The Duellists: Difference between revisions

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Two French cavalry officers in Napoleon's Grande Armeé have a disagreement. It can only be resolved, of course, with a duel. And another, and another, and another, as they meet half a dozen times over more than a decade. They duel with cavalry sabres, with smallswords, with pistols. Despite their failure to kill one another, the fiery Gabriel Féraud keeps challenging the cool, more rational Armand d'Hubert, long after Féraud has forgotten the original slight.

 

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* [[Barehanded Blade Block]]: And why it's a really, really bad idea.

* [[Badass Mustache]]: Both of the leads. Also Badass Pigtails... what?

* [[Combat Breakdown]]: The third [[Sword Fight]] goes on for so long the duellists are gasping for breath, propping themselves up on their swords, and occasionally mustering the strength to make wild roundhouse swings at each other. The duel is ended by their seconds when they discard their swords and just start [[Wimp Fight|wrestling each other]].

* [[Cossacks]]

* [[Fate Worse Than Death]]: Near the end of the movie, d’Hubert tells Feraud: {{spoiler|"You are now my bitch!"}} in more polite, eighteenth-century terms.

* [[Flynning]]: Averted; see [[Implausible Fencing Powers]].

* [[Gorgeous Period Dress]]: Napoleonic uniforms and Empire waist gowns.

* [[Honor Before Reason]]: A subversion in honor is what keeps Feraud to continue challenging d'Hubert even after he forgets the original insult.

'''Jacquin:''' The enemies of reason have a certain blind look. Fereaud has that look, don't you think? }}

* [[In Harm's Way]]: Seems to be the ''real'' reason for Feraud's constant duelling, both with d'Hubert and others. He's bored by the long lulls between fighting and looks for any excuse to fight someone.

* [[The Mountains of Illinois]]: The retreat from Moscow goes through a desolate mountain range (supposedly quite near to the Niemen).

* [[Non-Idle Rich]]: Adele's uncle, the Chevalier became a bootmaker after the [[French Revolution]]. Even after the monarchy was restored and he became an aristocrat again he still makes boots and offers to do so for d'Hubert when he first meets him.

** Ridley Scott actually wanted the leads to be played by two established British actors, see [[What Could Have Been]].

* [[Real Life Relative]]: Keith Carradine's girlfriend at the time, actress Christina Raines was cast as d'Hubert's wife Adele.

** Ridley Scott cast his two sons as d'Hubert's young nephews.

* [[Rule of Three]]: Jacquin offers up three ways d'Hubert can avoid fighting Feraud again:

Therefore, keep '''away''' from him. Keep '''ahead''' of him. Put your trust in Bonaparte! }}

* [[Scars Are Forever]]: Feraud has a scar on his right forearm from his first duel with d'Hubert. After he loses an arm wrestling match, he complains that his arm muscle "never healed properly" prompting him to challenge d'Hubert to a second duel.

* [[Theme Tune Cameo]]: Jacquin plays the movie's theme on his flute at the end of a scene.

* [[Verbal Tic]]: Feraud: "Lah!"

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Films of the 1970s]]

[[Category:The Duellists]]