In honor of that, I have been re-watching lots of movies with fencing.
While a great many movies have swordfights, many of them are fairly mediocre Hollywood fencing moves taught to the actors (I’m looking at you, Lord Of The Rings).
i am not looking for a list of all movies with fencing, that would be a long list. I’m looking for movies with outstanding swordsmanship. Actual technique, sweaty realism and good history.
My short list:
Scaramouche 1952 By The Sword 1991 The Duellists 1977 Cyrano De’Bergerac 1950 The Seven Samurai 1954 The Three/Four Musketeers 1973 Rob Roy 1995 Twilight Samurai 2002
What say you?
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000)- can’t speak for the history (if there’s even supposed to be any) but great swordplay
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)- the history would get you a D+ in history class but by Hollywood standards that’s an A-. I mention it because of the short but historically factual sword lesson between Godfrey (Liam Neeson) and Balian (Orlando Bloom).
The duel between Danny Kaye and Basil Rathbone in The Court Jester is a classic.
I also like the swordplay between Tony Curtis and Ross Martin in The Great Race.
From what I understand, while its a fun movie (one of my favorite) the fencing was very sub-par
Again, fun movie (i own it) but lots of effect shots and wire work. More fantasy than actual swordsmanship.
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)- the history would get you a D+ in history class but by Hollywood standards that’s an A-. I mention it because of the short but historically factual sword lesson between Godfrey (Liam Neeson) and Balian (Orlando Bloom).
in an interview, the fencing coach for that movie related how Danny Kaye never had a lesson in his life but was such a gifted mimic that by the end of the shoot he’d learned a lot of fencing.
But, to be honest The Great Race fencing scene, although loads of fun, was hardly realistic.
A bit of director’s commentary.
From what I’ve heard, the pre-fightbetween the black night and whoever in the Holy Grail had a *bit *of accuracy to it. Clearly not what followed (only the rabbit scene was accurate), but the initial beat-the-hell-out-of-each-other bit. Not movie-like standoff clang-clang-clang, but knees, hilt’s to the back of the head, and whatnot. Again, a bit of accuracy.
I don’t know much about actual fencing but I was always told that Basil Rathbone was a brilliant real life fencer and that his sword fights in movies like The Mark of Zorro (1940) are both accurate and skillful.
I’ve always liked the fight between Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone. Do those of you who know think it’s realistic?
Edit: Wow. NAP1138 beat me by two minutes. Great minds think alike, and what not, I guess.
Yeah, I read much the same thing in a couple books and remember hearing commentary on (the real, true) AMC about him as well. One of the commentators noted that Rathbone was not only a great fencer, he also had the ability to make his opponents look like they were not just wildly flailing about.
The Prisoner of Zenda, 1937, Ronald Colman as Rudolf Rassendyll pretending to be King Rudolf vs. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as Rupert of Hentzau. Watch it now.
Basil Rathbone is renown for his fencing skill. His work with Flynn in Captain Blood and Robin Hood are both great. Come to think it, he does a damn good job as the bad guy in Mark of Zorro too as i see above.
You know, call me crazy, but I always prefered the Stewart Granger 1952 version. Love James Mason. It was that swordfight that prompted him (Stewart) to train so well for Scaramouche, in which he did almost all of his own fencing and stunts.
anecdote time:
Once, when Stewart Granger and Erryll Flynn were talking, Stewart said “You know, I’m the better fencer.” to which Erryl replied “Yes but my hips are slimmer.”
