Critic Reviews
-
Mark Chalon Smith, Los Angeles Times
Scott gets strong performances from his supporting cast (Quick is sensual and effective) and is able to salvage the movie through the alchemy of the striking visuals.
-
Variety Staff, Variety
Keitel is jaunty and menancing and Carradine more determined and a bit troubled but also caught up in this strange need of one to prove honor and the other slaking a twisted nature.
-
, Time Out
Keitel struggles gamely against a wooden Carradine, but the American influences further dislocate a script that delivers little observation, psychological or social, on their running feud.
-
Vincent Canby, New York Times
It is precise, intelligent, civilized, and because it never for a moment mistakes its narrative purpose.
-
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
The film comes closer to working than it has any right to, given the curious casting (Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel) and director Ridley Scott's inability to sustain dramatic tension or build a coherent scene.
-
Budd Wilkins, Slant Magazine
An obsessively detailed chronicle of obsession, The Duellists gets a sumptuous Blu-ray transfer from Shout! Factory.
-
Richard T. Jameson, Parallax View
... one of the most strikingly pictorial movies ever made.
-
Sarah Boslaugh, PopMatters
Anyone interested in learning how to get big effects with a small budget should listen to Scott's commentary track, much of which is spent describing how he produced such a beautiful film on very little money.
-
David Hughes, Empire Magazine
The richness of Scott's visuals, the excellence of the performances and the depth of the themes combine to make a minor masterpiece.
-
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Scott's approach to his material seems essentially a stylistic one; it imposes itself upon the story rather than visa-versa, giving an account of the Napoleonic wars that lacks passion and depth, despite the expert visuals.
-
Sean Axmaker, Turner Classic Movies Online
Interiors are bathed in the golden light of candlelight and nostalgia, like a period painting in motion, while exteriors are wrapped in fog and mist.
-
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser
the film improves with multiple screenings, as a viewer becomes less concerned about the outcome of each engagement, and more interested in the passion that is driving it.
-
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
A magnífica fotografia, a bela direção de arte e as ótimas atuações se transformam em meros detalhes frente à impressionante estréia de Ridley Scott na direção de longas.
-
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
The Duellists registers on the senses like a pointillist work of art, encouraging us to revel in its symmetry and relish its high regard for small details.
Read all 14 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
-
Ridley Scott's The Duellists is an impressive period piece and a stunning first full length feature of a director who would carve himself a unique style and become one of the best directors in cinema. The film shows the early stages of what would make Ridley Scott a stunning… More
Ridley Scott's The Duellists is an impressive period piece and a stunning first full length feature of a director who would carve himself a unique style and become one of the best directors in cinema. The film shows the early stages of what would make Ridley Scott a stunning director. The Duellists is a compelling picture that mixes drama and action in the Napoleonic era. The cast do a fine in their performances and Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel are wonderful to watch on-screen. I really love period dramas as they reflect the most interesting aspects of history. The film looks great, is well acted and the plot is sure to appeal to cinema buffs that enjoy history based movies. The look of the film was heavily influenced by Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, and the result is a movie that looks absolutely wonderful. The sets and costumes are authentic to the time period and the result is a film that definitely belongs on the list of the best looking and best told historical dramas. Ridley Scott's direction is wonderful as well, and the film has effective pacing that you involved in the action and drama and above all, the well layered story. If you enjoy Ridley Scott's body of work, give his debut a look, it is well worth watching due to its cast, story and look. The film's obvious strong points are the sword fights, which make up the core of the story. This is a highly engaging film that is among the very best of period pieces. The Duellists is only rivaled by Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, also worth seeing. Both are fine pieces of cinema, but this one has a bit more action, which may appeal more viewers that enjoy a better paced movie rather than a massive epic.
-
If The Duellists has one virtue over others, it is the stunning look of it. There are many familiar trademarks of Ridley Scott evident here and as usually with his films, some of the images look like paintings.
Nothing still takes away the fact that the acting is highly uneven here… More
If The Duellists has one virtue over others, it is the stunning look of it. There are many familiar trademarks of Ridley Scott evident here and as usually with his films, some of the images look like paintings.
Nothing still takes away the fact that the acting is highly uneven here with Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel highly miscast in their leading roles. I must also say that in my opinion the whole rhytm of the film is too episodic and too fragmented. Sadly Scott doesn't give his characters any depth. They just remain talking heads for the whole lenght of the film.
But as usually, what Scott loses in depth he wins with the surface. There is no question about it that this film is visually way ahead of it's time and is a treat for anyone who is interested in photography. Still it is far away from Scott's best films and remains one of his lesser works.
-
Quite a simple story of the complexities of mans obsessiveness and the ridiculous and futile notion of honour. Apart from a couple of dodgy accents, this is a fantastic film - The climax being notable a brilliant conclusion. Probably my joint second favourite Scott film along with… More
Quite a simple story of the complexities of mans obsessiveness and the ridiculous and futile notion of honour. Apart from a couple of dodgy accents, this is a fantastic film - The climax being notable a brilliant conclusion. Probably my joint second favourite Scott film along with Alien. Blade Runner still wins hands down.
-
At the beginning I was growing alittle bored with this film, allot of talk and nothing much interesting at that, slowly you get a sense of the two main characters and who they are, what they want and there is the film. Two soldiers at each others throats through the Napoleonic era… More
At the beginning I was growing alittle bored with this film, allot of talk and nothing much interesting at that, slowly you get a sense of the two main characters and who they are, what they want and there is the film. Two soldiers at each others throats through the Napoleonic era from a simple silly cross of words, it sounds almost stupid but it shows great human emotion as you follow Carradines character and watch him grow tired and bored of the feud while Keitel is perfect as the egotistical and virtually combat obsessed Feraud who loves a good duel. With his quick temper and short fuse causing the main quibble and many others throughout the story you see both characters change and grow in terms of attitudes as well as looks and styles of the age.
This is where we see Ridley Scott's attention to detail and his master of visual art, the film looks stunning all the way through, the costumes are pin point right down to the buttons on the men's tunic's, the sets are small but look fully authentic and the landscapes of Europe are sensational!
How Scott got the shots as he wanted is beyond me because it looks as though he made a deal with God for some haha he must have waited some time for just the right weather. Whats more amazing is this was all done with no cgi assistance of course, its all very real which makes it even more impressive and shows just what you can do if you work hard and really really care about what your doing without simply relying on the lazy digital way out.
You could never guess it was made 34 years ago now as it looks and plays just as well as any modern historical epic, the sword fights may be few but look perfectly realistic as if the men are really thinking what they're gonna do next to try and live, whats the next move here, no fancy over the top movements (love the way D'Hubert pauses just before the start of one duel to simply sneeze, intended or not I don't know but its alittle something that just makes the moment more real).
Seeing as it was Ridley Scott's first film its a hell of start and really doesn't seem like it a tall. Only thing I could say is the film makes you wanna see more of the history going on around them but you don't really see anything, its tantalising and hints at it making you want more, not a bad observation of course.
-
it's wonderfully photographed but the story is a bit lacking and the american actors aren't helping with suspension of disbelief. i love harvey keitel but he just can't do everything
-
An absolutely gorgeous film with a nice evocative storyline. The pace of the film, however, seems to be sorely lacking, but I don't think it's the editor's or even Ridely's fault. The story deemed that it be told slowly. I really enjoyed seeing what Ridley got… More
An absolutely gorgeous film with a nice evocative storyline. The pace of the film, however, seems to be sorely lacking, but I don't think it's the editor's or even Ridely's fault. The story deemed that it be told slowly. I really enjoyed seeing what Ridley got to do with his first feature. An extraordinary film.
-
Quite good, especially considering the fact that this movie marked Ridley Scott's debut as a film director. Part from Harvey Keitel, most of the actors were pretty unknown to me, but I think that just made it better, since it gave the story a more genuine feel. Also, like in most… More
Quite good, especially considering the fact that this movie marked Ridley Scott's debut as a film director. Part from Harvey Keitel, most of the actors were pretty unknown to me, but I think that just made it better, since it gave the story a more genuine feel. Also, like in most of Scott's films, The Duellists featured commendable acting and writing, all set within an exciting period in history that I can't help but ever be fascinated by.
-
Beautifully shot study of obsession that oozes period detail. A little lacking in plot, but a nice idea, well executed.
-
Great-looking but insufferably dull film which is just about ruined by the most horrid casting that I can recall. Harvey Keitel as a stuffy French officer is bad enough, but...KEITH CARRADINE?
-
It's gorgeous to look at; yet two-dimensional and linear. An interesting debut for Ridley Scott.
-
Drawn out to the point of boredom.
-
If there had have been less duelling and more plot, I may have given this film a higher rating.
-
My favourite Scott film (yes, more than Blade Runner) has Carradine spending his life facing duels with the previously insulted Keitel. A story about what is honour and responsibility, and also examines what it takes to be a man. A masterpiece.
Read all 13 featured audience ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
UltraViolet Retailers
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
