I would like to know which movies -- American or European -- the people on this Board have seen that depict fairly accurate Medieval swordplay techniques. We can include fantasy movies, too -- I am just asking about the techniques, not the clothing or anything else.

I thought Braveheart was pretty good, till I heard that some of the extras in the background weren't earning their pay. I also heard that some of the fighting in Monty Python's Holy grail was very well done, so I guess you never know... What about The Messenger, or The War Lord, or The Bruce?

The movie guys share the central problem that reenactors face- the balance between accuracy and the need to put up a show in order to satisfy the exspectations of their audience. Sadly, they tend to do the latter.

Regards

Ivo

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Well, Braveheart showed people dying quickely. That said, there was no techniques from historic manuals being shown. In point of fact, I can't think of any Medieval movie that shows sword fighting techniques from period manuals.

I have to second "The Duelists", it seems to capture the 'feel' of such a fight best, and uses the weapons appropriately. "The Three Musketeers, with Raquerl Welch and Oliver Reed did a spiffy job at the time, both for costuming and for actual technique - far better than the recent Disney movie which was utterly dreadful.

Medieval movies still wait for historic technique to be shown. Both blossfechten and armoured combat could indeed be dragged out long enough to be dramatic. Fiori assumes success on the first pass, but most German masters are concerned with being able to 'disengage with honor' if the first pass is unsuccessful.

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He has also become inordinately fond of "A Knight's Tale"......on any given week, he will probably watch part of one of these movies.

And if you have $$$$ to do a film, please do Pennman's "Sunne in Splendour"!!!!!!!

Does he have "The Duelist" on DVD? I taped it off of A&E years ago & would love a better (letterbox?) copy.

It's the only film I've seen that depicts "the one who doesn't bleed to death wins" aspect of swordfighting.

Regards

Gladiator was better. The opening sequence did at least use some authentic dark age techniques - which however were lost in the larger scope of things, and the front of action stuff that I was filmed doing ended up on the cutting room floor (as you would probably have wondered how the Germans lost)

One of the highlights of that was with a gentleman from Britannia ( a UK late Roman group) who showed a basic technique and thrust straight through the shield with his aluminium sword.

The Duellist is one of my top films as well. Unfortunately not available to buy in this country, but amazon.com have it on the US format DVD (see http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/video/6300217000/customer-reviews/104-8874337-7781546)

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"As long as there are heretics there will always be fanatics."

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quote:

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Originally posted by Wolfes Company:
Flesh and Blood. There isn't a tremendous amount of fighting but it is gritty and realistic looking.

Steve

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HAH! my wife loves that one almost as much as Conan the fornicater hehehe

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I know I'm weighting in a bit late on this but I love "The Duelists" ( the fact that it's based on a true story is cool...),
"A Knight's Tale" is a fun romp, Bruce Campbell vs the Army Of Darkness has great costuming ( Give me some sugar, Baby!) have watched The Princess Bride 15 or more times, like Flesh + Blood, The Last Valley, The 70's Three and Four Musketeers, Braveheart gave us a idea what life and death was like in the battlefield ( Bad costuming...) Rob Roy... I know how to fight with a basket hilt, they did good, loved Master and Commander, the only thing missing was the sodomy... and nobody mentioned the best for knife and hand axe fighting movie out there... the Daniel Day-Lewis version of The Last of the Mohicans! (OK out the date Ivo was looking for, but that's how you use a tomahawk!)

Cheers,

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Co-founder The Highland Recrudescence Guild
http://www.alaskascottish.org/hrgfound.html

excellent.

ace film all round

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But there HAS to be a Rutger Heuer film out there that has some good fights! Lady Hawk has more of "Beuler" running from swords than actual fighting and the ending fight is REALLY dreadful. Rutger is amazing, but his enemy is like a slug weilding a salt-sword!

Weirdly enough "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is not bad. The gentleman playing Strider took the training VERY seriously and it paid off. The event at the end of the Fellowship where he sends Frodo on his own and he holds back the horde of Uruk-hi makes one tingle as it is superbly done! Their armour specialist was also their fight-coordinator and he is a reenactor just like us!

Strangely enough, the animated "Mulan" follows taoist-based sword fighting VERY well. Though once again, there are only quick glimses as the strikes are all intended to instantly be leathal or disarm (which is correct).

"Last Samurai" is another good Eastern Medieval basis with very accurate representation. It is one of my favourite movies.

Im sorry I am not much help on the WMA side of movies. But I suffer from the same cunundrum.

Continueing to scour the silver screen,

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~ Jason Banditt Adams
Illustrator for the gaming industry
www.Rogue-Artist.com