Best Sword Fight on Film/Television

[Grimlock]

Okay Playground, I want your thoughts and ideas on the best sword fight in cinema/tv. To clarify a couple of things;
a) lightsabers DO count as swords.
b) Other melee weapons such as axes, spears etc are also allowed- although not swords
c) Guns and kung fu DO NOT count.

I have two favourites-
1) (No suprise here at all)- Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) v Wesley/Dread Pirate Roberts (Cary Elwes) in "The Princess Bride" (1987)- sheer brilliance- great fight choreography, very funny, acrobatic and then the killer
"I am not left handed " line and they do it all again!
and
2) Robin Hood (Eroll Flynn) v Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938). I love this film, and this sword fight especially. Flynn is awsome as the cocky, dare I say it, arrogant Robin and Rathbone is just plain nasty as the snake like Guy of Gisbourne. For a long time this was the longest sword fight in cinema history (I can't find out if it still is)

So Playground can you find a sword fight which you feel bests my two favouries?

I say BRING IT!

[Killer Angel]

Decisely, one of my favourite, is taken from the old (1948) film "Three musketeers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6prWV23jAw)", with Gene Kelly as D'Artagnan agains Jussac

edit: if possible, i suggest to link on youtube all the scenes of swordfighting... :smallbiggrin:

[Emperor Ing]

I might be biased because I haven't seen a lot, but my personal favorite is the fight scene between Anakin and Obi-Wan in Episode III.

Linky (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRFUoqA_vm0&feature=related)
NOTE: get around the atrocious dialogue and skip to 1.15

[Spiryt]

Rob Roy final scene is really fine.

This one's pretty good too, unfortunately can't find better quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=471dmck6kRw

[Grimlock]

edit: if possible, i suggest to link on youtube all the scenes of swordfighting... :smallbiggrin:


Good call, alas I cannot access youtube at work, therefore I will post up links tonight! :smallsmile:

[Blas_de_Lezo]

The Cid movie. Duel between the Cid (Charlton Heston) the Count (don't know the actor). Starting with the verbal duel about honor, and finishing with a one-handed fight (I particuraly like the sound of the drawing swords).

You can see the whole fight here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSS37bL8zgE

[Spiryt]

This one's older but actually better, both in awesome sense and in sensibility sense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tFXZn9qNhg

[Serpentine]

DEFINITELY The Princess Bride. I think it's even been voted such at some event or other. I'd post a link ('tis truly epic), but I'm on a friend's laptop playing D&D right now...

[shadow_archmagi]

I might be biased because I haven't seen a lot, but my personal favorite is the fight scene between Anakin and Obi-Wan in Episode III.

Linky (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRFUoqA_vm0&feature=related)
NOTE: get around the atrocious dialogue and skip to 1.15

1. You actually mean more like 1:50

2. You can actually link to a specific point in a youtube video by adding something like #t=1m50s to the end of it

Where 1m means 1 minute and 50s means 50 seconds

[WalkingTarget]

2) Robin Hood (Eroll Flynn) v Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938). I love this film, and this sword fight especially. Flynn is awsome as the cocky, dare I say it, arrogant Robin and Rathbone is just plain nasty as the snake like Guy of Gisbourne. For a long time this was the longest sword fight in cinema history (I can't find out if it still is)


How about The Mark of Zorro with Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone (as the villain, again).

Both of them could actually fence and Rathbone is on records as saying "Power was the most agile man with a sword I’ve ever faced before a camera. Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn into a cocked hat."

[Optimystik]

I'm a big fan of Kill Bill: The Bride vs. the Crazy 88

[thompur]

The Court Jester - Danny Kaye's 'Hawkins/Giacomo' vs. Basil Rathbone's(there he is again!) Ravenhurst.

I'll second Rob Roy, too.

[SKarious]

How about that scene in the first PotC: Captain Jack Sparrow vs. Will turner?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO-LQqXd0fE

[paddyfool]

The concluding duel in Highlander, if only for the power of cheese?

Twilight samurai has a couple of good ones, too, and I'm sure it's a long way from the best of the samurai movies in this way.

[Whammydill]

Id just be happy if a movie actually did fight choreography based on actual techniques with whatever weapons being used. I tire of seeing rapiers used like modern fencing sabres, instead of being primarily single time weapons. I also tire of seeing european longswords being used like machetes. Katana depiction doesn't have "AS" bad since it has surviving traditions.

They need to hire people like Christian Tobler to advice on longsword and Thomas Leoni for rapier, those guys are brilliant. But I digress.

I have to go with Princess Bride as far as whats presented, you can't beat Elwes vs Patinkin spouting the names of fencing maesters like they know what they are talking about. At least it gets their names out there.

[Grimlock]

How about The Mark of Zorro with Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone (as the villain, again).

Both of them could actually fence and Rathbone is on records as saying "Power was the most agile man with a sword I’ve ever faced before a camera. Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn into a cocked hat."

The Mark of Zorro is a great film- although I've never heard that quote before from Rathbone, who so far is winning with 3 appearances in the best sword fight list!

[Britter]

In my opinion, pretty much anytime Toshiro Mifune picks up a sword in a Kurosawa samurai film, the sword work is going to look good. I am particularly fond of the duel at the end of Sanjuro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYbi7gKKvOo&feature=related

[Szilard]

Personally I've always liked Luke and Vader's duel at the end of episode VI (6, not 5, yes I'm serious). Starts off a bit slow, but somewhere in there it speeds up, then at the end there's a bunch of emotion and all that.

[Lin Bayaseda]

The film Hero with Jet Li had some of the most amazing swordfights (spearfights, glaivefights, etc) I've seen.

[Cyrion]

I also read a quote some time ago that Rathbone said that he had to work hard not to beat Flynn because Errol was NOT a swordsman, and Rathbone was.

I've always liked the swordfights in the 70's Three Musketeers (Michael York, Richard Chamberlain, Christopher Lee, Racquel Welch, Oliver Reed...). The one that always stands out in my memory (though the use of swords is somewhat limited) is the tavern brawl where the musketeers steal their dinners.

[dehro]

I'm totally with you on the princess bride fight, even though I have not studied my Agrippa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3gfFVmw0kA)

furthermore, in random order:

two ladies having a go at each other in crouching tiger hidden dragon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OxQ-2gR1DU)
two more in Kill Bill 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI82yybx7Bc)
Rob Roy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVaslN1NiT0)
the only watchable bit in Troy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1slkFc7YBkc)
let's be honest...we all believe in fairies (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiewtqvB3dw)
twilight samurai..the only twilight worth watching (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg5qChXeDdI)
hero (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTsKEgUJyUQ)
gohatto (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekCiMFNLU5o)
007 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVf1r0wf6F0)
Star wars of course, episode 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPLXwrj7i7Q)
zorro (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VTyPWvyAF8&playnext_from=QL)
captain blood (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1C6Ts0ZJTU)
of course jack sparrow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO-LQqXd0fE)

and...well.... this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZUV-vghRBg):smallbiggrin:

[tonberryking]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makai_Tensho:_Samurai_Reincarnation

Hmm. I support the Princess Bride one, but in case your preference turns to katana or heavier swords you could mention Kurosawa, but (and this is just personal mind) aside from the mentioned ending fight in Sanjuro the films are more about the character and the story. As good as they were, the swordfights are secondary.

No, what you guys need is to dig up the 1981 version of Makai Tensho, aka Samurai Reincarnation. And only the 1981 version. To sum up: a 'historical fiction' (in the same way PotC was...) horror fantasy where Shiro Amakusa (an actual figure in late 1600 history who tried of all things a Christian rebellion in Japan) comes back from the dead and with a legion of recently resurrected warriors from Japanese history he plans to roll the nation of Japan and take over. It's up to Jubei Yagyu to stop him and while this sounds goofy as hell (and it is), two fights in this movie are among the best in samurai sword fighting.

The first is when Jubei (played by Sonny Chiba no less) fights Miyamoto Musashi on a beach, near the end of the film. It's dramatic, it's really tense.

And then, the most breathtaking battle is Jubei versus his own father and Shiro himself (who fights with a sword pretty well for a guy who up until the film started was a Christian leader of sorts) as the end of the film. They fight *In a burning castle falling down all around them.* I mean this quite literally. The whole damn set's up in flames during this swordfight and aside from its breathtaking fighting, you also really have to wonder how in hell anyone was able to film it.

...I just wish the hell I could find videos.

[Dienekes]

I actually enjoy fight scenes that look like the folk involved are actually fighting and not gracefully dancing around or Flinning. So Rob Roy has my pick, however the humor of the swordplay in Princess Bride and it's sister film (in my eyes anyway) Robin Hood: Men in Tights are both definitely noteworthy.

[SolkaTruesilver]

Am I the only one who really liked the Achilee Vs Hector fight in Troy that much?

[DraPrime]

This one's older but actually better, both in awesome sense and in sensibility sense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tFXZn9qNhg

Hehe...waść machasz jak cepem .

I love that line. And it is quite true.

[Telonius]

I've always had a soft spot for "Hook." It's not the best, but it's in my top ten.

[J.Gellert]

I can't stand old-movie fighting scenes. It's obvious they are not aiming at each other, but aiming at each other's sword. So many openings, and they just don't take them. I won't pretend I'm an expert, but even I can spot them.

Asian films are a little more bearable, even if only because fighting scenes don't seem to drag on forever. I remember a decent film swordfight between two samurai that ended because one's sword got stuck in the ceiling. Good stuff :smallbiggrin:

[Spiryt]

Hehe...waść machasz jak cepem .

I love that line. And it is quite true.

Glad you like it. Maybe'll try to find some at least roughly translated one later...

And glad to see you back, I haven't seen you in a while?

Now, those are not actual films, but still those are great scenes of something that looks quite like actual swordfighitng, so:

Link 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC5FIyfI8TA)

Link 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4Ng6DBfrg&feature=related)


I can't stand old-movie fighting scenes. It's obvious they are not aiming at each other, but aiming at each other's sword. So many openings, and they just don't take them. I won't pretend I'm an expert, but even I can spot them.

Most movies fights lack elementary sense unfortunately, let alone "subtle" issues with openings and stuff.. Like Tom Cruise kicks some bad guy and all.

Just something that looks "cool".

[Britter]

Those Real Gladiatores videos are just amazingly sweet.

[Spiryt]

Those Real Gladiatores videos are just amazingly sweet.

I agree. Check their messer, dagger, poleaxe stuff, there have few of those and it's sweet as well.

[Britter]

Yeah, I have seen it all. I have a great deal of respect for them. Their obvious dedication to their art is just wonderful.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

I've done competitive, national-level fencing for about 12 years now. I'm picky. :smallbiggrin:

My top three?

The Princess Bride: For obvious reasons.
Scaramouche: The last fight in the colorized version is brilliant.
The Court Jester: Basil Rathbone vs, oddly enough, Danny K. (bonus points if you know who he is). It features both excellent sword form and comedy, and the comedic parts are so well executed that you know they both have to be extremely good.

[Dragosai]

Like most everyone, yes the Princess Bride is epic. I would throw in most any fight scene from "Sword of Doom", especially the "practice duel". Although the movie was a bomb, I still feel "The Musketeer" from 2001 has some fantastic fights.

[sol-decentguy]

One movie that first jumps to my mind is Ryuhei Kitamura's "versus" The last fight in the movie has a great pace and is pretty climactic. This is also the same guy who directed all of Raidens fight scenes in metal gear 4. His stories need work but his action is top notch.

No one has any love for the kill bill crazy 88 scene?

[Optimystik]

No one has any love for the kill bill crazy 88 scene?

Psst. First page:


I'm a big fan of Kill Bill: The Bride vs. the Crazy 88

[Britter]

I don't know if it counts as a sword fight, per se, but I really enjoy the final confrontation between the Bride and Bill, in Kill Bill Volume 2. Sure, the 5-point exploding heart thing is entirely over-the-top and the sword fighting is pure Hollywood, but the scene has this great showdown feel to it. A fine piece of sword-based action cinema.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq11pNoM6MM&feature=related

[Marillion]

Jet Li's Fearless has some really good ones. Like this one. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALk7qG3VqjQ) I especially like how they show the damage the swords have taken colliding with each other.

[JonestheSpy]

No one has any love for the kill bill crazy 88 scene?

Not me. lots of quick editing instead of follow-through movement, too much gratuitous gore, and frankly Uma's character wins because she's fighting idiots. Any half-way competent killer could have gotten a clear shot at her back while she was fighting three or four guys in front.

I'm also going to go against the grain and declare that no, the Inigo/Westley duel is not that great a swordfight. It's a good scene, and the actors are very charismatic, and it's all great fun, but the swordfighting itself really isn't terribly impressive. And most importantly, there's almost no sense of tension, no idea that these guys will kill each other if the other one lets him through his guard. It doesn't look like Westley is really forcing Inigo back toward the cliff before he switches hands, they just go there because it's their blocking. It's pretty much like that all through the scene.

At this point I'm of the mind that everyone thinks is a great fight just because he story tells us that these are great swordsmen, and groupthink follows just because people enjoy the movie so much. Really, watch some of the other fights mentioned here, the Errol Flynn Robin Hood or the other classics, then watch the Princess Bride immediately after. It just doesn't hold up.

A couple that deserve mention that I think have been missed are the Ziyi Zhang vs. Michelle Yeoh duel from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OxQ-2gR1DU&feature=PlayList&p=645EC215B4E41063&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&shuffle=4727) and the Mercutio/Tybalt, Romeo/Tybalt duels in Zeferelli's amazing Romeo and Juliet from 1968, which sadly do not seem to be up for easy viewing anywhere I can find.

[XiaoTie]

In my opinion, pretty much anytime Toshiro Mifune picks up a sword in a Kurosawa samurai film, the sword work is going to look good. I am particularly fond of the duel at the end of Sanjuro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYbi7gKKvOo&feature=related

That...that...holy crap that dude is FAST

[Ihouji]

The film Hero with Jet Li had some of the most amazing swordfights (spearfights, glaivefights, etc) I've seen.

Beat me to it, the spear fight is amazing.

The only problem is every time I watch it the music in the movie is so soothing I fall asleep.

[littlebottom]

i like sword fights, but as a whole i find them mildly disapointing. i think some bits are great and other bits kinda naff, within the same fight.

but one of my more favorite moments of a sword fight is this...

*expects alot of hate*

here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFt-V0hIIhI&feature=related#t3m25s) i cant get it to start at the right time, so skip to 3:25

*runs and hides*

actually just the bit where they are fighting on 2 seperate peices of falling rubble while fighting overhead. you can ignore the rest.

[Soras Teva Gee]

How about The Mark of Zorro with Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone (as the villain, again).

Both of them could actually fence and Rathbone is on records as saying "Power was the most agile man with a sword I’ve ever faced before a camera. Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn into a cocked hat."

You forgot to share: *this* (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VTyPWvyAF8&playnext_from=TL&videos=DECNegCESVA)

[Prodan]

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OxQ-2gR1DU&feature=related)

It starts with swords. It gets better.

[JonestheSpy]

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OxQ-2gR1DU&feature=related)

It starts with swords. It gets better.

Beat you to it, five posts up.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Jet Li's Fearless has some really good ones. Like this one. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALk7qG3VqjQ) I especially like how they show the damage the swords have taken colliding with each other.

I love that fight, it's great.

[TheThan]

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned Luke Skywalker Vs Darth Vader from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M241GwjRy4)

Sure it’s somewhat simplistic by today’s standards, but it has emotion in it, which a lot of shows seems to lack (at the very least, I don’t feel the emotion in many of them). Not to mention, Vader is at his most awesome in this film.

[Serpentine]

And most importantly, there's almost no sense of tension, no idea that these guys will kill each other if the other one lets him through his guard. It doesn't look like Westley is really forcing Inigo back toward the cliff before he switches hands, they just go there because it's their blocking. It's pretty much like that all through the scene.Ah, but that's actually pretty much the point - neither of them actually want to kill the other. They don't want to be killed, either, but they're really just having fun with each other, and, yeah, don't want the other to die.

Doesn't count at all (what with it having no swords, for starters, just batons and a whip-chain thing and a staff), but I still like the last battle from City Hunter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt4lvHaCa5M). Also That Scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Psls1ngwM), for good measure.

[Catch]

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned Luke Skywalker Vs Darth Vader from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M241GwjRy4)

Sure it’s somewhat simplistic by today’s standards, but it has emotion in it, which a lot of shows seems to lack (at the very least, I don’t feel the emotion in many of them). Not to mention, Vader is at his most awesome in this film.

Simple is good.

Notice the subtleties in the scene, the lighting and atmosphere. Everything carries a heightened sense of significance. Even the gestures are excellent - Vader fights Luke one-handed while testing him, swatting away his strikes, then disarming him when he's finished playing. The way the scene builds tension as Vader demonstrates his full powers is what makes he scene memorable, over intricately-choreographed wuxia films, which to me are all a blur of backflips and bad costumes.

In fiction, a swordfight is a clash of ideas, given physical form. The cut and thrust carry deeper meanings, and the execution of each speaks of the character's motivation, strength, and style. A flurry of attacks might be fun to watch, but it's forgettable, bubblegum for the eyes. A fight of significance resonates, and simple is good.

[Fenrazer]

I have two favourites-
1) (No suprise here at all)- Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) v Wesley/Dread Pirate Roberts (Cary Elwes) in "The Princess Bride" (1987)- sheer brilliance- great fight choreography, very funny, acrobatic and then the killer
"I am not left handed " line and they do it all again!


I completely agree. I remember getting home from school and my dad already being home from work. He smiled and said, "Son, take a seat. I'm gonna show you the best sword fight you'll ever smell."

Still have not smelled anything better.

[Vilyathas]

I give thee, not one, but swordfights THREE! :smallbiggrin:

Highlander Endgame (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdMFnhQWZ_U)

0:50: A fun fight to the tune of an Irish jig.

3:40: A practice session where Duncan gets owned, hard, by Connor.

7:20: My favourite part of the entire movie, and the whole Highlander franchise. Duncan gets piled on by four opponents, ending with a furious one-on-one with Donnie Yen.

[TheThan]

Simple is good.

Notice the subtleties in the scene, the lighting and atmosphere. Everything carries a heightened sense of significance. Even the gestures are excellent - Vader fights Luke one-handed while testing him, swatting away his strikes, then disarming him when he's finished playing. The way the scene builds tension as Vader demonstrates his full powers is what makes he scene memorable, over intricately-choreographed wuxia films, which to me are all a blur of backflips and bad costumes.

In fiction, a swordfight is a clash of ideas, given physical form. The cut and thrust carry deeper meanings, and the execution of each speaks of the character's motivation, strength, and style. A flurry of attacks might be fun to watch, but it's forgettable, bubblegum for the eyes. A fight of significance resonates, and simple is good.

Yeah, I see what you’re saying, I guess its what draws me to more samurai epics than Wuxia films. The battles are more symbolic and personal than most of the battles in wuxia films. Wuxia battles are more like intricate dances, which is fine, but it just doesn’t have the same meaning that those old (and even the newer) samurai epics have.

[zenanarchist]

I submit:

Sephiroth and Cloud: Final Fantasy advent children.

And second:

Crazy 88 and also Highlander End game

[Platinum_Mongoose]

Even though it isn't my number one (which I haven't decided yet), someone's gotta mention Firefly's Mal vs. Atherton in "Shindig."

[Ravens_cry]

I think my favourite is the one linked to from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OxQ-2gR1DU)
Now that's tension.

[Grimlock]

Ooooooh, Highlander Endgame!?
That was a baaaaaaaad film in my opinion and with awful fight sequences! I'm possibly biased here, because the fact that undying immortals are clearly aging irritates me! But no, not mad on this film!
Crazy 88s- great scene and I love Kill Bill, but as a sword fight it generally people getting limbs lopped off- which means for me it doesn't count as a great piece of sword fight choreography.

I also love the 1970s Three Musketeers film and the comedy fight where they steal their dinner is awsome! (I can't remember who posted that originally, but I agree with you- it is great!)

[dehro]

have the impression I've kinda killed the thread, lol..what with having listed most of the videos that I see listed by other people, before and after me :smalleek:

[J.Gellert]

I enjoyed the fighting scenes in Troy, even though I didn't exactly love the entire film simply because it deviated from the story too much.

One of the few fighting scenes where the opponents use shields, fight using their entire bodies (and shields), and don't just clash their swords in the middle - all fights are very realistically one-sided. It's not the traditional "two opponents exactly blocking every hit until one slips". You can tell who is winning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtceDJN3XrM
Watch when Ajax uses punches and the butt of his maul, he is not passing up a good opportunity to make a good blow. In other films, characters seem to actually avoid using their sword/axe/whatever to punch. Now the hammer remains the primary weapon. Though I wonder what happens to the tower shield. It mysteriously vanishes, for "excitement" reasons I suppose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RgYPavuI04
Quick and dirty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf4IoxEUmHM&NR=1
Everything I said above, and Hector gets tired and desperate fast, which makes sense. Although it too suffers from cinematicness a little, for example when Hector discards his shield. What were you thinking?

[Swordguy]

Best fight scene in what respect? One that tells a good story? One that feels "completely real" even though it can't physically be? One that flat-out feels real? One with insane or ground-breaking choreography?

As a professional fight coordinator, I love different fights for different things. Different scenes simply can't be compared, for both technical and artistic reasons. You simply cannot compare the near-perfect comedic fights in "Drunken Master" to the iconic clifftop fight in "the Princess Bride" to the hardcore masterpiece that is the spiral ramp fight in "The Protector". You're comparing apples to weasels.

That said, here's a list of some of MY favorite "modern" fights, and why (and a YouTube link out of my library - Warning: some links may be broken...tastes like chicken). I'll limit myself to small-scale swordplay (so no huge group fights or gunplay, sorry "Children of Men"). These are in no particular order, off the top of my head, and by NO means an exhaustive list...just 'cause I left off your favorite fight doesn't mean I don't think it's good:



The Court Jester Danny Kaye vs Basil Rathbone. Danny Kaye's schizophrenic swashbuckler and natural energy help make this scene one of the best comedic fights in history, if not THE best. Going back and forth from to completely incompetent to the "greatest with a blade" with a mere snap of the fingers is simply hilarious. Poor Basil truly had his work cut out for him staying unharmed in this scene. Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSNGeazCW6I)

CoN: Prince Caspian Peter (William Moseley) vs Miraz (Sergio Castellitto). Yup, a kid's flick. Here's the thing, though. This fight set a new standard in the stage fighting community for armored combat. Generally speaking, armor is always depicted as heavy and unwieldy (see also: Excalibur) or completely useless (most movies). CoN:PC, however, depicted armored combat as it actually is - fast and deadly, with the combatants fighting around the other guy's armor, not trying to pound through it, and with the armor actually having redeeming protective value. Watch especially after the helms come off and practically every blow is thereafter aimed at the face, and watch when Peter takes a cut across his vambraces (arm guards) to protect his face and the armor isn't even dented. THAT'S why people wore it! Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxIoOorgvyI)

The Princess Bride Inego Montoya vs The Man in Black. Really, if you don't know why this is on the list, you fail at watching movies. A masterpiece in every respect. For sheer dramatic impact, the "My Name is Inego..." scene is better, but it's hardly a fight, so the cliffside fight takes the slot. Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSr_uvgWgu0&feature=related)

The Seven Samurai Kyuzo vs Random Dumbass Samurai. If you want to know how most real swordfights look between unarmored combatants ("civilian duels"), watch this. This probably represents a good 50% of them. One technique, and done. In another 49%, both people die from a more or less simultaneous strike. The last 1% is the extended sequence of attack and counterattack what everybody thinks of when they think "swordfight". Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR45hbTSUIQ)

Troy Hector vs Achilles. And not just because Richard Ryan (one of my SAFD Fight Masters) did the duel. This fight showcases two completely different fighting styles (Hector is straight-ahead, straight-back linear, while Achilles is circular in movement, always attacking around the shield as opposed to everyone else in the movie) and making them both completely plausible onscreen without CGI trickery. What's more, this is a wonderful example of a fight telling a story. A fight without a story behind it is just dance with metal props - essentially masturbation for the stunt coordinator. "Ooh - look at the pretty dances I can make my actors do!". A LOT of fights, especially the unnecessarily-long ones, and a LOT of them out of the eastern movie tradition, have that problem (Jet Li is especially prone to doing this). But this one's got a story, with a clear beginning, rising action, setback, recovery, climax, and falling action. Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf4IoxEUmHM&feature=related)

The Adventures of Robin Hood Robin Hood (Errol Flynn/Paddy Crane) vs the Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone). Yup - Basil's on my list twice. The man was THE "bad guy du jour" for most of the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and early 60s. What's more, this fight set the frame for all further American film fights into the early 1990s, once Asian influences left "chop-socky flicks" and truly became mainstream. Remember, this movie isn't a 1950's technicolor piece like most people think. Robin Hood was done in 1938. You've barely had sound in movies for ten years by this point. This fight is possibly the most influential in film history (think about how often you've seen homages to the shadows dueling on the wall), and no other reason than that it deserves a slot on the list. Fortunately, there's plenty of other reasons as well. Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_vSC_g-_gc)

The Duelists The whole frikkin' movie. The Duelists is a semi-true account about a pair of Napoleonic French cavalrymen who got involved in a petty dispute and fought a series of inconclusive duels over 15-ish years during the entirety of the Napoleonic Wars. Every fight, the weapons change. As a side bonus, the use of the weapons is generally accurate - William Hobbs (the choreographer) borrowed heavily from period fencing manuals. It's just fun to watch, and the fights are wonderful for "feeling real", although the film print quality is iffy - it was late getting to the restoration process for DVD, and so hard to watch at times. For those of you who like his work , this is Ridley Scott's directorial debut. Video Link (first scene) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VVHSounmrE&feature=related)

Scaramouche Stewart Granger vs Mel Ferrar. A fairly typical smallsword duel in a theatre, this duel is made notable by being the longest fight in history to be done in a single take - about 7 minutes. There were multiple cameras on set, so we get cuts between angles, but the actors only did it once. At the time, most movie swordfights are about 2 minutes (rehearsal time is expensive) or less. Even today, fights of greater than 4 minutes are fairly rare, and fights of greater than 4 minutes that are nothing but fighting are practically unheard of. Its record has stood for 57 years, and is considered by mostly everybody to not be beatable. Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2r7hq5Wkrs&feature=player_embedded)

The Protector Tony Jaa Beats Up Everybody. This 4-minute sequence has to be seen to be believed. You'll note, there are no cuts - it's a single, 3:58 take where everything has to go right in a monsterously complex fight scene. This takes the awesomeness of Scaramouche's duel and turns the volume to 11; sure it's only about half as long, but it's orders of magnitude more difficult to pull off. The more you know about how movies are made, the more you'll see can go wrong in the fight, and the more impressed you'll be. Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K06wDn3XsZE&feature=PlayList&p=B9D421C42688D9A3&index=10)

The Phantom Menace Obi-wan and Qui-Gonn Jinn vs Darth Maul. Ignore Kenobi in the fight, and just watch Liam Neeson vs Ray Park. Neeson is a wonderful fighter to watch, and Park is poetry in motion. There's practically no CGI or wire work in the fights (sure, there's the sabres and backgrounds, but the fight itself is almost entirely straight-up badass human). Again, it's just a fun fight to watch - I could have sat in the theatre for 90 minutes just watching this duel on a loop and been perfectly happy shelling out the $10 for a ticket. Video Link that cuts out all the crap about droids and starfighters nobody cared about (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeXR2vwSbNc&feature=related)

Rob Roy Rob Roy (Liam Neeson) vs Archibald Cunningham (Tim Roth). The commentary says it best: "arguably one of the best swordfights in movie history". Cunningham has raped Rob Roy's wife, killed their son, and been a general sociopath throughout the film. And he has the gall to thoroughly dismantle Roy in this climatic duel, using his faster, modern smallsword and reflexes to stay out of the path of Roy's archaic basket-hilted claymore. The stomping that Roy receives and the glee with which Cunningham gloats makes the end of the fight all the more sweet. Even 10 years after seeing it for the first time, I still have to fight the urge to leap out of my seat and yell "Yes!" when it happens. Not especially flashy choreography, but I'm old enough I don't feel the need to be entertained by simple "motion" any longer. Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVaslN1NiT0)

[Grimlock]

Best fight scene in what respect? One that tells a good story? One that feels "completely real" even though it can't physically be? One that flat-out feels real? One with insane or ground-breaking choreography?

As a professional fight coordinator, I love different fights for different things. Different scenes simply can't be compared, for both technical and artistic reasons. You simply cannot compare the near-perfect comedic fights in "Drunken Master" to the iconic clifftop fight in "the Princess Bride" to the hardcore masterpiece that is the spiral ramp fight in "The Protector". You're comparing apples to weasels.



A good point, I suppose I was thinking about exceptional use of fight choreography with the weapons involved, whether that is real and gritty or flamboyant or comedic!

Although I would be interested in seeing who would win...apples or weasels?

[J.Gellert]

CoN: Prince Caspian Peter (William Moseley) vs Miraz (Sergio Castellitto). Yup, a kid's flick. Here's the thing, though. This fight set a new standard in the stage fighting community for armored combat. Generally speaking, armor is always depicted as heavy and unwieldy (see also: Excalibur) or completely useless (most movies). CoN:PC, however, depicted armored combat as it actually is - fast and deadly, with the combatants fighting around the other guy's armor, not trying to pound through it, and with the armor actually having redeeming protective value. Watch especially after the helms come off and practically every blow is thereafter aimed at the face, and watch when Peter takes a cut across his vambraces (arm guards) to protect his face and the armor isn't even dented. THAT'S why people wore it! Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxIoOorgvyI)

The Seven Samurai Kyuzo vs Random Dumbass Samurai. If you want to know how most real swordfights look between unarmored combatants ("civilian duels"), watch this. This probably represents a good 50% of them. One technique, and done. In another 49%, both people die from a more or less simultaneous strike. The last 1% is the extended sequence of attack and counterattack what everybody thinks of when they think "swordfight". Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR45hbTSUIQ)

Troy Hector vs Achilles. And not just because Richard Ryan (one of my SAFD Fight Masters) did the duel. This fight showcases two completely different fighting styles (Hector is straight-ahead, straight-back linear, while Achilles is circular in movement, always attacking around the shield as opposed to everyone else in the movie) and making them both completely plausible onscreen without CGI trickery. What's more, this is a wonderful example of a fight telling a story. A fight without a story behind it is just dance with metal props - essentially masturbation for the stunt coordinator. "Ooh - look at the pretty dances I can make my actors do!". A LOT of fights, especially the unnecessarily-long ones, and a LOT of them out of the eastern movie tradition, have that problem (Jet Li is especially prone to doing this). But this one's got a story, with a clear beginning, rising action, setback, recovery, climax, and falling action. Video Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf4IoxEUmHM&feature=related)

Prince Caspian, how could I forget, I watched it recently again. EDIT: Watched it again. Heh, one more time, they lose their helmets :smallbiggrin:

The Seven Samurai link isn't working, which is a shame because it sounds interesting. It's been many years since I watched that.

Hector vs Achilles: Loved that fight, even if they left out the part of the story where Hector runs all around the walls of Troy three times to escape Achilles before finding the courage to face him :smallcool:

[paddyfool]

@Swordguy,

OK, you win this thread, and have coincidentally pointed me towards a few movies I now really rather want to watch.

[Swordguy]

The Seven Samurai link isn't working, which is a shame because it sounds interesting. It's been many years since I watched that.

Sorry, evidently Toho Ltd has been really anal about getting clips of their films removed from the internet. Here's a place you can watch it, legally even!.

Go to: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=89649&contentTypeId=130&category=movie

and click on the link that says "Seven Samurai, The -- (Movie Clip) Swordsman". A window should pop up and the video will play after a 10-second TCM ad.

[Quirinus_Obsidian]

+1 to the Pricess Bride
+1 to Vader / Luke in 5 and 6
+1 to Annie//Vader / Obi wan in 3

Buffy Vs. Angel in Becoming, pt II (end of season 2). Just awesome, and so much emotion, especially at the end.

End of "Curse of the Golden Flower" when the son goes bat guano on a horde of lesser warriors; only thing is he and a poleaxe. For the DND players, is this not a perfect example of a power attacking Dervish?

[J.Gellert]

Sorry, evidently Toho Ltd has been really anal about getting clips of their films removed from the internet. Here's a place you can watch it, legally even!.

Go to: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=89649&contentTypeId=130&category=movie

and click on the link that says "Seven Samurai, The -- (Movie Clip) Swordsman". A window should pop up and the video will play after a 10-second TCM ad.

It was a Random Dumbass Samurai indeed! :smalltongue:

[dehro]

I guess some fights are made good by their "realistic approach" some are good because of the skill involved in shooting them (which is probably lost on most people who aren't massively into martial arts or who know about staged fights and cinema)... and some are good because they just simply work very well in the context of the movie and as a piece of movie on their own.
case in point: this isn't even a fight...it's childish and ridiculous (like most of the movie)..but it works a treat and had the entire movie theater whooping
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfPWpEKhgfk)
meh...I happened to watch the scaramouche movie not long ago and yes, I remember reading that it was the single longest fight in history of cinema...but I must say that about halfway through it, and I really dig fighting scenes, I kinda got bored with it.. (not the movie, the fight scene)... there was a lot of pushing chandeliers and ladders in each other's path, which was having way more effect than one would expect such an action to have... in other words, a lot of drama, and genuine skill..but, well... maybe too much drama and too little actual fighting?

I had not seen prince caspian, and still won't, but I must admit that that's an impressive fight.
(as is the sabre one from the polish movie I don't remember the name of, great links, guys)
twilight samurai and seven samurai take the cup when it comes to katanas..or lack thereof:smallbiggrin:
I'm tempted to mention blind fury (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi-q2wfKgQo)...just because it has both Rutger Hauer and Sho Kosugi...but it doesn't really rate as one of the good fights..
zatoichi on the other hand, has some pretty impressive fights.

[J.Gellert]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uag_w_xck3Q&feature=related

This one's pretty great, from Ladyhawke.

Sure, it's not the best, and silly at times (the guy threw his helmet straight to the ceiling) but it's awesome in other ways.

And you can show this to your DM if want to make a point for being able to use your Mounted Combat feats indoors :smallbiggrin:

[thompur]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uag_w_xck3Q&feature=related

This one's pretty great, from Ladyhawke.

Sure, it's not the best, and silly at times (the guy threw his helmet straight to the ceiling) but it's awesome in other ways.

And you can show this to your DM if want to make a point for being able to use your Mounted Combat feats indoors :smallbiggrin:

YES! One of my favorite movies! I fell in love with Michelle Pfeiffer seeing this film. I loved the fight in the church.

[Grimlock]

MY first experience of Ladyhawke was weird! I think I was 12 or 13 and I found the book in a second hand bookshop, read it and loved it. Then 3 days later it was on tv- brill! It is a fun fight sequence too, not the best but I enjoyed it!:smallsmile:

[The Big Dice]

Scaramouche Stewart Granger vs Mel Ferrar.
Some great fights linked there, but this one had me raising an eyebrow. There's too many cuts and too many moments that would have required a totally new camera setup for me to seriously think that this scene was made in a single take.

That said, it's still an impressive scene. I love the length of the shots and the complexity (relatively speaking, of course) of the choreography. As Jackie Chan once said, a good fight scene can be compared to a Gene Kelly dance routine. Extended shots that show what Jackie called "nice toes" (aka good footwork) and lots of techniques are far more impressive than the more typical edited sequences you find in Hollywood movies.

[Telonius]

How could I have forgotten this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DzcOCyHDqc) - an excellent example of realism. :smallbiggrin:

[Zen Monkey]

+1 for Hector and Achilles
+1 for Kurosawa's samurai

There were some good scenes in The Last Saumurai, both in large and small scale fights. Watching Tom Cruise get thoroughly wrecked by Ujio in the rain is always entertaining.

[Jorkens]

zatoichi on the other hand, has some pretty impressive fights.
The Kitano verion? I'm guessing that proper japan-o-philes sneer at it as an inferior remake that loses the charm of the original, but I love it. It's particularly good in that the fight scenes are brilliant in spite of (or perhaps because of) the fact that the reflect fairly accurately what happens when two people with long, thin, razor sharp bits of metal and no armour try to kill each other ie it ends very badly for one of them in very little time.

Also, I'd be interested to know what the fencing buffs here think of Le Bossu. I enjoyed it, but as a proper old fashioned swashbuckler - I know almost nothing about fencing, so I can't really comment on that aspect.

[dehro]

The Kitano verion? I'm guessing that proper japan-o-philes sneer at it as an inferior remake that loses the charm of the original, but I love it. It's particularly good in that the fight scenes are brilliant in spite of (or perhaps because of) the fact that the reflect fairly accurately what happens when two people with long, thin, razor sharp bits of metal and no armour try to kill each other ie it ends very badly for one of them in very little time.

Also, I'd be interested to know what the fencing buffs here think of Le Bossu. I enjoyed it, but as a proper old fashioned swashbuckler - I know almost nothing about fencing, so I can't really comment on that aspect.

that version indeed..although, to be fair, had I seen the original version I would probably be sneering along with the other movie buffs...I am a bit like that:smallamused:

[Zocelot]

I think the fight scene I've watched the most is King Arthur vs. The Black Knight. Not really a good fight (in fact, it's terrible), but it's highly entertaining.

[Knaight]

I'm going to toss in yet another claim for the quality of the fight in Rob Roy, it really was among the best. Prince Caspian as well, just because it is armored fighting as it is supposed to be.

[--Lime--]

I'm not sure this counts. It's an "other weapon" but some of the opponents use sticks and some are unarmed. Still, I'll post it anyway.

The film is Old Boy, a film certainly worth seeing (even if there is one scene I have never watched because... well. *CRINGE*) Go watch it, then read the spoiler, otherwise it will ruin this awesome movie. I should warn you, it sometimes gets VERY violent and a bit bloody (yeah, remember that scene I said I couldn't watch?) as well as having strong adult themes and material. Not for the young by any means. As with all foreign films, do try to get a subtitled version rather than a dubbed one.

So, anyone who's seen it will know where I'm going by now. The hammer in the corridor bit. Not the hammer in the chair bit. That's the scene I've never watched. I just can't do it. One take - no cuts whatsoever. All done in one take. Look at him - he's knackered by the end of it. It's as close to real life as I've ever seen: it's not the flashiest fight on film, and it doesn't have major skill or super-duper magical abilities, or huge backflips or whatever, but *because* it's so realistic, *because* it doesn't go overboard, it actually ends up not needing to be anything more than its understated and wonderfully-choreographed, excellently-executed self. That's why, for me, it's the best fight on film.

I'm going to go watch it again now, actually :)

It's part of a trilogy, but the other two parts, while okay, aren't a patch on this one.

[Yulian]

The Court Jester - Danny Kaye's 'Hawkins/Giacomo' vs. Basil Rathbone's(there he is again!) Ravenhurst.


Yes! Truly epic, especially considering Rathbone's advanced age and Kaye's lack of formal fencing training.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSNGeazCW6I

One scene uses Rathbone's stunt double, but Kaye was incredibly agile and swift and picked up what he needed incredibly well.

So...nobody's seen The Duellists? It's an early Ridley Scott film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VVHSounmrE&feature=PlayList&p=E549F56A317A5C6D&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=1#t=1m20s

So, swordies, that meet with your approval? Whole movie is full of that kind of stuff.

- Yulian

[Shyftir]

I know you'll all call me crazy but...

I really enjoyed the combat scenes in The Kingdom of Heaven why? because they were brutal! The weapons and the way they get used are realistic in that it's not alot of fancy footwork and clashing of swords it's block-cut-stab-next enemy. No real fight with deadly weapons goes for a long time unless both fighters are heavily armored and armed with weapons ill suited to armored combat. (Full plate and quarterstaves, anyone)

I love the vast majority of the scenes mentioned here, but honestly, for realism's sake, any flashy scene that runs for more than 30 seconds is ridiculous. Real fights and duels tend to be over very quickly.

[Yulian]

I love the vast majority of the scenes mentioned here, but honestly, for realism's sake, any flashy scene that runs for more than 30 seconds is ridiculous. Real fights and duels tend to be over very quickly.

See my post. :) The fights were brutal and terrible injuries common.

- Yulian

[--Lime--]

Surprisingly few lightsabers, I notice...

[Poison_Fish]

What? No one mentioned this!? Le gasp! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2B9nyGCF00#t=6m34s)

[Killer Angel]

So...nobody's seen The Duellists?

Swordguy did and commented it. He linked...the first scene. :smallwink:

[Knaight]

I really enjoyed the combat scenes in The Kingdom of Heaven why? because they were brutal! The weapons and the way they get used are realistic in that it's not alot of fancy footwork and clashing of swords it's block-cut-stab-next enemy. No real fight with deadly weapons goes for a long time unless both fighters are heavily armored and armed with weapons ill suited to armored combat. (Full plate and quarterstaves, anyone)

The weapons are used too slowly, and everyone leaves openings all the time, plus there is actually too little footwork, nobody even backs away from a swing. Sure, the quick brutality of it all is good, but other than that its merely OK. And two people who are at all even will last for a while, though a while is more like 5 seconds than 10 minutes.

[J.Gellert]

The weapons are used too slowly, and everyone leaves openings all the time, plus there is actually too little footwork, nobody even backs away from a swing. Sure, the quick brutality of it all is good, but other than that its merely OK. And two people who are at all even will last for a while, though a while is more like 5 seconds than 10 minutes.

That's the beauty of it. People do leave openings. And most of the common infantrymen wouldn't have decent training, and the protagonist himself is a peasant who got tangled into things. Of course they'd leave openings. If you consider how bad they would really be, it may be fridge brilliance :smalltongue:

On the other hand, while I remember the large battles, I don't recall any of the duels.

One thing I remember (and consider good) is how they actually respond to getting hit. When Balian is hit during the siege it looks actually painful, not the kind of wound that other characters laugh at, or just grit their teeth and then proceed to ignore for the rest of the battle.

Edit: Though... isn't there one "berserker" who takes a while to die? Meh, alright, berserkergang.

[Knaight]

That's the beauty of it. People do leave openings. And most of the common infantrymen wouldn't have decent training, and the protagonist himself is a peasant who got tangled into things. Of course they'd leave openings. If you consider how bad they would really be, it may be fridge brilliance :smalltongue:

On the other hand, while I remember the large battles, I don't recall any of the duels.

One thing I remember (and consider good) is how they actually respond to getting hit. When Balian is hit during the siege it looks actually painful, not the kind of wound that other characters laugh at, or just grit their teeth and then proceed to ignore for the rest of the battle.

Edit: Though... isn't there one "berserker" who takes a while to die? Meh, alright, berserkergang.

Yeah, the way they get hit is done well. And yes, of course they would leave openings, but the ones they leave are absurd. I'm not talking about little stuff that a trained swordsman could abuse all the time. I'm talking about the kind of massive opening that would allow someone with a whole two days of basic spear training to take on four or five people. Plus, total ameatures would likely be flailing around, so how incredibly slow the weapons are in some parts is even worse. Not to mention the veterans who should be able to pull of at least a fair few very quick strikes.

[Yulian]

Swordguy did and commented it. He linked...the first scene. :smallwink:

I don't know how I missed that. I had also forgotten about Rob Roy. I saw that in the theatre when it came out, too.

Thanks Swordguy.

So, who wants to start the "gunfight" thread? Then I get to show off some specialized knowledge! ;)

- Yulian

[dehro]

So, who wants to start the "gunfight" thread? Then I get to show off some specialized knowledge! ;)

- Yulian
no need.
Lucky Luke wins


always.

[Prodan]

Raiders of the Lost Ark.

[dehro]

meh...I only a couple of days ago saw the video for "versus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvGH3nM08iI)", that somebody has listed several posts ago

WHY??????!!!!

it's seriously bad!
half the time it's impossible to see what's going on, as it's all a confused blurry closeup of the wrong character at the wrong time.. then there's the shaky camera, the wild and "unconnected" swinging of the blade...the idiotic manga/videogamey stances...the deadpan acting...

I mean...seriously..it gave me a headache to watch it all the way through.
granted, there are a few short sequences of properly shot and very enjoyable exchanges, but they can't make up for the minutes of consecutive out-of-focus/too-close-up-to-tell-exactly-what's-happening wild camera swinging.
watching it is like trying to play Castle Wolfenstein, and clutching your mouse during an epileptic fit.

am I just not seeing it right, or can somebody tell me what redeaming features the fight has?

[Angrist]

I like the scene from Willow where Madmartigan fights General Kael.

[Mr. Scaly]

Palpatine vs Mace Windu and three other Jedi. Though Anakin vs Obi is pretty darn good too, this stands out for me as it's the moment when Anakin fell to the Dark Side.

Inigo vs Wesley. Nuff said :smallbiggrin:

Hamlet vs Laertes, Kenneth Brannah's Hamlet. Especially "How now?" when they just go berserk at each other.

And Peter vs Miraz in Prince Caspain was pretty impressive in a slower heavier sort of way.

[Yulian]

Oh, Mom and Dad Save the World. Near the end, **** Nelson and Tod the Destroyer are having a fight near the death ray and it's just...

Ever see two kids who have absolutely no idea what they're doing play swordfight?

That. It is awesome. They sort of flail, then when their swords accidentally hit it hurts both of their hands. It goes on like that for a bit.

- Yulian

[Avilan the Grey]

Two fights from the Pirates trilogy: The first one in the smithy in Black Pearl, and the Threeway one on the deserted church ruin on the island in Dead Man's Chest.

The final duel in Rob Roy.

The fight in the beginning (first encounter with the Samurai) in The Last Samurai.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

*Everything this man said on the second page*

Amen. The only reason I don't agree 100% is because I haven't seen a few of those movies. Though, after seeing that we apparently agree almost entirely on what makes a good fight sequence, I'm going to go do so.

[Ossian]

Miraz Vs King Peter. First and possibly only occasion when armor protects you effectively in combat and shield/armor and sword are used in a way that I could find credible (to attack and defend). It's a damn tiring job, to fight in full plate with sword and shield, even if they are (for the High King) almost artifacts :)

[Platinum_Mongoose]

Oh, Mom and Dad Save the World. Near the end, **** Nelson and Tod the Destroyer are having a fight near the death ray and it's just...


I didn't think anyone else ever saw this movie. I was beginning to think I had imagined it.

Anyway, I'm gonna throw my vote for the three-way duel on the beach, leading up to the abandoned church, the water wheel, into the jungle, and back to the beach in Pirates 2. (And I suspect that Will and Norrington's general state of dizziness at the end may be commentary on Disneyland itself...)

[Irenaeus]

You forgot to share: *this* (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VTyPWvyAF8&playnext_from=TL&videos=DECNegCESVA)Watch this one, everybody. Best ever. Long takes and steady camera.

Edit: I see both The Duellists and Rob Roy mentioned. Love 'em both.

[Avilan the Grey]

Watch this one, everybody. Best ever. Long takes and steady camera.

Edit: I see both The Duellists and Rob Roy mentioned. Love 'em both.

Technical skill perhaps, but all I can think about is "boy that's a lot of Flynning". :smallbiggrin:

[dehro]

steady camera.


THIS! very much THIS!

who is the moron that thought up that shaking the camera a bit would enhance the quality of a fight-scene? all it really does is to cook up a blur that takes away from the work of the athletes/actors and to give you a headache in the process
steady camera all the way!
(incidentally, it's the main reason I can't stomach the scene in "versus")

[Irenaeus]

Technical skill perhaps, but all I can think about is "boy that's a lot of Flynning". :smallbiggrin:
As always, each to his or her own. :)

THIS! very much THIS!

who is the moron that thought up that shaking the camera a bit would enhance the quality of a fight-scene? all it really does is to cook up a blur that takes away from the work of the athletes/actors and to give you a headache in the process
steady camera all the way!
(incidentally, it's the main reason I can't stomach the scene in "versus")There is certainly some truth there. Shaking the camera a bit might well increase the immersion, which is very important for war movies and such, but for when the focus is martial arts for it's own sake (whenether armed or unarmed), I much prefer a steady camera and long takes.

Btw. I never considered seeing Prince Caspian, and I probably never will, but does anyone have a link to the fight in this that Swordguy is talking about?

'Cause seeing a good fight scene that actually utilizes the armor would be awsome.

[dehro]

Btw. I never considered seeing Prince Caspian, and I probably never will, but does anyone have a link to the fight in this that Swordguy is talking about?

'Cause seeing a good fight scene that actually utilizes the armor would be awsome.

swordguy...page 3 or thereabouts of this thread

[Irenaeus]

swordguy...page 3 or thereabouts of this threadPage 2, actually. Perhaps I should have started my request by stating that the link he posted is dead. My bad.

So my request would be for another link to the same scene.

[Swordguy]

Page 2, actually. Perhaps I should have started my request by stating that the link he posted is dead. My bad.

So my request would be for another link to the same scene.

Working to find one. Stand by...

EDIT: Here you go (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4aYncRxmMY). It's got some weird jump cuts, because the editor has removed all of the "other" stuff that was happening during the movie away from the fight, but I feel it gets the point across. The bit I was talking about where Peter deliberately takes a sword blow on the vambraces is at 5:08.

[Irenaeus]

Working to find one. Stand by...

EDIT: Here you go (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4aYncRxmMY). It's got some weird jump cuts, because the editor has removed all of the "other" stuff that was happening during the movie away from the fight, but I feel it gets the point across. The bit I was talking about where Peter deliberately takes a sword blow on the vambraces is at 5:08.Thanks! I'll check it out when I get home from work.

[Irenaeus]

Awesome! A shame about the editing on the online video, as that was rather jarring at times. In addition to things like the vambrace block, I also liked the "battered and bruised between rounds" way of communicating to the audience that the duelists had taken a beating, even if the armor had blocked most of the actual blows.

[Popertop]

I just can't take the Anakin vs Obi-wan fight seriously, it's way too predictable and boring. I really was disappointed. I really don't even count the prequel trilogy as existing.

[The Big Dice]

Best sword fight ever (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYbi7gKKvOo)

[Jimorian]

OK, I looked, and I'm surprised nobody posted this Robin Hood sword fight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ubpQE2IrG0). (Sean Connery and Robert Shaw from Robin and Marian).

[Jimorian]

BTW, one aspect of "realism" missed in a lot of fictional sword fights is the weight of the swords. Only very very rarely do swords exceed 5 or 6 lbs. and even that is on the darned heavy range.

Here's a good web page with further explanation of this.

http://www.thearma.org/essays/weights.htm

[Decoy Lockbox]

I just can't take the Anakin vs Obi-wan fight seriously, it's way too predictable and boring. I really was disappointed. I really don't even count the prequel trilogy as existing.

Are you saying that you didn't enjoy seeing Hayden Christensen dismembered and then immolated alive? :smallbiggrin:

Some of my favorite sword fights (or just fight scenes in general) took place in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon:

#1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OxQ-2gR1DU&feature=PlayList&p=593B4C995F97F8DE&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=60)

#2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqvzn3rrr-w&feature=PlayList&p=92273AD1C60BC82C&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=45) (warning: hilarious voice dub)

The ending (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27M5KWI_q50) of Rob Roy was pretty good as well (given how nasty the villain had been the entire film).

The final battle scene in Gladiator is also one of my favorites.

The first duel between Guts and Griffith in Berserk (anime), though less awesome than the manga, was still pretty fun to watch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YIN7O-PmWY).

Also, Guts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yazp61CoFA0#t=4m12s) vs Zodd (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAxYAlTo-DY), Guts vs 100 men (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qacgb2b8LVU&feature=related), Guts vs corrupt noble, 11 year old boy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qfQHflqDYA&feature=related#t=4m50s), Guts vs Griffith (second fight) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn7TC8Ner78)....etc

[Yora]

I like the Red Fight in Hero, though it doesn't have that much to do with fencing. ^^

[Telonius]

Oh yeah, another favorite...

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes vs. Mark Hamill.