Flesh+Blood (1985)

An unworldly maiden betrothed to a self-modelled Renaissance prince, finds herself in the clutches of a rogue mercenary and his motley band of warriors in this 16th Century adventure tale. Verhoeven's audacious English language debut was always going to confound a US audience with its absence of traditional heroes, shifting sympathies, complex sexual politics and incredulous plot twists that delivered plenty of the flesh and blood that the title promised. Despite its flaws, the film is also sharply written, deftly directed and, above all, highly entertaining.