Le sang des héros

Don't buy the hype. This Mad Max-esque film is one of the bleakest films I have seen in a long time. All characters are unhappy souls, surviving in a grim world, unable to improve their lot, prone to an almost genetically determined urge to mess things up. They have egos and the big guns aren't used to working with other people or playing by the rules. The cinematography is stark and bare, with only the soundtrack adding some effect. It's an amazing work and everything I had hoped for. From an artistic standpoint, there were some plot elements and character developments I didn't think were totally needed. They do however drive the story, which seemed to be their purpose, so I can accept them. Verdict: 7/10.

I am surprised and delighted by the sheer depth of this movie every time I re-watch it. Not only is the jugger sport convincing, well-designed and very enthusiastically played by the excellent cast of actors, but the post-civilised (as opposed to post-apocalyptic) world it takes place in is both subtly drawn and entirely believable. Nowhere in the pithy script is there the usual heavy-handed sci-fi references to the nuclear war (or whatever) that reduced human-kind back to feudal barbarism. We are presented with the world of the juggers as-is, without a single "as you know, our society collapsed after the great firestorm in the sky" speech or a hint that the heroes of the title can improve mankind's sad situation as anything other than gladiatorial entertainers. A masterpiece that should be on DVD, converted into a computer game and, if they can get the original cast and production team together, sequelled.

What a hidden gem of a cinematic effort! I cannot believe that this film didn't receive the notoriety it deserved back in '88! The backdrop is the standard post-apocalyptic mess that humanity has left itself in after "who knows what." The juggers travel town-to-town in search of food and entertainment, in return for providing matches against the local teams.

The script is well executed and one is led to believe this sport would have a wide following in the aftermath, almost like a team sport of UFC of the future. The characters are superb and Hauer and Chen really give them life. Rutger needs to go back to this flick and see what he has lost! I really cared about this band of juggers and it seemed like everyone in the ensemble was on the same page. The Blood Of Heroes is a tremendous miss in the anals of great sci-fi films. Please go rent it.

I certainly didn't have high expectations as I rented this movie. I hadn't heard of it before so I figured it would be some B-version of Mad Max. The reason it caught my eye was that it featured Rutger Hauer in the leading role. His acting skills is limited but his charisma gives his characters a weight that many better actors can't provide.

David Webb Peoples have done more writing than directing. He is behind movies such as "Blade Runner" , "Twelve Monkeys" and "Soldier", all of them similar to "Salute of the Jugger".

It's easy to tell that this movie have a low budget. Most of it takes place out in an apocalyptic desert kind of landscape. The rest in an underground colosseum. No panoramic shots. There are no special effects whatsoever, and that enforces the sense of gritty, futuristic realism that sets this movie apart from many others in the same genre.

You never get to know any of the characters well, but they all have a certain depth thanks to the good acting performances. Luckily this movie has no humoristic sidekick character. That's a relief. Most of these movies have one or several of those.

This movie is no masterpiece, but it's a well-played movie that kept me entertained for the time it lasted. I wouldn't mind seeing it again. With some character development and a bigger budget it could have been a true classic, and it deserves more recognition.

If you haven't seen this movie already I suggest you do it.

It was a while ago when I first saw this movie and watched it again recently. People might complain that it doesn't have enough dialogue, plot is not intricate enough, there aren't any special effects for a Sci-fi movie, and it is too low budget to be considered a good movie. But I'll say people who say such things, they don't really know how to appreciate a good movie or understand what a good movie is, because they are too used to modern day rubbish jam packed with special effects, explosions, unnecessary twists and horrible scripts.

I think everything is done just right in the movie and I especially love the way they give no sentimentality to the backdrop to the movie. No discussion of the past as to why the world they do jugging is the way it is and everyone in this world just get on with their lives in this gritty desolate world without any lamenting thoughts to the past.

I won't go into much detail, but all I'll say is just watch the movie and you'll be glad that you did. By the way, it seems like there are two versions which I didn't realise until I read the comments here and seems like the shorter version cuts out the ending. Since I thought the ending was very fitting I do recommend you watch the longer version, it just won't have the same impact without the proper ending.