"* 'The Duelists' movie" Topic

Folks,
I just noticed that the 1977 movie, 'The Duelists' is on the Cine moi (sp?) channel this month. It is being listed as being made in 2007. However, it is the Napoleonic movie about the two French officers dueling it out, through-out the Napoleonic era.
TomS.

It is an aged, but good movie. Netflix had it a few years ago, I don't know if they do now.

One of my all time favorite movies. I can not watch that movie without feeling something….

Chalfant

Great film. What you would call……atmospheric.

Pair that with Colonel Chabert, which features Depardieu before he became a blimp.

Ridley Scotts first film I believe.

An excellent film and well worth the watch.

A gorgeous film. One of my absolute favorites!

The story is based on two French infantry officers from the 7 Years War! Napoleonic hussar uniforms are much more colorful!

Wonderful movie! Richard

Lots of people I would like to say some variation of this to:

You have kept me at your beck and call for fifteen years. I shall never again do what you demand of me. By every rule of single combat, from this moment your life belongs to me. Is that not correct? Then I shall simply declare you dead. In all of your dealings with me, you'll do me the courtesy to conduct yourself as a dead man. I have submitted to your notions of honor long enough. You will now submit to mine.

My favourite movie. Love the quote Korvessa.

Great movie – also a nice look at how military fashion changed over the Napoleonic Wars

2nd and 7th Hussar Reg. I belive, and a great movie too.

"There are those who say you never loved the Emperor…"

Spectacular photography!

Terrific film.

A "Must Own".

I've watched my VHS copy many times since I first saw this film in 1984. One of my most favorite films -- terrific musical score!

Time to upgrade to DVD.

Based on the short story "The Duel" by Joseph Conrad, author of "Heart of Darkness."

link

One of my all time favourite movies but one that is definitely a 'marmite' film. People either love it or just do not get it. Also, I think it seems to appeal only to men (the thing about honour?). I have yet to meet a woman who said she understood it or enjoyed it.

Someone out there contradict me.

I believe the 3e Hussards were in grey. 7e Hussards is correct. The 2e had a mid-brown.

I have a DVD of the movie and have to watch it at least once a year. My wife enjoys it, but for the costuming and acting. She is also a reenactor.

One of my favorite movies.

A good movie by my book, though all my friends still hate me for showing it to them

the movie was noted for its accurate uniforms

7th hussar

3rd hussars

One of my all-time favourites, too. Accurate uniforms and great atmosphere, combined with a story that emphasises character over spectacle.

Great film. Nuff said.

And based on a true story, the duels between Dupont and Fournier-Sarlovèze.

Dupont is best know for his defeat at the Battle of Bailén.

Fournier-Sarlovèze was known as "the worst subject of the Grande Armée."

I have yet to meet a woman who said she understood it or enjoyed it.

Actually I got my wife to watch it and she enjoyed it but she is somewhat unusual.

I still love the speech before the duel in the Russian forest. "Those woods stink of Cossack! Listen! All of you! Volunteers!"

One of my very favorite movies of all time. I think it contains the best sword fighting scenes of any of the many I have watched in movies. And my wife did like it the first couple of times she watched it. Now that we have the DVD she is getting a little bored with it, unlike myself.
John Miller

grade A Napoleonic film……so many good scenes
the sword fight just mentioned by JM were with real
sabres without the normal ruberised protectors
possibly explains why it looks so real!

regards
Ged
gringo40s.com
gringo40s.blogspot.com

No, hang on…………

Funny thing tho'.

In the whole film…we never once see them fight the enemies of their army. Not once……….not even a Cossack, as I recall. They just fight each other over and over again.

I thought this was beautifully filmed, the uniforms are superb, as they change with the decade….but the story line is mind numbingly daft……….surely. These two are morons who should be doing their jobs as officers and leading troopers. Remind me how many times either has a conversation with anyone of a lower rank, over a decade of soldiering? Not once.

It is a great film. But everyone rates Sharpe as total rubbish. Let me remind you that in the first episode Sean Bean faces Liz Hurley as naked as the day she was born, well down to the umbilicus anyway. Yet The Duellists is seen as more intellectually acceptable. Snobbery. Fine lass she was back then.

deadhead: I too would like to have seen some battle scenes in the Duelists but, IMHO it is telling one kind of story while Sharpe is telling an entirely different one. It seems like comparing apples to oranges. I have not seen the Sharpe movies but "Liz Hurley as naked as the day she was born" makes me believe that that was an great error on my part. Just an opinion.

John Miller

….but the story line is mind numbingly daft……….surely

But based on actual events, which shows how daft some people can be.

In the whole film…we never once see them fight the enemies of their army. Not once……….not even a Cossack, as I recall. They just fight each other over and over again.

IIRC they do shoot some Cossacks on the retreat from Moscow. They go out to duel with pistols in the snow, are discovered by Cossacks, and shoot them instead of each other.

At least that's how I remember it, it has been a while since I saw it last. A mistake I really must get around to fixing soon.

Actually the original was much outrageous, 30 duels over the next 19 years.

They do indeed fight Cossacks…well remembered!

Excellent film, managed to obtain the DVD for a fiver.

Brilliant film, to be watched again and again!

It's an exquisite film. As has been said, it was Ridley Scott's first and it's like a cinematic oil-painting.

Just ignore the annoying date captions, which don't fit the story (discussing the Emperor before 1804…).

My favourite bits are the duel on horseback, the duel in the cellar (where they fight each other to utter exhaustion) and the endpiece, showing the defeated Ferraud gazing out over a flooded valley, reminiscent of Napoleon on St Helena.

Great film .One of my favorites, The story isnt about the Napoleonic wars ,its about a feud between two guys set in the Napoleonic wars.

Small correction.
It is NOT the Dupont of Bailen fame (Dupont de l'Etang), but Pierre Antoine Dupont-Chaumont.
And there is one major difference. The good guy was the Bonapartist (Dupont), whereas the quarrelsome one (Fournier) was the Royalist.

The Duelists-Film
The Results-Where, Weapons, Victor, wounds
1st Duel- Freire's House, sabers-d'Hubert wins,  R wrist wound Freire
2nd Duel- Field, rapiers-Freire wins, R shoulder wound d'Hubert
3rd Duel-Barn,sabers- Draw, exhaustion and multiple wounds to both
4th Duel-on horseback, sabers- d'Hubert wins, head wound to Freire
5th Duel-at d'Hubert's estate, pistols- d'Hubert wins, Freire must concede

d'Hubert- 3 wins-  1 loss-  1 draw

I saw this for the first time on Netflix yesterday – brilliant!

Restoration of Fournier's tomb

link

Seeing those photos makes me think I can hear that haunting melody from the film!

Dominique T: Thanks for the photos of Fournier's tomb. I'll probably never get to France so I really enjoy stuff like that. I thought they had the political leanings of the protagonists' ,(S.I.C. ?), reversed so thanks also for verifying that for me.
John Miller

and now on BluRay……hence the cheap DVDs.

Better than I recalled. Photography is incredible. Masterpiece of directing. Clever how the uniform and hair styles change with time.

and I admit, there is one Cossack shot and also that I had no idea it was based on fact. You live and learn and you are what you eat