The Blood of Heroes

The core of all post-apocalyptic trash flicks is the concept in which the desolate setting makes it possible to revive classic myths and archetypal stories that have been discredited because their naïveté, whether that involves the western (Mad Max 2 and its imitators) or messianic stories (Cyborg). Whereas the old genres turn to the past and thus evoke bittersweet melancholy over the impossibility of returning to the old times, the post-apocalypse provides the romantic illusion that the days of great heroes and traditional values will come again (soon, it is often said). The Salute of the Jugger is a unique contribution to the genre in terms of the type of myth that it updates. The subject of post-apocalyptic revival here is not a film genre or a heroic archetype, but the phenomenon of widely watched sporting events. In teams of five, the wandering juggers play a brutal variation on American football, which has its own bloody regional matches as well as an extreme and often deadly major league. The film literally fulfils the wishes of fans of the most popular American contact sports – American football and wrestling – when it offers an amped-up gladiatorial spectacle instead of pre-arranged victories and divers in pads. Paradoxically, the sport depicted in the film became a real pastime, primarily in Germany, Ireland and Australia, where local leagues compete and sometimes international jugging matches are held. However, it is necessary to add that, as is typical of the purely illusory bravado of viewers who project themselves onto their post-apocalyptic heroes, real juggers are as from being the fictional prototypes as loggers are from being medieval knights. In their version, the game is reminiscent of a variation on dodge ball and lacrosse with wooden weapons wrapped in foam rubber. But getting back to the film itself, it captivates with its distinctive vision and precisely constructed screenplay by first-time director David Peoples, whose name is otherwise associated with films such as Blade Runner, Unforgiven and 12 Monkeys. The fact that The Salute of the Jugger was an ambitious project in its time is confirmed by the cast featuring Rutger Hauer, Joan Chen, Delroy Lindo and Vincent D'Onofrio. It is necessary to understand that back then these were not names found only in the domain of B-movies, as they ranked among the top acting talents of the time (Hauer had appeared in Blade Runner and D'Onofrio in Full Metal Jacket, Chen had worked with Bertolucci and Lindo was a respected Shakespearean actor). Unfortunately, the film tragically failed and left a stain on the careers of everyone involved, some of whom never again rose from the category for Z-list stars. (02/22/2013)

Today I watched one of my earlier favorites after about twenty years and found a huge number of flaws with it. The film is a classic Australian B-movie from a world that has turned in the wrong direction. Jugger matches are a sort of cross between American football and gladiators. Although I prefer the more intelligent game of rugby and American football is a dumb sport for people who manage to graduate college only because they can run fast, I still found the film entertaining and it brought back a few nostalgic memories. (11/13/2017)

I like Rutger Hauer. I like films that aren't afraid of explicitness. And I like action movies. In this case, it's essentially gladiatorial matches that last until the end. However, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Perhaps it's the pace, perhaps the style, but it somehow worked for me... I don't know. It was good, but it didn't blow me away. (11/17/2015)