Captain Alastriste - Another Reverte fencing movie

[Gav]

You never write, you never answer your phone ...

[JEC]

This trailer lasts 3:26 and is quite promising for seeing quite a bit of action in the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAcrIr84OdQ&search=viggo

[Gav]

Yeah; I've seen the trailer. It looks pretty good actually. A good old fashioned swashbuckler. Hopefully it will live up to its promise.

[JEC]

The movie opens in Spain tomorrow and still is intended to arrive the USA until Dec. '06.

Here is a link:
http://www.capitanalatriste.com/escr...reno_alatriste

and a NEW TRAILER:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAcrIr84OdQ

[OROD]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

Excuse moi, but has there ever been a film with sword fighting scenes that wasn't corny?!

Zz, have you ever seen The Mark of Zorro? (1940 w/ Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone). It has easily the best sword fighting scene I've ever seen.

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[Phaeton]

Originally Posted by OROD

Zz, have you ever seen The Mark of Zorro? (1940 w/ Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone). It has easily the best sword fighting scene I've ever seen.

.

That is perhaps my favorite sword fighting scene of all time.

I'm actually looking really forward to it. I'm a big swashbuckler fan. To paraphrase a good friend of mine "Swashbucklers are like the Beatles, at times simple, at times silly, but you love them anyway"

The beatles didn't have the most complex music. It's good partly because it's simplicity. Swashbucklers often don't have the best plots or meaning behind hem, but that's why you love them. Errol Flynn is great simply because he is who he is and he does what he does. I love films like this because I was raised on films like this. This is what got me to fence; this is how I spent my childhood, pretending to be Captain Blood riding around the seven seas with my somewhat moral pirate crew.

What is in the movies isn't fencing. I don't want fencing. I want swashbuckling. I want fun. I want a camera that doesn't appear like it's falling down a cliff like everything else these days.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by OROD

Zz, have you ever seen The Mark of Zorro? (1940 w/ Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone). It has easily the best sword fighting scene I've ever seen.

No, I haven't seen that one. Is it good for real or are you just having me on..?

[Phaeton]

There are two films by that name. A 1920's version and a 1940's version. The 1940's version is the good one.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by Phaeton

There are two films by that name. A 1920's version and a 1940's version. The 1940's version is the good one.

Ok. I might see if I can find it then. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Inquartata]

And if you want to see a movie with non-corny swordplay, watch Ridley Scott's "The Duellists", with Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine. Based on a story by Joseph Conrad which in turn is based on a real story, it's quite dark and the swordplay is closer to grim than flashy and scintillant, especially the fight in the basement. ( Well, they did use some theatrical trickery like electrifying the weapons to get sparks, so it's flashy in THAT sense. But it's much more realistic than most fencing scenes you'll ever encounter. )

[Gav]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

And if you want to see a movie with non-corny swordplay, watch Ridley Scott's "The Duellists", with Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine. Based on a story by Joseph Conrad which in turn is based on a real story, it's quite dark and the swordplay is closer to grim than flashy and scintillant, especially the fight in the basement. ( Well, they did use some theatrical trickery like electrifying the weapons to get sparks, so it's flashy in THAT sense. But it's much more realistic than most fencing scenes you'll ever encounter. )

I have this film on DVD. It's in my top10 favourite films. It is a truly excellent film. Harvey Keitel didn't think that he would be good for the role - thankfully he was wrong.

Pop Trivia: in the opening duel between Keitel and the nephew of the Mayor of [Salzburg?] (played by Patrick Troughton's son) the blades in the action shots are actually car aerials.

[AllenJ]

After watching the trailer a few times there is only a few things that we can really judge. The costuming and sets look great! I love the fact that they are using pike lines and not just opening a battle with a cliche sword charge. However, at the very end of the trailer it did show Viggo standing at the front of the pike line brandishing his rapier. Rapiers are not battlefield weapons. He would have been using something much more robust. (this is the part where we all argue about how to define the "rapier") There looked like there were a few exagerated swings during the back alley fight scene, but its out of context and unfair to judge too harshly until the full sequence is seen. It also looks like he uses two rapiers at one point. This was not the normal run of things as past fencing masters as well as experienced modern practicioners of rapier play agree that a rapier and dagger (or any other SHORTER offhand weapon or device) is better than two rapiers. However, there are a few period manuals the briefly adress using "a case of rapiers". Technically these too are different than a standard rapier and have their own limitations as well.

But overall I'm very interested in this! Here's to hoping!

[AllenJ]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

And if you want to see a movie with non-corny swordplay, watch Ridley Scott's "The Duellists", with Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine. Based on a story by Joseph Conrad which in turn is based on a real story, it's quite dark and the swordplay is closer to grim than flashy and scintillant, especially the fight in the basement. ( Well, they did use some theatrical trickery like electrifying the weapons to get sparks, so it's flashy in THAT sense. But it's much more realistic than most fencing scenes you'll ever encounter. )

Rob Roy is also one of those that is about as good a technique as seen in the cinema- It was choreographed by William Hobbs...same guy who did the Duellists.

[OROD]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

No, I haven't seen that one. Is it good for real or are you just having me on..?

Hehehe, no, I was actually being serious about that one. Really, as far as I recall the sword fighting in The Mark of Zorro was great and fun to watch from a fencers piont of view. You could see that the actors were actually skilled fencers in real life and the scene was nicely choreographed.

As others pointed out The Duelists and Rob Roy were also good movies, I'd definitely recomment them if you havent seen them.

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[Gav]

Am I the only person who didn't think that Rob Roy was a good movie? It's, at best, a below average film with an OK swordfight at the end.

[Mr Epee]

I thought it was one of the worst films I've ever seen.

Although, if you have a soft spot for corny, pointless, rape scenes this may be the film for you.

Oh.... sorry....


Yes, You, you dimwitted perv.

[OROD]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

I thought it was one of the worst films I've ever seen.

Although, if you have a soft spot for corny, pointless, rape scenes this may be the film for you.

I'm a sucker for a good corny, pointless rape scene.

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

Yes, You, you dimwitted perv.

You had me at hello Mr Epee, you had me at hello.

.

[Mr Epee]

Originally Posted by OROD

You had me at hello Mr Epee, you had me at hello.

I'm not like that, you submissive toad.

[OROD]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

I'm not like that, you submissive toad.

Have you been talking to my ex-girlfriend??

.

[Inquartata]

From his tone he sounds like he might actually BE your ex-girlfriend.