels said:
Just some crappy B-movie, except the late middle-age setting it doesn't have anything in common with Berserk.

Except that Guts helm and the guy's in the top-right look almost identical.

Griffith · April 14, 2003

D-Fels said:
Just some crappy B-movie, except the late middle-age setting it doesn't have anything in common with Berserk.

Come on, don’t be close minded, D-Fels. Miura said himself that he modeled Guts off of Rutger Hauer, directly citing this movie. That alone connects it to Berserk; and watching it myself, I thought the correlations we’re subtle, but many. Of course, Miura’s story is far too grand for this movie alone to have inspired it to any large degree, but that doesn’t mean we should just ignore it.

Wereallmad said:
Isn't Rutger Hauer Roy batty in blade runner? I have a hard time picturing him as Guts.

Yeah, the resemblance isn’t really apparent, but you can see it if you know what you’re looking for. Not surprisingly, in Flesh + Blood, Hauer has some pretty Guts-looking moments. I think it’s more about his presence and mannerisms than feature to feature physical likeness. Generally, Rutger looks more like Gambino to me, which I guess is interesting in and of itself.

-Griffith

Darok · April 14, 2003

he really does look a whole lot like Gambino. I need to go get this movie

Oltobaz · April 15, 2003

Thanks for those informations,Griffith.That's priceless!!I need to watch that movie!!

TheSkyTraveller · April 19, 2003

Actually, for some reason this movie has been playing on AMC a lot recently. I caught most of it but missed the beginning. I can see influence too; Flesh and Blood captures the gritty, violent side of medieval life that a lot of other films about that time period just don't.

Does anyone else that's seen this movie see influence for the Mandragora from the Berserk Dreamcast game from the mandarake root they pulled out of the ground in Flesh and Blood? :)

Guts has Rutger Hauer's nose...

Aazealh · April 19, 2003

TheSkyTraveller said:
Does anyone else that's seen this movie see influence for the Mandragora from the Berserk Dreamcast game from the mandarake root they pulled out of the ground in Flesh and Blood? :)

I unfortunately haven't seen the movie, but I know that the mandragora screaming while being pulled out thing is a well known myth.

Graywords · January 17, 2004

Flesh + Blood!

Yes, Flesh + Blood, the first purely English film sculpted by the wise scholar and playwright Paul Verhoeven, is finally coming to DVD!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000YEES0/imdb-adbox/102-5871713-9612921

For those who don't know, this movie was one of Miura's big inspirations for many things in Berserk. And, in true Verhoeven fashion, it's a magical festival of blood and tits. So pre-order your copy today!

P.S. Finally, those of us who were stuck with the so-so VCD copies will have no more Chinese subtitles obscuring the quality muff!

Griffith · March 7, 2004

Re:Flesh + Blood!

I never saw this thread, but I turned around in Borders today and there it was on display. I couldn't believe it.

-Griffith

KC · March 19, 2004

Re:Flesh + Blood!

Hey I actually went out and bought this, but was a bit disappointed

, but it is okay b/c I totally see the similarities of Berserk to this and understand how this could have been an influence of Miru...
Over a good movie, but compared to today's standards not the great...But have to remenber that it was made in 1985 (i think)...I don't think it is worth buying though would just watch it and be done with it...Although I must say very Jappanish storyline... ;D

Graywords · March 19, 2004

Re:Flesh + Blood!

KC said:
Hey I actually went out and bought this, but was a bit disappointed , but it is okay b/c I totally see the similarities of Berserk to this and understand how this could have been an influence of Miru...
Over a good movie, but compared to today's standards not the great...But have to remenber that it was made in 1985 (i think)...I don't think it is worth buying though would just watch it and be done with it...Although I must say very Jappanish storyline... ;D

At $9.99, it's a steal.

I definitely didn't get it for its Oscar-winning storyline and acting, though.

; I got it *only* because of its influence on Miura's storytelling. Miniscule, really, but still obvious. ^_-

I need to watch the director's commentarytrack ... I've heard it's interesting o.o

Walter · March 19, 2004

Re:Flesh + Blood!

I thought it was awesome. Fuck that "today's standards" bullshit.

Griffith · March 19, 2004

Re:Flesh + Blood!

Today's standards of greatness: Resident Evil, Alien Vs. Predator, Paul W.S. Anderson.

Whoever wins... we lose.

-Grifith

ShinHell9 · March 19, 2004

Re:Flesh + Blood!

Griffith said:
Today's standards of greatness: Resident Evil, Alien Vs. Predator, Paul W.S. Anderson.

Whoever wins... we lose.

-Grifith

Holywood's hitting a rough spot...

conan · April 15, 2004

Re:Flesh + Blood!

Walter said:
I thought it was awesome. Fuck that "today's standards" bullshit.

I agree.

I thought the movie was actually well done. At least it was somewhat realistic...
(ok, so you CAN'T lance a boil and be cure...it is after all fiction! ;))

Overall, good movie with great characters!
MARTIN IS A BAD MOFO!!

The_Fetus_Ninja · April 16, 2004

Re:Flesh + Blood!

Griffith said:
Today's standards of greatness: Resident Evil, Alien Vs. Predator, Paul W.S. Anderson.

Whoever wins... we lose.

-Grifith

High Standards: Evil Dead, Evil Dead2, AoD. ;D

I recall reading somewhere that Evil Dead influenced Miura too.. but nonetheless Flesh + Blood was pretty good.

Walter · April 26, 2004

Re:Flesh + Blood!

The_Fetus_Ninja said:
I recall reading somewhere that Evil Dead influenced Miura too.. but nonetheless Flesh + Blood was pretty good.

No, Miura was actually scared they would sue him for likeness. By coincidence, Berserk was written at near the same time that Evil Dead came out in theatres.

Auturgist · August 24, 2006

Oh snap, bumping an old thread!

I saw FLESH + BLOOD for the first time just now and it was fucking awesome.

That is all. :guts:

kite_ao · August 31, 2006

It's good to bump, now I know this movie exists. I'll be on the look out!

Oburi · December 21, 2006

Just bought this movie the other day and watched it, I must say i though it was pretty fuckin cool. I laughed my ass off at the cheap dialog ("What does a scientist need with a wife, you'll only get in the way") and when a bolt of lighting happen to hit and break this guys metal chains off, but it was still enjoyable, not to mention brutal. I saw lots of similarities, mostly the idea of Martin and his "band" of mercenaries who just join in random fights and collect the spoils after. One scene were a general or something asks martin to become a regular soldier and enjoy a decent pay ect. and martin turns him down "I'm just a merc" etc. seemed like it made it's way into berserk. I also made that mandragora connection, if there is one, and in that scene when those two are under the dead body digging, it reminded me of when guts was born around the hanging tree. There was some plague stuff in there too, which reminded me of shisu, especially since the king who had the plague in F&B was in the same kind of tent as shisu was. The whole group in F&B too, the group of mercenaries that you come to know by the end of the movie, that all end up dieing tragically. O yea and that one guys outfit reminded me of Mozgus, you'll know it when you see it.

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