The Duellists

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

1977 1h 40m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

🍅

75%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.4

IMDB

★7.3TMDB · 663🍅75%Rotten Tomatoes●70Metacritic★7.4IMDB · 29,241

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1800, as Napoleon Bonaparte rises to power in France, a rivalry erupts between Armand and Gabriel, two lieutenants in the French Army, over a perceived insult. For over a decade, they engage in a series of duels amidst larger conflicts, including the failed French invasion of Russia in 1812, and shifts in the political and social systems of Europe.

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

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Cast

Keith Carradine
Armand d'Hubert
Harvey Keitel
Gabriel Feraud
Albert Finney
Joseph Fouché
Edward Fox
Colonel Perteley
Cristina Raines
Adèle
Robert Stephens
Brigadier-General Treillard
Tom Conti
Dr. Jacquin
John McEnery
Amiable Second

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Gerald Vaughan-Hughes, Joseph Conrad
Languages: English, Russian
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.9M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

49 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Russian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ridley Scott, shot by Frank Tidy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Howard Blake. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Pamela Power shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel and Albert Finney carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ridley Scott directs. Frank Tidy behind the camera. Howard Blake scores. Pamela Power cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.9M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
249 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Russian.
4International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
5Directed by Ridley Scott, shot by Frank Tidy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Howard Blake. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Pamela Power shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel and Albert Finney carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Fencing is a science. Loving is a passion. Duelling is an obsession.".
10IMDB entry: tt0075968 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 9 themes, including "fencing", "cossack", "napoleonic wars", "based on short story".
12Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Frank Tidy
Original score: Howard Blake
Editing: Pamela Power
Production design: Peter J. Hampton
Costume design: Tom Rand
Makeup / hair: Paul Nix
Runtime: 100 min · 1h 40m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $900,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Duellists (1977)
Rotten Tomatoes: 75% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 70/100
IMDB rating: 7.4/10 · 29,241 votes
MPAA: PG

Awards

Nominated for 2 BAFTA 2 wins & 4 nominations total

Also by

Ridley Scott

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-23
★ 7/10
After what can only be described as the most minor of misunderstandings, the decent "d'Hubert" (Keith Carradine) is forced to duel with the hot-tempered "Feraud" (Harvey Keitel). That ends inconclusively and now the narrative leads us through a series of re-matches set against a tale of their trials and tribulations during the rise and fall of Napoleon in early 1800s France. Joseph Conrad wrote a characterful story and Ridley Scott makes full use of that with a focused, frequency pithy and entertaining, dialogue and two measured and engaging leading performances with plenty of entertaining swordplay. The supporting cast is as A-list as you're ever likely to get in a non-romantic period drama. Albert Finney and Edward Fox, Tom Conti and an on form Robert Stephens as well Cristina Raines' charming effort as "Adèle" contribute well. All are dressed perfectly amidst settings that suit this gritty and battle-worn story perfectly, too. It's a cunningly devised theme, this - it has the obvious storyline, but also takes well aimed swipes at pomposity, the futility of war, and the stupidity of man - all in a manner that resonates cleverly, even now. It was clearly produced on a limited budget, which is apparent from time to time with the continuity (never one of Scott's strong suits) or with some overused extras amongst the soldiers - but, overall, it is a testament to what can be done in a relatively short film, with a good story and cast and some creative leadership behind the camera.

Production companies