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Kenneth Armstrong




Location: Alexandria, VA (for the moment)
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PostPosted: Sat 23 Sep, 2006 2:58 pm    Post subject: Best historical movie (that includes swordfighting)         Reply with quote

In your opinion, what is the best movie that is relatively accurate in historical content with decent battle sequences (swordfighting in particular).

Totally inaccurate, but I have always loved the battle sequences in Braveheart.
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Nathan Robinson
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PostPosted: Sat 23 Sep, 2006 3:08 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

You might consider checking out this topics:

any good medieval or fantasy dvds to watch?

More movie talk...

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Mikko Kuusirati




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PostPosted: Sun 24 Sep, 2006 4:24 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Rob Roy would be the best I've seen, and since you liked Braveheart I think you'd enjoy this one as well. It's also set in Scotland albeit centuries later, deals with the same kind of themes though on a more personal level, is far more historically accurate, with far more believable fights, and far better written, too, IMO. Happy

The final duel is pretty much my personal benchmark for realistic and dramatic swordplay in film.

"And sin, young man, is when you treat people like things. Including yourself. That's what sin is."
— Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum
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George Hill




Location: Atlanta Ga
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PostPosted: Sun 24 Sep, 2006 6:46 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Mikko Kuusirati wrote:
Rob Roy would be the best I've seen, and since you liked Braveheart I think you'd enjoy this one as well. It's also set in Scotland albeit centuries later, deals with the same kind of themes though on a more personal level, is far more historically accurate, with far more believable fights, and far better written, too, IMO. Happy

The final duel is pretty much my personal benchmark for realistic and dramatic swordplay in film.


Rob Roy is one of the best, but I personally loved the opening scene in HBO's Rome.

To abandon your shield is the basest of crimes. - --Tacitus on Germania
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Allen W





Joined: 02 Mar 2004

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PostPosted: Sun 24 Sep, 2006 7:32 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

While Brave Heart is much better viewed as fantasy I find the fighting quite good (Though not reflective of the specific battles they were supposed to portray). The opportunistic aspect of it is very similar to what one reads in various sagas and chronicles.
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Edward Hitchens




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PostPosted: Sun 24 Sep, 2006 9:16 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I'm definitely with you guys on Rob Roy. That's certainly one of my favorites.

"Aye, one might have hoped that a field so regularly plowed might have yielded one good crop..." Now that's what I call a metaphor! Laughing Out Loud

Pardon me for saying so, but I've come to notice that topics like these yield disagreements on what is historical and what is not. Someone will note that the fight scenes in (let's say) Braveheart are historically accurate. Later, someone else will respond and say how totally inaccurate it was: "How can a film based on history be that inaccurate ... blah blah??" That, in turn, will spawn a sub-debate on defining and identifying historical record and the like. Perhaps we can disallow that from repeating here Wink . I apologize for bringing up something irrelevent to Kenneth's question; I'm just suddenly having flashbacks of the Kingdom of Heaven topic from awhile back. Worried

But to answer Kenneth's question, I'd say Rob Roy. Cool

"The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest." Thomas Jefferson
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Henrik Bjoern Boegh




Location: Agder, Norway
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PostPosted: Sun 24 Sep, 2006 4:14 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Another cheer for Rob Roy! Big Grin

I love all the swordplay in that film. The tecniques look good, rapier VS. broadsword fights are very interesting, because there are mostly duels in the film you aren't distracted as much as in the more "epic"-styled filmes with great battles. Also the way fatigue is used as a weapon by the evil-yet-clever Cunningham (now that's the word; cunning Big Grin )I find interesting.
The costumes are good (well, appart from the no-coat issue Big Grin ), the weapons look good, the acting is great, the dialogue is amusing at times and all in all well written!

The sword fighting in Erroll Flynn films is very entertaining and dynamic. Robin Hood from 1938 which he stars in have some of the most entertaining swordplay I've ever seen in a film. Though this is not historically accurate Worried
Master and Commander has some good scenes...

Cheers,
Henrik

Constant and true.
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Laurie W
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Location: SW Arizona
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PostPosted: Mon 25 Sep, 2006 2:44 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

An earlier cunning use of "fatique" and even being "older" was highlighted in the "13th Warrior's" Holmgang (duel) scene. The Viking Holmganga was a set duel with very laid out rules of engagement. First time I had seen this in a movie.

You can thank William Hobbs for the Rob Roy fighting. Great stuff!

Laurie Wise-Fraser FSA Scot.

Kirby Wise-Fraser FSA Scot.& Son
Arms and Armour
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Jean-Carle Hudon




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PostPosted: Mon 25 Sep, 2006 3:16 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I enjoyed the duel in Rob Roy, and I agree that Master and Commander is good, but for swordplay, get The Duellists by Ridley Scott, on a Joseph Conrad story set in the Napoleonic era, two military men who know what they're about who face off at every chance, with a much younger Harvey Keitel as the psychopath... the underlying history is very good, with the triumphant french hitting a wall in the retreat from Russia, Waterloo, the divided loyalties and finally the restauration... Most know Scott for the Gladiator, but I really think that myArmoury readers can appreciate the swordplay done in the Duellists.
Jean-Carle

Bon coeur et bon bras
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Bryce Felperin




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PostPosted: Mon 25 Sep, 2006 10:59 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Jean-Carle Hudon wrote:
I enjoyed the duel in Rob Roy, and I agree that Master and Commander is good, but for swordplay, get The Duellists by Ridley Scott, on a Joseph Conrad story set in the Napoleonic era, two military men who know what they're about who face off at every chance, with a much younger Harvey Keitel as the psychopath... the underlying history is very good, with the triumphant french hitting a wall in the retreat from Russia, Waterloo, the divided loyalties and finally the restauration... Most know Scott for the Gladiator, but I really think that myArmoury readers can appreciate the swordplay done in the Duellists.
Jean-Carle


Definitely one of my favorites. The Saber dual was worth watching over and over again! The non-sword stuff was pretty entertaining too.
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Eric Myers




Location: Sacramento, CA
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PostPosted: Tue 26 Sep, 2006 9:25 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Yes, The Duellists is great. Queen Margo is also quite good.
Eric Myers
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Sean Flynt




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PostPosted: Tue 26 Sep, 2006 9:39 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

The Mission
-Sean

Author of the Little Hammer novel

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Hammer-Sean-Flynt/dp/B08XN7HZ82/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=little+hammer+book&qid=1627482034&sr=8-1
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Daniel Staberg




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PostPosted: Tue 26 Sep, 2006 11:03 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

My personal favourites are the Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974) directed by Richard Lester with a cast that included
Michael York as d'Artagnan
Oliver Reed as Athos
Frank Finlay as Porthos
Richard Chamberlain as Aramis
Jean-Pierre Cassel as Louis XIII
Geraldine Chaplin as Anne of Austria
Charlton Heston as Richelieu
Faye Dunaway as Milady de Winter
Christopher Lee as the Count De Rochefort
Raquel Welch as Constance Bonacieux
Spike Milligan as M. Bonancieux
Roy Kinnear as Planchet

Good acting, great swordplay and a dose of earthy humour make these by far the best filmed versions of Dumas stories
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Henrik Bjoern Boegh




Location: Agder, Norway
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PostPosted: Tue 26 Sep, 2006 12:02 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Daniel,

Although I'm a great fan of both the books by Dumas and the 1973 and 74 films, I have to disagree a bit with you. The swordplay is great in the sence that's it's amusing and hugely entertaining! But it's not very good swordplay, I think. They are somewhat clumsy, and not masters of swordplay as Dumas describes them.
But, I do love the fighting scenes in those movies, and I think it's one of my all-time favourite films! Also I think the swordplay in these two films are far better than any of its' contemporary films; for instance The Man in the Iron Mask which also includes Richard Chamberlain.

I hope I didn't stirr up a heated debate with my little critisism :P Big Grin

Cheers,
Henrik

Constant and true.
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Nathan Hoin




Location: Austin, Texas
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PostPosted: Tue 26 Sep, 2006 5:05 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I agree whole heartedly with the Duellists, it is, in my opinion, the best historical film ever made. The smallsword duel seems very accurate to me and, as was already mentioned, the sabre duel is great as well. I'm glad Queen Margot was mentioned (I really love this film), which portrays the hopelessness of St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre very vividly. Very accurate in showing how hopeless street fighting can become, and there is an interesting hunting scene as well. The Three Musketeers is probably one of my favorite films of all time, great actors and characters, and the swordplay is amusing and reflects the characters involved, and with no pretensions to accuracy (which I think is commendable).
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Steve L.





Joined: 22 Jul 2006

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PostPosted: Thu 28 Sep, 2006 2:51 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Don´t hit me: "Troy"

I´m an bronze age enthusiast and the fight between Eric "Hector" Bana and Brad "Achilles" Pitt is the best "reconstruction" of BA duell figthing i´ve ever seen. The BA weapons are made for an very quick combat, the pictures on minoan and proto-greece vases shows deep fighting stances - like the later asian fighting arts.

I hate this movie, but i like this fight!

Then follows Rob Roy...

And "the Jester" with Danny Kaye!
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Chuck Russell




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PostPosted: Thu 28 Sep, 2006 4:36 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Daniel Staberg wrote:
My personal favourites are the Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974) directed by Richard Lester with a cast that included
Michael York as d'Artagnan
Oliver Reed as Athos
Frank Finlay as Porthos
Richard Chamberlain as Aramis
Jean-Pierre Cassel as Louis XIII
Geraldine Chaplin as Anne of Austria
Charlton Heston as Richelieu
Faye Dunaway as Milady de Winter
Christopher Lee as the Count De Rochefort
Raquel Welch as Constance Bonacieux
Spike Milligan as M. Bonancieux
Roy Kinnear as Planchet

Good acting, great swordplay and a dose of earthy humour make these by far the best filmed versions of Dumas stories


ever see the third one? return of the musketeers? funny still.


personally, i like the advocate (uk title: Hour of the Pig)

its not a fighting movie, but the clothes and accessories are almost spot on for the men for the 15thc.
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Mikko Kuusirati




Location: Finland
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PostPosted: Thu 28 Sep, 2006 4:52 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

On the off chance someone else here has seen it, what do you guys think of a little-known French film from 1997, Le Bossu? The title translates as "The Hunchback", but I think it was released in English-speaking regions as On Guard. It was based on a French novel of the same name, IIRC.

An intentionally - and very charmingly - old-fashioned swashbuckling adventure movie, I thought the fight sequences were quite nice and down-to-earth, except for "le Botte de Nevers" which I found a solid enough concept (a "secret" combo designed to set up and open an uninitiated opponent for an unavoidable finishing thrust) but ridiculous in execution (perhaps a little overly long and complex, the component moves weren't all that special and didn't actually set anything up as far as I could tell, and the finishing target was absurd). But the rest looked good enough, to my very-much-not-an-expert-on-the-era eye.

Also, Marie Gillain is heartbreakingly cute. Happy

"And sin, young man, is when you treat people like things. Including yourself. That's what sin is."
— Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum
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Hugo Voisine





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PostPosted: Thu 28 Sep, 2006 6:22 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I saw this movie a while ago... interesting one. Was the movie with Daniel Auteuil has Lagardère, right ?

I've heard once that the last half of the swords were CG.
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Vincent Le Chevalier




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PostPosted: Thu 28 Sep, 2006 6:57 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Ah yes, "Le Bossu" is still one of my favourite among movies-with-swords Happy

Though not necessarilly realistic, the fights are really entertaining and do not feature any "kung-fu moves" (flying kicks and the like), which I always found misplaced in such a context. I think I read somewhere that Michel Carliez, the fight director, had indeed studied period manuals (was it the one by Domenico Angelo ? I'm not sure now...). I think it reflects a bit in the action, but one must take into account that not all actors are great swordmen...

Concerning "la botte de Nevers", the idea is really taken from the book of Paul Féval that inspired the movie, and many argued that such an infaillible trick could not exist. It was made more complex in the movie, but I think it helps the spectator (not always an expert swordman either Wink ) understanding what's going on. The finishing target is definitely in the book, it's a thrust between the eyes. It's said that Paul Féval was especially impressed by a similar strike he saw in a salle d'armes (he is a XIXth century writer, and fencing was quite common as a sport these days). I must confess I have a hard time understanding the move just from the description in the book though Happy So I happily forgive the fight director...

And yes half swords were used indeed for safety reasons, a thrust to the eyes being clearly one of the must dangerous move to execute in a stage fight...

Regards

--
Vincent
Ensis Sub Caelo
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