Rating: 
Summary: A gorgeous movie!
Review: If you haven't seen this little gem, one of Ridley Scott's first films, you are in for a treat. The movie had a narrow, art house release in the late seventies, so the odds are you haven't seen it. The movie is set in the Napoleonic wars, and the military costumes are absolutely magnificent. In a commentary with Kevin Reynolds, Scott states that the uniforms cost 19,000 pounds--that is about $30,000.00 in 1977 dollars!The story revolves around a series of duels between two French army officers, D'hubert (Carradine) and Feraud (Keitel). Feraud is the heavy of the piece, having started the duels for no reason whatsoever. But D'hubert's own warped sense of honor won't allow him to refuse the challenges. Neither of the leads was Scott's first choice; the two actors he wanted were refused by the studio funding the project. If he wanted the money, he had to choose from a list of four actors the studio gave him. And he wanted the money. So literally every other actor in the film is better, and fits in the film better, than the two leads. Doesn't matter. This is a stunningly beautiful film. Every scene is so gorgeous it is like a painting. It is all about the scenery and the costumes. Every military history buff should own a copy of this DVD just for the costumes alone. The DVD itself is gorgeous, with vivid colors, and it is crammed with extras including a director's commentary with Ridley Scott. Get it.
Rating:
Summary: Astonishing start to great film career -- beautiful film!
Review: After directing some thousand commercials (even he's not sure of the number) over fifteen years, Ridley Scott finally got the money together to make a feature film. And for only $900,000 he turned out what must be one of the breathtakingly beautiful period films of all time. It looks like it cost $10 mil, easily! The visual are at the same level as Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon"; it's easy to forget you're watching a movie made in the 1970s and fall headlong into this oil portrait of the early 1800s. Scott shows what a visual genius and stylist he is in this first movie, and would prove it with his later classics "Alien," "Blade Runner," and "Gladiator." The simple plot follows the conflict between two soldiers, played by Keither Carradine and Keitel. The origins of the fight are obscure, and soon neither man remembers the reason for it. But over the years they clash, whittling each other away with sabers and pistols for some concept of "honor" on which they cannot agree. The duels are pretty spectacular, especially the saber fights. Scott tosses all the old fashioned Hollywood swashbuckler styles out and shows bloody, weighty, and furiously realistic combat. Those sabres really could take your arm right off, and they're heavy. Keitel, of course, is great in the role, but Carradine is a real surprise, carrying the main role with great pride and seriousness. Plenty of great British character actors are on hand as well, such as Robert Stephens (love that guy's voice!). And Stacy Keach does the narration (an odd move to have American voice, but it works.) You should see the "Duellists" for the visuals alone -- they're like romantic oil paintings come to life, but it's also a thrilling story with great performances. No wonder Scott was instantly recognized as a new talent and given the director's chair on "Alien"!
Rating:
Summary: Point / Counterpoint
Review: The Duellists finally arrives on DVD. At long last Ridley Scott's first film is available to the public and it was well worth the wait. The skimpy $900k budget looks more like $60 million in the hands of Scott. Using only real locations and splurging on costumes, this Napoleonic epic looks as good as any other, if not better. This is an intimate story and not one of those sweeping, libertine war melodramas. The story and acting are good, but what really stands out about this picture is the jaw droping cinematography. Scott employed a special photochemical process to enhance the contrast of the film. This is most noticed in the velvety depths of the shadows, and darker tones. The end result is a film that, often, looks like a moving Rembrandt. The above average DVD transfer serves to preserve this. I may be crazy, but it seems to me that Scott may be trying to provide us with contrapuntal films to those of Kubrick. I think that, thematically and stylistically, the Duellists is simply a boiled down version of Barry Lyndon. I think that it could also be said that Alien was probably the reactionary product of 2001. Anyway, the DVD extras provide some interesting vantage into the making and history of this great film.
Rating:
Summary: Only Barry Lyndon Compares Visually
Review: Ridley Scott has a fine eye. Many of his films are not my favorites because of their high-concept stories, but visually, few directors can touch Scott's sense of space, time, and composition. This little-seen gem is comparable only to Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece "Barry Lyndon" in its attempt to create the ambient light and sense of place of the late 1700's -early 1800's. Based on a story by Joseph Conrad, chosen because the rights had lapsed, the film concerns two French hussar officers, one of whom, played with republican fervor by Harvey Keitel, is quick to anger and to duel. His nemesis is the aristocratic officer played by Robert Carradine, who doesn't understand why Keitel hates him so much. The film follows their careers in the Napoleonic wars over the course of fifteen years, from the early triumphs of l'Emporer in Lubeck, to the disaster of Russia, and the return of the Bourbon's. Despite their long-standing animosity, Carradine even saves Keitel from the guillotine, for which he his repayed with disdain and aggression. This story is episodic, and there are many loose ends, but who cares? This is one of the most astonishing films ever made in its meticulousness, it's bravery (not cow-towing to hi-key filmic conventions), it's invention (a budget of only $900,000 dollars?!) and in the totally successful vision the filmmakers put up on the screen. Films costing 10 times as much or more are not so riviting as this film. Scott did have to compromise; he wished for Michael York and Oliver Reed, but the financiers wanted American actors. Even though Carradine is occasionally weak, Keitel is intense throughout. The Duellist is one of my favorite films. The DVD transfer is immaculate and the special features give us interviews with Ridley Scott, and the film's composers notes on his musical choices.
Rating:
Summary: Obsession
Review: Driven by a compulsion to fight a duel at the slightest insult, Harvey Keitel plays Lt. Feurandin the French army during the time of Napleon who lives by the sword. When Keith Carradine's D'Hubert is sent out to convey a message from their French commander to cease fighting duels after badly injuring the mayor of a town, Keitel's character finds the message and delivery insulting enough to--yes--challenge Carradine to a duel then and there. Carradine ends the duel by knocking Keitel's character out with a block from the butt of his sword. From there they both spiral into the madness and obsession of Feruand and D'Hubert's need to win at all costs. Fighting over the years, they lose loved ones and, in a sense, lose themselves as the passion for the fight becomes everything. By the end neither man understands why they are truly fighting or what they are fighting for. Ridley Scott's first feature film was his fourth attempt at making a full length film. Based on a short story by Conrad that eventually became part of a much larger narrative canvas, "The Duelists" catches Scott in perfect form the first time out. While Scott expanded his scope in higher profile films ("Alien", "Blade Runner", "Thelma and Louise" and "Gladiator"), his visual and narrative style blossomed in his very first "epic" (made for a paltry $1 million)film. The powerful performances by the international cast manages to overcome the minor differences in accents (Keitel's Brooklyn accent vs. Carradine's California twang vs. Tom Conti's British accent, etc.). Visually and thematically powerful, "The Duelists" remains one of Scott's best films. The anamorphic widescreen transfer looks marvelous despite some minor blemishes. Paramount has Packed this film with extras including a commentary from Scott: "Dueling Directors" featuring director Kevin Reynolds interviewing Scott; Scott's first short film "Boy on a Bike" (featuring his brother and future director Tony Scott); isolated score and commentary by Howard Shore as well as the theatrical trailer. The sound although not quite up to the standard of current films (it was made, afterall, in 1977), has a splendid range and there's minimal distoriton. This sharply directed and written film deserves as much attention as Scott's other more mainstream features. Although no Scott film is without merit (even "Someone to Watch Over Me" and the Hammer-like "Hannibal"), "The Duelists" deserves its spot as one of Scott's five or six best films.
Rating: 
Summary: beautiful movie
Review: the whole thing shot in natural light. Simply wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Movie
Review: This is one of my four favorite movies of all time (in company with Lawrence of Arabia, Henry V and the Jackson Ring Trilogy--which counts as 1 in my book). I adore this film! The visuals are gorgeous and it is a beautiful little jewel crafted with love. I loved Keitel and Carradine--come on folks, get over those American accents--they were terrific in their respective roles. The costumes, notably the uniforms of the Hussars were exquisite and from all I can discover, quite accurate in almost every detail--that alone is a rarity in period films on the military. It has a wonderful ensemble cast as well. The DVD has lots of extra 'goodies' too, especially the commentary by Ridley Scott and the photo gallery of great stills from the movie. This is a movie that should be in the collection of every die-hard Romantic!
Rating: 
Summary: cinematography by Rembrandt?
Review: The DUELLISTS, the first film by GLADIATOR director Ridley Scott, is the story of two soldiers in Napoleon's army who pursue a point of honor to the point of absurdity, fighting duels over a period of several decades. People often comment on the beautiful visuals in Scott's films, and indeed there were several times I had to remind myself I wasn't looking at the wall of a museum, it's a gorgeous movie.
But focusing just on the visuals is like talking about the atmosphere at a restaurant. There's a gaping hole in the movie and sadly it's name is Keith Carradine. Carradine, a star of Robert Altman films in the '70s, is much too modern and and laid back to play a leader of men in 19th century Europe, he'd rather be surfing. His opponent is played by Harvey Keitel in a ferocious performance, he looks like he could take over the continent by himself. The supporting cast is top drawer (Albert Finney, Tom Conti, Edward Fox) and the closing shootout is well staged. With a stronger actor in Carradine's part, this could have been great.
This generous and inexpensive DVD includes commentaries, an interview with Scott, and a surprisingly Truffaut-like short film Scott made in the '60s.
Rating:
Summary: "Honour is, for him, an appetite."
Review: "The Duellists"--a Ridley Scott film set in Napoleonic times--is the tale of 2 officers in the Hussars who are life-long enemies. D'Hubert (Keith Carradine) has the great misfortune of upsetting Feraud (Harvey Keitel) in a relatively minor fashion. Feraud's hot temper causes him to lash out at D'Hubert, and this leads to a series of duels over a thirty-year period. Soon the original insult is buried in a mountain of ego and tradition that demands the men face and fight one another--again and again--until one dies or accepts an apology from the other. Harvey Keitel as the murderous Feraud is very believable. His body language smacks of pure hatred and instinct to kill whenever he hears D'Hubert's name mentioned. Keith Carradine as D'Hubert is a little weak and wooden--not nearly as believable as Keitel. Feraud and D'Hubert are complete opposites. Feraud is very much the brutish man-of-action--whereas D'Hubert is made of gentler stuff. Feraud considers D'Hubert to be nothing better than "a general's poodle," and D'Hubert thinks Feraud is insane. Visually, this film is magnificent, and it's worth watching just for the costumes and sets alone. The dueling scenes were superbly created--with each man facing his enemy--usually at dawn. The light coming through the trees, the swirling mists--this created the perfect atmosphere. The scene at the very end of the film focused on the sky--dark grey clouds--with just a little light. It was the most beautiful scene in the entire film. The film is based on the Joseph Conrad short story, "The Duel"--displacedhuman
Rating:
Summary: Swords or Pistols Monsieur?
Review: Ridley Scott's film starring Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel explores the concepts of honor and belligerence in the context of 19th century France and the Napoleanic Wars. Carradine and Keitel play the roles of two French officers in Napoleon's army who find themselves engaged in a perpetual series of duels lasting over 20 years. Their duels seems to reflect an ongoing thematic clash between belligerence and honor and how each seems to feed the other. Both characters mirror each other in how they develop throughout the story until the end. Keitel plays the role of the belligerent officer who seeks to establish his honor and importance by agression; no pretext is too small or absurd for a duel to the death. Caradine is his antagonist as one who will defend his honor to the last; even when the pretext of insult is so groundless as to be even too comical to fight over. Scott also seems to present an analogy between Keitel's belligerent nature and that of Napoleon's imperialistic ambitions. At the end of the movie, Keitel is interestingly the one who, in a wretched state of poverty, remains a loyal supporter of Napoleon to the last while Caradine has moved on to associate himself with the returned aristocracy and cozy entourage of King Louis XVIII. The last scene shows Keitel with his Napoleanic hat staring over a valley and green fields in an almost imaginary trance. This seems to parallel an image of Napoleon as he would have looked over the seas in either St Helen or Elba still inisting to be called emperor and imagining of his future conquests to come which, of course, would never come again. As usual, Ridley Scott immerses the audience in a plush, almost dreamlike, imagery of the European landscape with all the pageantry of the Napoleonic era. All of his scenes are rich in color and mood. The movie almost becomes a little too slow in its transitions but this is minor. A good movie that has all of the right elements and appeals to all genders.
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