May 10, 2010

Fencing is a science. Loving is a passion. Duelling is an obsession.



"What is honor?" asks Ridley Scott's The Duellists (1977), starring Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine. Adapted from Joseph Conrad, the film is set throughout Napoleonic-era Europe and it's rather frustratingly beautiful. David Thompson of The Guardian calls it "an extended TV commercial for dark chocolate, fine brandies, and the delights of the Dordogne," but it is also an exercise in patience that, in my opinion, pays off. I'm interested in reading Conrad's story and hope to post a comparison here at a later date.

In the meantime, here's the trailer: