Good.....Movies with sword play in them?

Gary W. Graley

Gary W. Graley

“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
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Just interested in some movies I'm sure I am missing out on that shows of the use of the sword!

I'll start;

The Seven Samurai...in Japanese with subtitles but even my kids liked it! go figure....three girls.

The Princess Bride, good movie no matter what, and the fencing is very good and smartly done.

Legend of Sleepy Hollow...might be too dark a movie for some, but man could that headless horseman weild that sword! Amazing!

Blind Fury, Rutger Hauer fans will love this one, one of my favorite parts is when he and his friends small boy were camped out and a dragon fly was buzzing around the sleeping boys head, he took his sword cane and by listening to the sound, sliced it in mid air, he is blind now mind you. The funny part is the old couple that were setting behind him and said `Did you see that? We have to get ourselves one of them!'

Thats enough out of me, your turn?

G2

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"The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions!"
Take the time to read your Bible Now, don't be left behind...

G2 LeatherWorks
 
Have always thought Franco Zifferelli's Romeo and Juliet did a well-choreographed but probably realistic job of portraying the impromptu civilian swordfight as a street brawl.
 
Not being much of a swordsman, yet, I don't know how realistic it was, but I liked the fights in the Rob Roy movie with Liam Nisen(sp?).

'Course that could be because Red Rob was a clansman of mine. In fact, he lived in the time when the clan name was outlawed. He was one of the 'Children of the Mist'

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Joshua, aka Feneris,'Destroyer of Whisky' of the Terrible Ironic Horde
But doom'd and devoted by vassal and lord.
MacGregor has still both his heart and his sword!
-MacGregor's Gathering, Sir Walter Scott

[This message has been edited by Feneris (edited 08-12-2000).]
 
Let's not forget Wesley Snipes and his titanium-bladed lightsabre from Blade.

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Also, if cheese is your thing, there are actually some pretty good fight scenes in Patrick Swayze's Steel Dawn.

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Razor

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AKTI #A000845
And tomorrow when you wake up it will be worse.

 
Not that the Lightsaber could be technically called a sword, btu the choreography of the duel in Phantom menace is actually very good. It presents a good mix martial arts as well as medival arts sword play. Also all of the Highlander movies (even the god awful second one) as well as the series focus on sword play.
 
The 1974 "Three Musketeers" and 1975 "Four Musketeers" (both were filmed simulatainiously) The Swordplay in both was among the most realistic of it's type and showed the different styles of period school of the Sword. (fighting with cloak, lantern, Rapier/left handed dagger et.c.)Choreographed by William Hobbs, the English Master of the Sword.

It certainly influenced many later sword choreography in other films. The film itself was very authentic....except for one place and I wish they did not have a closeup of that out-of-period 1860s Percussion Derringer, the Lady deWynter was going to use (she pulled it out of her muff and there was the closeup).
 
Let us not forget Willow, my favorite movie
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I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist

The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me
 
"By The Sword"
"The Duellists"

Samurai flicks
"Zatoichi" Blind Swordsman series
"Lone Wolf and Cub" Series
"Sword of Doom" (the most samurai kills in one film)
 
Also, there is a movie called "Ring of Steel" about some olympic fencer kidnapped and forced to fight as a gladiator in a secret fight club. Some of the swordplay in that movie is quite good.

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I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist

The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me
 
"The Hunted" with cristopher Lambert had some awesome sword fighting!! You HAVE TO see this movie.

I personally like the Highlander series better than the movies. I can't wait for the new movie. It will star adrian Paul and Christopher Lambert.

Another good one is the ending fight scene in "Revenge Of The Ninja" staring Sho Kosugi.



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Louis Buccellato
http://www.themartialway.com
Knives, Weapons and equipment. Best prices anywhere.
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"only the paranoid will survive"
 
Hmmmm... I'd have to say the few sword scenes in Brave Heart made it one of my favorite sword movies. And I'd have to second "Blade" as well for sword play, although IMO the movie itself was a little bit of a downer for me.

I think I have seen the Hunted as well, and iirc, it is one of my absolute favorites. Although... I wonder about the ending.....

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iktomi
 
My favorite set of movies will give you some insight on Japanese culture and classic swordsmanship:

Samurai I, Samurai II, and Samurai III.
These movies are an adaptation of the book Musashi by Yoshikawa, a sort of fictionalized biography of Miyamoto Musashi, a 16th century samurai.
 
I second Smoke's chioce of "The Duelists"
Here is one review I read,

"Ridley Scott made this film in the mid-70's prior to going into the big time with such hits as "Alien." While obtaining film making experience by making commercials, he learned to visually pack an image and do so with exciting details. "The Duelist" was made on a shoe string, but looks like it cost 10-20 times as much. Every dollar is on the screen. The sets and costumes are excellent. The camera style--dramatic and romantic-- often captures scenes that looked like they have been painted by David, a major French painter of that period. Exteriors show period chateaus in early morning light under blue skies, while the interiors are bathed in candle light. The sword play is wonderfully visualized as both men fight each other in a series of duels over many years. Both Carradine and Keitel are excellent as two officers serving under Napoleon that must live by a code--no matter how that severe code of honor affects their lives in war or peace time. This excellent action film is a jewel. See it."

As a bit of Trivia, to get the sparks during the fight scenes the swords were wired to batteries, and Harvey Keitel got zapped pretty good several times.
 
No one has mentioned Gladiator so I guess I will.

Ninja Scroll, although animated, is still one of my favorites.

There was a three movie set (starring Toshiro Mifune) about the life of Musashi Miyamoto that had some great fight scenes in them. I can't remember the name of the movies though.
One scene had him fighting hundreds of soldiers with just a wooden practice sword. It was fantastic.

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Phillip Jones
Jones Knives
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=126319&Auth=false]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=126319&Auth=false
 
I just saw the trailer again for "Highlander ENDGAME" Man this movie looks good. I can't friggin wait!!

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Louis Buccellato
http://www.themartialway.com
Knives, Weapons and equipment. Best prices anywhere.
-------------

"only the paranoid will survive"
 
1952's "Scaramouche" with Stewart Grainger, Mel Ferrer was the first to have the longest fencing sequences ever filmed.... set in pre Revoluntionary France so the swords used were the small sword of the time.

That sequence and choreography was grueling according to Grainger and during one practice, Mel lost concentration (he was prone to do that) and his point nearly came out through Grainger's cheek after scraping across his teeth. The theater set used was an actual one ...not made up. However it did have foldup seats and Grainger broke his leg when falling and stepping into one that folded on him.

Other excellent Hollywood swordsmen were Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone. Rathbone really could out fight Erroyl Flynn in a thrice. Those fight scenes between Power and Rathbone in 1940 "The Mark of Zorro" are gems. The swordplay scenes in the most recent version were good too.

 
I saw a Japanese movie a while back, it was "Duel on {something} island" and it had some fantastic swordplay in it. The end battle between the two blademasters was just amazing. The older well known samurai who didn't really want to fight and the young samurai that wanted to beat the older one to look good. The older samurai's choice of weapon prior to the duel was rather cool too.

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I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist

The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me
 
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