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+--- Thread: The Duellists (1977) (/showthread.php?tid=4553)
The Duellists (1977) - Drunk Monk - 07-20-2018
Hobbs or Hashimoto. Tough call for my TGIF mourning eve viewing but I could Amazon Prime this and all of Hashimoto's films that I could find I had to rent so Hobbs it is.
Haven't seen this in years. Ridley Scott going all Rembrandt with so much shadow, based on another brilliant short by Joseph Conrad, which I read so many years ago but cannot remember at all (Scott also poached the name Nostromo from Conrad, which I haven't read). The scenery is lush, the costumes and settings spectacular, a seemingly loyal vision of what the Napoleonic period was. Carradine (Keith, not John or David) gives my favorite performance of his career, even though some of his character's actions seem in defiance of previous scenes. Keitel has one note, but he plays it with such razor precision. The soundtrack and scene swaps feel dated, locked in the style of late 70s period flicks, and Keach's narration feels very forced. But those sword fights. They almost go backwards with the best fights towards the front of the film and the final fights being less thrilling choreographically, but it still works. Hobbs gave them such a gritty realism, particularly the sound of the steel clashing and the way the wounds occur. Some of the most realistic feeling swordfights ever filmed.
El Rey asked me to name my 5 top movie fights for some interstitial segment they plan to use somewhere. I only had a short moment to think about it, and later had the 20/20 hindsight that I should've limited my choices to Shaw Brothers films, just for El Rey. But now, I'm thinking I should of cited this as one. Oh wait, maybe I did. Damn, I can't remember now. Those interstitials were from a different director and total improv. They had me do some last year, but they didn't use any of it, except one flash of an empty hand Shaolin move they used in the show promo.
But back to Hobbs, this is surely one of his masterpieces. The tension he sets up in his fights, along with that spontaneous, staccato feel just rings so true. There's no flair or flourish, just cut or be cut, and that feeling of desperation and fear is palpable. To Hobbs, I salute you.
RE: The Duellists (1977) - Dr. Ivor Yeti - 07-20-2018
Ditto. His fights, George MacDonald Fraser’s screenplay, Richard Lester's direction, the ensemble acting, Oscar Kolombatovich’s swords/daggers, all conspired to make a Three Musketeers that would inspire me to take up fencing.