Play-acting: Your favorite stage fencing scenes?

[Victor]

I know this is only tangentally connected to sport fencing, but I figure so many of us secretly hold at least a few romanticized swordplay scenes in our noggins...

What's your favorite scene involving the clash of swords - classic stage, modern TV or otherwise?

[Go? Fencing?]

The Princess Bride, Inigo and Wesley on the cliff.

"You are wonderful!" "Then why are you smiling?" "Because I know something you don't know. I... am not left-handed."

[Larrison]

I have to confess, I also like the fencing scene btween Westley and INigo in the Princess Bride.

But also ... Jose Ferrer's "Cyrano"
Act One -- the duel in the theatre

--------------------------------------------
Prince, ask God for mercy now!
I turn a quarter - a flourish, and such!
I cut, I feint!
(Thrusting)
….Ah, then, I vow,
(The viscomte staggers. Cyrano salutes.)
at the envoi’s end, I touch!

[Captain Hook]

The phantom menace...*cough*

Robin Hood the prince of thieves

The last battle between costner and rickman has fabulous swordsmanship...ahem

On the other hand I remember a movie involving Toni Curtis and peter faulk with a cool looking sabre duel. The bad guy ends up escaping by jumping through a boat. I don't know it's name but it's about a car race or something.

[SJCFU#2]

On the other hand I remember a movie involving Toni Curtis and peter faulk with a cool looking sabre duel. The bad guy ends up escaping by jumping through a boat. I don't know it's name but it's about a car race or something.

The film was the THE GREAT RACE, and the duel was between Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Peter Faulk was Lemmon's henchman, Max.

[Victor]

I know this sounds odd, but the first fight scene I remember remembering(?) is reading from Romeo & Juliet ("Tomorrow you will find me a grave man..."), not even seeing it on stage.
Our high school english teacher explained upon our rather dry in-class reading how an exquisitely planned and executed fight would support the scene.

[grotto]

Final duel in Rob Roy, supports my coaching tenent: Don't Get Cocky!
also a nice piece of duelling with dissimilar weapons Claymore VS Rapier (or rapier like) Also the Sword scenes in "The Duelist" were very well done.

[oso97]

Final duel from the Prisoner of Zenda with sabres... complete with swinging from the rafters.

[Larrison]

The film was the THE GREAT RACE, and the duel was between Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Peter Faulk was Lemmon's henchman, Max.

The duel was between Tony Curtis and Ross Martin, as "the Baron". Excellent duel with both foil and saber -- including a wonderful scene while they are fencing where Ross Martin as the Baron says something like "ahh.. but then I always preferred Saber, a real man's weapon" and Tony Curtis lowers his weapon and replies "Well then, let us.." and both men lower then weapons, rearm themselves and continue to fence with Saber this time. The sound of the weapons is different, the moves are somewhat different, etc.... A very well done theatrical scene.

[Victor]

... Also the Sword scenes in "The Duelist" were very well done.

An odd detail side comment: "The Duellist" was spelled with two Ls. I remember clearly thinking how silly that was when I got the movie poster in the mail.

And now back to topic...

I got a kick out of the fight scenes in the Musketeers movie a couple years back. (Sorry; I can't remember when it was released or who the lead actors were.)

Oh! And the "Pirates of the Carribean" climax fight, with skeletal special effects. Totally loved it.

[scrapinpeg]

The duel was between Tony Curtis and Ross Martin, as "the Baron". Excellent duel with both foil and saber -- including a wonderful scene while they are fencing where Ross Martin as the Baron says something like "ahh.. but then I always preferred Saber, a real man's weapon" and Tony Curtis lowers his weapon and replies "Well then, let us.." and both men lower then weapons, rearm themselves and continue to fence with Saber this time. The sound of the weapons is different, the moves are somewhat different, etc.... A very well done theatrical scene.

And don't forget the earlier scene where Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood are fencing foil while each holding a glass of champagne. He disarms her and pokes her onto the bed. Not that there's any symbolism there or anything...

One of the all-time great comedies.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

the fight between maximus and the emperor in gladiator. I want to win the crowd!!!

OR!!!

The fight with antonio banderas and catherine zeta jones in zorro, where he cuts her clothes off.... that was wicked awesome.

[Purple Fencer]

And don't forget the earlier scene where Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood are fencing foil while each holding a glass of champagne. He disarms her and pokes her onto the bed. Not that there's any symbolism there or anything...

One of the all-time great comedies.

"Push the button, Max!.....NOT THAT ONE!!!!"

I prefer Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Power in "The Mark of Zorro" myself...

[Go? Fencing?]

The phantom menace...*cough*

ROTS should be spectaular as well.

[Captain Hook]

The duel was between Tony Curtis and Ross Martin, as "the Baron". Excellent duel with both foil and saber -- including a wonderful scene while they are fencing where Ross Martin as the Baron says something like "ahh.. but then I always preferred Saber, a real man's weapon" and Tony Curtis lowers his weapon and replies "Well then, let us.." and both men lower then weapons, rearm themselves and continue to fence with Saber this time. The sound of the weapons is different, the moves are somewhat different, etc.... A very well done theatrical scene.

yeah... I was flicking channels and watching it in dribs and drabs, I was pretty lucky to catch the exact moment when they were duelling.

I remember thinking, wow Toni curtis in a good sword fighting scene!

The boat escape had me chuckling a little aswell

shame about Columbo's, I mean Faulks lesser role

[Captain Hook]

ROTS should be spectaular as well.

Is that my sarcasm meter bleeping away

[Larrison]

"Push the button, Max!.....NOT THAT ONE!!!!"

I prefer Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Power in "The Mark of Zorro" myself...

or Danny Kaye fencing Basil Rathbone in "the Court Jester"....
*smiley added* A well done theatrical fencing scene, but done a bit tongue-in-cheek.

[Purple Fencer]

or Danny Kaye fencing Basil Rathbone in "the Court Jester"....
*smiley added* A well done theatrical fencing scene, but done a bit tongue-in-cheek.

Actually, that was Kaye vs Ralph Faulkner....Kaye was SO good at the choreography -- and so fast at it -- that Rathbone couldn't keep up and Faulkner had to act as stunt double...which, given that Rathbone was the best swordsman in Hollywood at the time, says a LOT about Kaye's ability...

[Mauler]

My brother and I were able to reenact the Inigo Montoya vs Wesley Duel in the Cliff scene to the letter with the exception of the Inigo's half-sommersault mid-fight and Wesley's gymnastics towards the end. Perfectly timed to the accompanying soundtrack no less! Which I owned in LP record. (pre-CD days)

Aside from that, an on-screen sword fight that has remained in my memory after all these years is the final Duel in the Island Beach in the Miyamoto Musashi Trilogy. A dramatized version of his very last duel in Musashi's career as a swordsman -- which began at the age of 13 when he beat a swordsmanship instructor to death with a stick in a challenge, and ended in retirement after over 60 undefeated duels, last several of which were fought using a wooden sword.

While unlike modern sports fencing, the duel had many qualities similar to watching an Epee bout. Lots of shifting of positions to gain an advantage as well as waiting and waiting for a moment of perceived weakness in the opponent before making an action. Then more shifting and waiting. Until a Sabre-like final actions end the duel. Head cuts. One starts JUST A LITTLE BEFORE the other. One dies with a crushed skull, the other walks away with a bloody head.

[achilleus]

First off, got to give props to

The Court Jester
The Mark of Zorro
Samurai 3

All three have great duels...

Have to add Scaramouche with Stewart Granger, quite good and beautiful to watch.

And the best, absolute tops, The 3 Musketeers and 4 Musketeers 1973/4.

William Hobbs, fight choreographer, shows his stuff and he even gets to duel with Porthos.

But they cover everything. Sword and:

cloak
hat
lantern
dagger
sword
laundry
rock

But the final duel between D'artagnan and Rochefort is awesome.