Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

veeco · 08-15-2002, 01:00 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by oiuyt:
So does anyone have any movies that involve modern sport fencing that they like (I'm not counting things like the 3 seconds of epee during Lucy Liu's character's intro in Charlie's Angels)?

The three movies that I know of that fit that category are "By the Sword", "Ring of Steel", and "Pentathlon". The latter two make BTS look like a "Best Picture" candidate.

Personally, I like BTS (yes I realize I'm in the vast minority on this board in that regard). It clearly has flaws (just cutting all of the red-tint flashback scenes wouldn't detract at all and would vastly improve the movie).

Anyone know of ANY other movie that has much sport fencing?

-B

<hr /></blockquote>There's Sunshine as well. It's not centered around sport fencing, as in sport fencing is not the main topic of the movie, but it has a bunch of sport fencing scenes, including a reproduction of an olympic final in the early 1900s...

SäbelFechter · 08-15-2002, 02:25 PM

While Sunshine is not specifically about fencing, it is the story about a family's experiences and one of the main figures in this family is a fencer who eventually becomes a member of the Hungarian Olympic team. It has some good scenes of dry sabre fencing including (as mentioned previously) the recreation of some bouts at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The sabre fencing was what led me to watch this movie.

JEC · 08-15-2002, 04:32 PM

There is another movie that nobody has mentioned. The Fencing Master, which is an adaptation of Arturo Perez-Reverte's book. It is in Spanish with English subtitles. I thought it was far better than By the Sword.

Fencing Master, The (El Maestro de esgrima (1992)
Starring: Omero Antonutti, Assumpta Serna
Director: Pedro Olea
Synopsis: Lush romance/adventure about master swordsman whose attractive student catches the local nobleman's eye. Spanish cineastes, art-house romance fans will be dueling each other to see its gorgeous cinematography, handsome leads.
Runtime: 88 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Genres: Drama, Foreign
Country of Origin: Spain
Language: Spanish (English subtitles)

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6304756356/qid%3D1029454539/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1" target="_blank"> Amazon Review of this Movie</a>

[ 08-15-2002, 07:37 PM: Message edited by: JEC ]

135711 · 08-15-2002, 04:55 PM

does anyone remember robin hood?

Gav · 08-15-2002, 05:06 PM

Which version?

D'Artagnan1673 · 08-15-2002, 09:09 PM

The Erol Flynn version is fencing with short swords. Although not terribly realistic, it makes for an interesting swordfight as both Flynn and Rathbone were experts. I cannot abide the Kevin Cosner version. Cosner is a poor actor and the movie is exceptionally flat. The only consolation is Alan Rickman as Nottingham, and Michael Wincott as Gisborne.

By the Sword was pretty bad. I always hate when a villan has absolutely no motivation, he's evil because the plot orders him to be.

Gav · 08-15-2002, 09:25 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr /> By the Sword was pretty bad. I always hate when a villan has absolutely no motivation, he's evil because the plot orders him to be. <hr /></blockquote>I don't think there is a villain in BTS. Eric R's character has major faults and isn't very likeable but I don't think he was inherently evil. Eric Roberts motivation was that the character had seen his dad defeated because he had let his guard down therefore he couldn't let his guard down, he had to always prove himself to be better than those around because his father had underetimated his opponent. The kicker is that his father became a reviled figure in his head whilst he worshipped the guy who 'took the opportunity'. No, I don't think that the Eric Roberts character was evil.

In fact you could argue that F Murray Abraham's character was the evil one, after all he took a life in cold blood as a matter of pride (they had went beyond fighting over a woman by that point if you recall). However he had done his penance and become a better man for it.

I liked the premise of BTS, it was just badly executed. F Murray Abraham is a much better actor than he was allowed to be in that film. Eric Roberts weeeeeelll I dunno, but I imagine he can do better.

epeemike81 · 08-16-2002, 06:01 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673:
Cosner is a poor actor<hr /></blockquote>not ALWAYS true....

for example: Kevin CosTner is a fine actor when playing baseball players...

and you just can't beat lines like "c'mon, meat, lets see that million dollar arm of yours, 'cause I got a pretty good idea about that five cent head."

if you will excuse me, I have to go watch Bull Durham now.....

-m

[ 08-16-2002, 09:07 AM: Message edited by: epeemike81 ]

D'Artagnan1673 · 08-16-2002, 06:43 AM

Gav,

Don't ask me what I was thinking, I meant Ring of Steel. No, there isn't anyone who is inherently evil in BTS. They all have their problems as you said.

Mike, good point, I actually enjoyed For Love of the Game. Allow me to rephrase, he does a poor job as Robin Hood.

epeemike81 · 08-16-2002, 06:51 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673:
Gav,

Don't ask me what I was thinking, I meant Ring of Steel. No, there isn't anyone who is inherently evil in BTS. They all have their problems as you said.

Mike, good point, I actually enjoyed For Love of the Game. Allow me to rephrase, he does a poor job as Robin Hood.<hr /></blockquote>For Love of the Game IS a good movie, but it just can't hold a candle to Bull Durham.

-m

darius · 08-16-2002, 06:57 AM

Or Field of Dreams, for that matter.

Kevin Costner and Baseball: proof that two wrongs *do* make a right.

D'Artagnan1673 · 08-16-2002, 07:04 AM

Its been a real long time since I've seen Bull Durham. I may appreciate it more now since I'm older.

epeemike81 · 08-16-2002, 07:48 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by darius:
Or Field of Dreams, for that matter.<hr /></blockquote>NO COMPARISON! Bull Durham is SOOOOO much better than Field of Dreams (though FoD is a good movie).

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Kevin Costner and Baseball: proof that two wrongs *do* make a right.<hr /></blockquote>HERESY!!!!!

baseball???? wrong??????

-m

D'Artagnan1673 · 08-16-2002, 07:53 AM

nah, baseball is a pretty fun sport to play and watch. If my future children don't fence, then I'll at least expect them to play baseball <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

darius · 08-16-2002, 08:40 AM

I grant you that it's fun to occasionally go out to the field with some friends and play, but baseball? It's marginally more exciting than golf, and that's because every 5th pitch or so, you get to see a fat man run a 40 yard dash.

Give me hockey, tennis, handball, football (any), or lacrosse any day...

darius

oiuyt · 08-16-2002, 11:58 AM

Veeco- Yes of course Sunshine. I'm not sure how I forgot about that. Take just the middle third and you have the best fencing movie out there. With the rest it would still easily win as long as people are willing to still accept it as a fencing movie.

JEC- I have the book (unread as of yet) but haven't been able to locate the movie. Where'd you find it?

-B

epeemike81 · 08-16-2002, 12:01 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by darius:
I grant you that it's fun to occasionally go out to the field with some friends and play, but baseball? It's marginally more exciting than golf, and that's because every 5th pitch or so, you get to see a fat man run a 40 yard dash.

Give me hockey, tennis, handball, football (any), or lacrosse any day...

darius<hr /></blockquote>come to Fenway sometime, and THEN tell me that its not exciting.

-m

darius · 08-16-2002, 12:22 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />come to Fenway sometime, and THEN tell me that its not exciting.<hr /></blockquote>Yes, you have a very nice green wall.

darius

epeemike81 · 08-16-2002, 12:35 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by darius:
Yes, you have a very nice green wall.

darius<hr /></blockquote>I grow tired of this BS....

Anybody else from Boston want to explain the excitement and electricity which runs through Fenway during Red Sox games????

Actually I'll let Rob Neyer take a shot at explaining it. Check out this excerpt from Rob Neyer's book Feeding the Green Monster:

<blockquote>quote:<hr />It struck me that day that what people say about Red Sox fans, that they know more about the game than fans anywhere else, is true. As I looked around at my fellow spectators when something important was happening or might happen, I saw ninety-five percent of them staring at the field. They were not eating, nor drinking, nor talking to their neighbor about their kids or their stock portfolios. If they were talking about anything at all -- and most apparently cold’t be bothered for something so trivial as conversation -- it was why Jimy Williams didn’t use a pinch-hitter for Darren Lewis, or whether Pedro Martinez is better than Roger Clemens.

How knowledgeable are Red Sox fans? Here’s one example, from my second game at Fenway last September: In the bottom of the ninth inning, Orioles manager Ray Miller summoned forty-two-year-old Jesse Orosco from the bullpen. Orosco, by most accounts a decent-enough fellow, was nonetheless greeted by a medium-sized chorus of boos. Why? Because in 1986, then pitching for the New York Mets, he saved Game 7 of the World Series. Against the Red Sox. You tell me, where else in America (or Canada) will the fans boo somebody for something that happened thirteen years ago?<hr /></blockquote>Out of curiosity, how many LIVE games have you been to?? Baseball is NOT a very good televised game. to truly appreciate it, you REALLY have to go watch the game at a major league park.

btw, I know this is a tangent, but as to how knowledgable Red Sox fans are....

A few years ago, there was a particularly heinous blown call in a game against the Yankees. The ump who made that call still gets booed at Fenway. how many other cities recognize the names of and remember all the umps who screwed their team? btw, Charlie Relaford will be joining that list this year.....

-m

[ 08-16-2002, 03:44 PM: Message edited by: epeemike81 ]

epeemike81 · 08-16-2002, 12:51 PM

mispost

[ 08-16-2002, 03:52 PM: Message edited by: epeemike81 ]