Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5333 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-03-24
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Russian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the great directorial debuts, Ridley Scott's The Duellists is an extraordinary achievement which weaves an epic-in-miniature set around the edges of the Napoleonic Wars. Based on a story by Joseph Conrad, in turn inspired by real events and filmed in part where those events took place, this is the tale of a 15-year conflict between two French army officers: the level-headed Armand D'Hubert (Keith Carradine) and the obsessive Gabriel Feraud (Harvey Keitel). Each time they meet they duel, until the original purpose of the conflict is all but lost. Beyond the two American stars, who fill their roles with rare commitment--accents not withstanding--Scott assembled a stellar cast: Albert Finney, Edward Fox, Pete Postlethwaite, Diana Quick, Cristina Raines, Robert Stephens, Tom Conti, John McEnery, Maurice Colbourne and Jenny Runacre.

The production values are astonishing and the film revels in the exquisite painterly visuals which have become a Scott trademark. Howard Blake's elegiac theme adds immeasurably to the impact of a film influenced by Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (1974), and anticipating Scott's own Best Picture Oscar-winning Gladiator (2000). A haunting work of spectral beauty, it is also a worthy companion to Scott's shamefully neglected 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992).

On the DVD: The Duellists is transferred at 1.77:1 with full sound atmospherically remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1. A new 29-minute documentary finds Scott discussing The Duellists with Kevin (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) Reynolds, which is particularly enlightening given the relative merits of the two swashbucklers. Scott's absorbing commentary track provides an in-depth look into the film-making process. Equally, film music aficionados will be delighted to find not just an isolated music track, but an informative commentary by composer Howard Blake, though he does sometimes talk over the beginning or end of cues. Most unusual but very welcome is the inclusion of Scott's first short film, Boy and Bicycle (1965), a 25-minute b/w mood piece starring Tony Scott, with music by John Barry. Other extras are a storyboard-to-screen comparison, the American trailer and four galleries of posters, stills and production photos. --Gary S Dalkin

Special Features
Commentary with Director Ridley Scott
Isolated score with Howard Blake's commentary
Duelling Directors: Ridley Scott & Kevin Reynolds
Boy and Bicycle: Ridley Scott's first short film
Storyboards
Theatrical Trailer
Photo Galleries
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic widescreen
Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1; French, German, Italian, Spanish Mono
Feature Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
Commentary Subtitles: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Synopsis
"To the surprise and admiration of their fellows, two officers, like insane artists, trying to gild refined gold or paint the lily, pursued a private contest through the years of universal carnage." Thus wrote Joseph Conrad in the opening paragraphs of the story that provides the basis for Ridley Scott's first feature. During the era of the Napoleonic wars, a conflict arises between two of the emperor's cavalry officers when one of them, the aristocratic Lt. D'Hubert (Keith Carradine), is sent by his superior to deliver the message to commoner Lt. Ferraud (Harvey Keitel) that he's to be placed under house arrest for having wounded a man in another duel. Since Ferraud is with a woman at the time, he takes offense at the intrusion and challenges D'Hubert to a duel. Their match, though fierce, is without resolution. Whenever their paths cross, they continue their battle, fighting a series of six duels over the course of 14 years, paralleling Napoleon's major battles of the period. Scott's meditation focuses on the absurd vanity behind the old European code of honor--and the nature of warfare itself. All the distinguishing marks of Scott's later work is already on display here, from the meticulous re-creation of period costume, decor, and behavior to the lush, carefully composed photography.

Customer Reviews

Without doubt, a five star flick...
Based on Joseph Conrad's book "The Duel", the true story of a 30-year feud between two Napoleonic cavalry officers, "The Duellists" was Ridley Scott's first major film. Starring Keith Carradine as the pompous D'Hubert and a particularly menacing Harvey Keitel as Feraud, the film climbs inside the minds of two men for whom honor is more important than life itself.

The two antagonists begin their series of bloody encounters when D'Hubert is ordered by his commanding general to arrest Feraud for wounding the local mayor's nephew in a duel. Feraud, in a hopelessly irrational state, challenges D'Hubert to a duel, which is carried out more or less on the spot. D'Hubert comes off slightly better in the initial encounter, which only serves to fuel Feraud's rage, and the course of the film is set.

The cinematography of this film, shot by Frank Tidy, is almost beyond comparison. The previous versions on VHS simply looked muddy and rather washed out. The colors lacked any real saturation, rendering Feraud's bottle-green dolman black and it almost looked like a poor quality black and white in some scenes, especially those set in Napoleon's abortive Russian campaign.

The DVD transfer, by contrast, is staggeringly beautiful and releases colors, which I did not realize existed in the original. I am, by coincidence, a professional cameraman and I rate this as the best shot film I have ever seen. The only criticism I have is a somewhat inconsistent use of graduated filters, which, whilst they were probably quite innovative for their day, don't always work well. Grads are always a problem and any film made since will tend to suffer the same way. A very minor point.

The costumes and settings; mostly in The Dordogne, make the film not only totally authentic but defy the viewer to believe that it was made on a shoestring budget. The visual splendour challenges any modern filmaker to create the same effect without spending a vault full of money to achieve it. That is only part of the appeal of the film.

The acting performances, particularly by Keitel, want for nothing. The scene with Feraud standing on a cliff overlooking the river valley, taken in context, makes you realise that his life and pretensions to honor have been for nothing. His mania for revenge has cost him everything. Melded to the other performances with superlative skill by Ridley Scott, this film is a masterpiece and has now gone from a film I liked a lot to one which is now firmly wedged in my top ten. Like as not, it will stay there for a long time.

Ridley Scott's Neglected Masterpiece
With a cast which reads like a "Who's Who?" of British theatre this film should be good. It isn't, it's fantastic.
After umpteen viewings of this beautifully photographed work I still devour each scene. Although the costumes and accompanying paraphenalia give an air of the finest BBC costume drama, the atmosphere created is one of frill-free realism.
The two main protagonists, both men of honour and professional soldiers, are studies of reason and unjustified hatred. They are brought together by pure chance yet their destinies seem to be interlinked over a period exceeding two decades. Throughout the entire film, I desperately wanted to shake Keitel's character and make him realise how wrong he is to pursue Carradine so relentlessly. They should really be able to have a beer and forget their differences, but then again, I suppose that would have made a pretty poor film.
The action scenes are graphic without being gory, each duel a miniature peak in an enthralling landscape of characters.
I won't spoil the story by giving away the ending, but I don't think that I've ever seen a better denouement in a British film. Let's just say that by the time the titles come up, both characters have had an experience of justice and that any spectator must sympathise and empathise with both men. Given the extremely diverse nature of their two characters, this is perhaps the main triumph of the film.
Watch it.

The Duellists
Perhaps one of Mr Scott's lesser known films, but in my view maybe one of his best. The style, the colours, the action all say this is a Scott film. Set during the Napoleonic wars, and based on a misunderstanding, it takes on a vivid portrayal of duels, honour, war and the impact these have on the protagonists. Harvey Keitel is as usual brilliant, and Keith Carridine plays one of his finest roles. Maybe a cult film, but a film that deserves much more recognition than it ever recieved.