Greatest Fencing Scene of All Time?

[Bilgemunky]

"The Princess Bride" was recently mentioned in the Pirate Film thread, and as a novice student of fencing, this got me wundrin' - What other movies have truly remarkable fencing scenes?

I've heard rumor that the French film "Le Viol du Vampire" actually has a semi-nude fencing scene, which must be quite the sight, but I've yet to confirm the rumor for m'self.

So what are other contenders might anyone for greatest fencing scene?

[PirateQueen]

I really do love the fencing scene in Captain Blood, between Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone. Classic, on the beach, surrounded by pirate crews, and with Olivia DeHavilland looking on, etc.

[Coastie04]

I've been a big fan of the fun action scenes in the Three Musketeers (namely the disney version, The Musketeer with that posterboy as an actor is just a bit too fanticiful for me). Zorro also had some fine scenes in it as well. Not being a fencer myself, I just think the scenes look cool and are fun to watch. I know nothing of the actual skill involved.

Coastie04

[Cookie]

Even thought I really like the sword fight in Captain Blood, as well, the one at the end of Scaramouche (starting Steward Granger) has to be one of the greatest and longest of any movie that I have ever seen. A teriffic fight taking place in a grand theatre. One really worth looking for!

To bad it is not a pirate movie though...

[PirateQueen]

the one at the end of Scaramouche (starting Steward Granger) has to be one of the greatest and longest of any movie that I have ever seen.

I forgot about that one! Yes, it's actually considered one of the best fencing scenes in moviedom.

[Redbeard]

I've been a big fan of the fun action scenes in the Three Musketeers (namely the disney version, The Musketeer with that posterboy as an actor is just a bit too fanticiful for me). Zorro also had some fine scenes in it as well. Not being a fencer myself, I just think the scenes look cool and are fun to watch. I know nothing of the actual skill involved.

Coastie04

Aaarr!

Talking about Musketeers, has anyone seen any of them actually using a musket ?

And also why do they always throw their hats away whenever they fight ?, they must have spent all their wages on new hats.

Cap'n Redbeard,

P.U.B.C.A.T.

[Coastie04]

Would you want to fight in one of those hats? Besides, in larger battles there was bound to be casualties in the Musketeer ranks. After the battle, they could just pick up any hats that fit. Since they were thrown clear of the fighting, they won't be spoiled with blood. Therefore, they are actually saving either themselves or their fellow Musketeers money by throwing their hats off. As for muskets, Porthos is certainly knowledgeable in the use of firearms. After all, he was a pirate.

Coastie04

"Porthos: This sash was a gift to me, from the Queen of America.

D'Artagnan: There's no queen of America!

Porthos: I beg to differ, infant. We're on quite intimate terms, unless you can prove otherwhise."

[Redbeard]

That may be true on a battle field, but most of the time they discard their hats in a Paris street, where some little urchin will make off with it, and sell it to the nearest pawn shop, where the next day some Musketeer will unknowingly purchase his own hat back!

[Masked Rogue]

Although I have yet to see it, my friends have been raving about the fighting scenes in The Count of Monte Cristo.

Im somewhat partial to the Princess Bride myself, for not only the fighting but the comedy.

[Capt. Flint]

Princess bride is good.. Capt. Blood is great... The Three Musketeers is funny ( especially with accents from New York ) The Sea Hawk fencing is very .. well.. very often...... But I find the Closing fight scene in Cutthroat Island to be really cool... They fight.. they climb.. they fight.. bad guy gets shot with cannon.. Now that is serious fencing... The Capt

[Coastie04]

Hear, hear, Flint. Definitely an entertaining fight scene.

Coastie04

[JoshuaRed]

The best pirate swordfight HAS to be in the Black Pirate when Doug Fairbanks fights the pirate captain on the desert isle. That particular pirate was played by a sword fighting expert, who trained Douglas for months just for this one scene. The DVD contains some excellent outtakes of both guys actually getting cut and stabbed by mistake cause their fighting was so intense.

Count of Monte Cristo is also great. Rob Roy also has an amazing fight with Tim Roth and Liam Neeson in the end.

[Mad Kestrel]

All the scenes mentioned up 'til now have been great. Speaking of "The Princess Bride", I need to put in a plug for the very short fencing battle between Count Rugen (did I spell it right? It's been a year or ten since I read the book!) and Inigo. Not because the fencing is all that magnificent, but because of the powerful use of music to underscore every single move - makes the fight twice as entertaining!

And what about the sword battle in "The Court Jester", where Hawkins changes from brave and dashing to frightened and cowering with the snap of a finger? Fabulous!

Kes

[Capt. "Mad Dog" Davies]

In my humble opinion, I think that collectively most all of the fight scenes in Richard Lester's "3 Musketeers" and "4 Musketeers" are among the best ever filmed, precisely because they are fights and not fencing. Comedic moments aside, they are thoroughly authentic in both the variety of techniques displayed, and the realistic way in which they were choreographed and executed. I especially like Oliver Reed's ferocity and commitment. I believe Bob Anderson was the fight director on those shows, (actually one long show cut into 2 seperate movies) and he really did a great job of making the principle actors all look as though they had learned to fight from different teachers and experiences. Historically speaking, the rapier as used by the Musketeers was not a particularly great choice for a maritime weapon. as opposed to the hanger, or cutlass. Now, for a really great cutlass fighting scene, from the newest version of the "Count of Monte Cristo", the Elba (St. Helena?) Island cutlass fight on the beach was right on the money. Unfortunately, in the climactic fight between the hero and his primary antagonist, smallswords are (mis-) used as though they were cutlasses.

Capt. Ian "Mad Dog" Davies,

Ye Pyrate Brotherhood, LINY

[redhand]

Three & Four Musketeer movies are great for fight scenes,

try Riddley Scott's "The Duelists" starring Harvey Kietel

and Kieth Carradine GREAT fight scenes!!

The movie is about two of Napolean's Hussar officers

who have a fued over a period of about 15 years.

Great movie, costumes & cinematography!!

It's not available on either video or dvd right now,

but look at your local video stores and ebay or 1/2 dot com

it's worth getting a copy of it.

Cheers!

Redhand

[Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts]

Aaarrrggghhh!

I like the fencing scene between Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the newest Zorro movie. A little more sexy than amazing, though. Also, anything with Basil Rathbone is usually pretty decent in the swordplay department. The newest movie about Musketeers...the one that looks like a lot of martial arts intermixed with rapier fights, "The Musketeer," has some pretty neat fight scenes.

Also, "Rob Roy" at the end...(shiver). And, the new version of "The Count of Monte Cristo." The older one with Richard Chamberlain is pretty fun, but not as grand a scale as the newest.

As for "The Three Musketeers," they wear the hat, because it has a 5+" brim, keeping rapier points away from their eyes. Rapiers are meant to stab, as in fencing; not cut by a side blade, like a gladiator sword. Most people wore their hats to their eyebrows, further shielding the blade away from the eyes by means of the brim. Anyway, the hats were a fashion statement back then.

"If ye wear a hat that is befittin' yer hed, then ye can purty much avoid a side-swipe to the eye, unless ye be the bad guy with the eyepatch in the Disney version. Anyway, it didn't look like he fought with his hat on ver' much. With a hat, you kin keep yer hed down an' fight up, blockin' stablets to your face and neck."--The Cap'n Herself.

And no, Cap'n Redbeard, I can't think of one single time I've seen a Musketeer use a musket. That's kinda odd, huh? Shouldn't they be called Rapierteers? I guess Alexandre Dumas thought that would be a little strange.

And, yuck. Please! Chris O'Donnell (D'Artagnan) as the main Musketeer? Anyway, I thought the whole cast was odd. The language was too modern, the actors didn't even try to fake a English accent. Even though the shows are supposed to be in France, American actors usually fake an English accent to sound more exotic. Who knows why? Anyhow, in the scene where Chris O'Donnell and Tim Curry (Cardinal Richelieu) are talking, it's obvious who the veteran actor is. Chris should have just told the casting director "no" and looked for another script after a few more acting lessons.

Sorry to have stinging comments, but that's my opinion. I liked him as Robin.

Capt. WE Roberts

[PirateQueen]

I can't think of one single time I've seen a Musketeer use a musket. That's kinda odd, huh

In defense of the Musketeers: they were an elite corps of soldiers, assigned to guarding the King. They were expert swordsmen in addition to being expert marksmen. Since muskets could only be fired once before they had to be reloaded, it made sense for these guys to be proficient with the rapier, since they would find themselves battling hand to hand where muskets (and the time it took to reload them) were less than useful.

Now, if ye be referring to the dearth of movie scenes with 'em actually shootin' muskets...well, firin' muskets ain't as dramatic as a good ol' fashioned fencing duel!

[Capt. Flint]

Better words were never spoken Pirate Queen...... Many of you post about how much you dislike a film because they lack historical accuracy. Do not forget, most films are made for entertainment, not history lessons. Also, in defense of the musketeers; Pirate Queen said it best. They were a very special grouop of soldiers and in history, they used thier muskets extremely well. ////////remember, it's a movie not a history class. just a thought.... The Capt.

[PirateQueen]

I am trying to imagine a movie scene of musketeers firing and reloading their weapons, with witty repartee in between. It'd sort of be like an old west shootout, but really really slow.

[hurricane]

Although not of piratical ilk, I'd have to go with Robin Hood - the duel between Basil and Errol was legendary. Plus, who could not like the dialogue between the two when Rathbone says, "Sir, you speak treason." and Flynn kicks back in his chair and says "Fluently."

They were excellent whenever they fought with sword regardless of movie, really.

[PirateQueen]

I can't think of one single time I've seen a Musketeer use a musket.  That's kinda odd, huh?  Shouldn't they be called Rapierteers?  I guess Alexandre Dumas thought that would be a little strange.

Actually, in The Three Musketeers. they don't fire any muskets until about 400 odd pages into the book!

[Charity Sweetlove]

So, last night Cookie and me latest cabin boy were watching movies and for a giggle we tossed in Zorro, the Gay Blade. Nope, in no way was it a pirate movie but there certainly was lots of fencing going on in it.

The opening sceen, five against one. Ok, it's campy b-movie fencing, the foils went wubba wubba boiiing! but they were fencing! with style, with cuts and thrusts and nifty camera angles but hey the best part? The snappy one liners.

As displayed later on in the movie during the first masquerade. The Alcalde says something to the effect of "yadda yadda yadda....my friend."

to which Zorro replies: "I would have to be more than that, I would also have to be stupid to be your friend." then he flashes that hero George Hamilton smile.

Call me sober (and currently can't think of a worse fate than that for a pirate) but there's something to be said for the art of witty comments.

*giggles and then wanders on off doing the "Running and jumping and walking in place, then running and jumping and walking in place" bit*

[DuCouer]

Ahoy all...New to the Pub and a rousing hello to all.

I would love to comment on this Topic. As a movie buff I have collected most of the movies mentioned here...a few comments if I may.

Richard Lesters The Three (and four)Muskeeters Do contain some of the best swordplay ever on film. The Fights, Choreographed by William Hobbs actually, are superb. Christopher Lee VsMichael York in both films are just savage.

William Hobbs also did the Fight scences in Ridley Scotts Duelist, and the New Count of Monte Christo. I will have to double check...but I think he did Cutthroat Island.

Bob Anderson is slated as choreographing The First Star Wars, Mask of Zorro (with Antonio Banderas), and All of the lord of the Rings Films. Anderson was also a protege of Errol Flynn.

So..Who is looking forward to Pirates of the Carribean w/ Johnney Depp...I am....The fencing looks fantastic.

[captweaver65]

Ahoy all...New to the Pub and a rousing hello to all.

hello and welcome.

despite what some people have said about the apparent spoofyness of pirates of the caribbean,I can't wait to see it -but then again I love just about everything johnny depp has been in,not to mention cute little orlando bloom.

[Jamaica Rose]

I love just about everything johnny depp has been in,not to mention cute little orlando bloom.

Gawd -- this was the type of comment we were inundated with during the POTC chat session. We were overrun with Orland Bloom groupies.

Now then Cap'n Weaver, bein' as I don't know yer gender fer sure (yer avatar sure doesn't help) -- this little comment about Orlando Bloom makes me wonder if either you are female, or just a male pyrate who's been to sea for too long, or yer one o' those alternative lifestyles type buccaneers. Not that I mind any of the above -- just got me to wonderin' (I like to know a little about me fellow tavernmates, just so's I know who I can make a move on).

Fair wyndes and full tankards,

--Jamaica Rose

"Do ya mind if the parrot watches?"