I would like my sword fighting movie with extra sword fighting
January 25, 2023 11:45 AM Subscribe
This is for the purposes of a recurring movie night: What are some films that contain quite a lot of sword fighting action? The mere presence of swords isn't enough; we want dozens of minutes of fight scenes. Gladiator met our needs, as did the recent live-action Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning. The 1998 The Man In The Iron Mask was a notable disappointment, lacking sword fighting almost entirely. The Princess Bride would not be suitable for similar reasons; people don't sword fight nearly often enough.
Mask of Zorro-level sword-fighting? Or is the first Pirates of the Caribbean good enough?
posted by SPrintF at 11:56 AM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by SPrintF at 11:56 AM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'm guessing the Blade trilogy doesn't... cut it.
posted by SPrintF at 11:58 AM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by SPrintF at 11:58 AM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
The 1952 movie Scaramouche supposedly has the longest single sword fight in film history - nearly eight minutes. It is the first sword fight that made me laugh out loud after I started learning historical fencing - one of the participants made a spectacularly bad move that was probably meant to look impressive but would totally get a person killed.
It's possible the total time spent sword fighting in the movie is less than you want though - it's been a long time since I've seen it.
You might want to look for movies with Basil Rathbone. He was an extremely accomplished fencer in real life, but he generally played bad guys in movies, so he had to lose.
posted by FencingGal at 12:07 PM on January 25, 2023 [7 favorites]
It's possible the total time spent sword fighting in the movie is less than you want though - it's been a long time since I've seen it.
You might want to look for movies with Basil Rathbone. He was an extremely accomplished fencer in real life, but he generally played bad guys in movies, so he had to lose.
posted by FencingGal at 12:07 PM on January 25, 2023 [7 favorites]
Best answer: The Duelists is a Ridley Scott joint about exactly that, sword fighting, but I haven't seen it in years and can't really say what percentage of the film is sword on sword action.
posted by OHenryPacey at 12:08 PM on January 25, 2023 [13 favorites]
posted by OHenryPacey at 12:08 PM on January 25, 2023 [13 favorites]
Kill Bill 1 and Kill Bill 2 contain a good amount of sword fighting (and hand-to-hand combat) by my standards, but I don't know if it's enough for you.
posted by hydra77 at 12:09 PM on January 25, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by hydra77 at 12:09 PM on January 25, 2023 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I came in to recommend The Duellists, which pretty much revolves around fights staged by the great Bill Hobbs with a variety of weapons, many of which are swords. (There are pistols at the very end)
Other films with Hobbs-staged fights include the British Three Musketeers films.
The earlier 1948 Three Musketeers with Gene Kelly as D'Artagnan, Lana Turner as Milady and Angela Lansbury as the Queen is also a lot of fun; Kelly is as athletic a fighter as he is a dancer. Apparently D'Artagnan was his favourite non-musical role.
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:27 PM on January 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Other films with Hobbs-staged fights include the British Three Musketeers films.
The earlier 1948 Three Musketeers with Gene Kelly as D'Artagnan, Lana Turner as Milady and Angela Lansbury as the Queen is also a lot of fun; Kelly is as athletic a fighter as he is a dancer. Apparently D'Artagnan was his favourite non-musical role.
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:27 PM on January 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Other films with Hobbs-staged fights include the British Three Musketeers films.
If you can find it, this 1973 take on The Three Musketeers is by far my fave. But it is hard to find as a streaming option. There's also a Four Musketeers, which is not a sequel so much as part two.
posted by philip-random at 12:28 PM on January 25, 2023 [4 favorites]
If you can find it, this 1973 take on The Three Musketeers is by far my fave. But it is hard to find as a streaming option. There's also a Four Musketeers, which is not a sequel so much as part two.
posted by philip-random at 12:28 PM on January 25, 2023 [4 favorites]
(Bill Hobbs also staged the fights in Rob Roy (1995), but that one carries a content warning for sexual assault as a major plot point. The fights are really good, however)
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:35 PM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:35 PM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has quite a bit of sword fighting, as do other wuxia movies like Hero and House of Flying Daggers
posted by sleeping bear at 12:45 PM on January 25, 2023 [17 favorites]
posted by sleeping bear at 12:45 PM on January 25, 2023 [17 favorites]
These came to mind immediately, though it's been some time since I saw any of them. Ninja Assassin may not have the amount of pure sword fighting you're after, but there's a *lot* of fighting, so it might add up to the desired amount.
Azumi
Ninja Assassin
The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi
posted by malthusan at 12:52 PM on January 25, 2023
Azumi
Ninja Assassin
The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi
posted by malthusan at 12:52 PM on January 25, 2023
Crazy Samurai Mushashi?
1hr 31 minutes of swordplay all presented in one take (with some hidden cuts throughout).
posted by d_hill at 1:01 PM on January 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
1hr 31 minutes of swordplay all presented in one take (with some hidden cuts throughout).
posted by d_hill at 1:01 PM on January 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Mark of Zorro. Maybe the Flynn version of Robin Hood (see Basil Rathbone reference above).
posted by sardonyx at 1:08 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by sardonyx at 1:08 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
Oh! I also forgot to add The Princess from last year. It's basically The Raid in reverse with the titular princess starting as a captive at the top of a tower before she fights her way back down the tower to escape.
Lots of martial arts, action, etc. mixed in with some chunky swordplay. Joey King (she was recently in Bullet Train) is great in the main role.
posted by d_hill at 1:11 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
Lots of martial arts, action, etc. mixed in with some chunky swordplay. Joey King (she was recently in Bullet Train) is great in the main role.
posted by d_hill at 1:11 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you're open to other kinds of melee armaments, there is an extremeley rich trove of old Shaw Brothers Hong Kong martial arts flicks to draw from. A personal favorite of mine is The New One Armed Swordsman; it is insane, and reaches its peak nuttiness in this final bridge scene.
These movies are the direct inspiration for all the bravura combat sequences in Kill Bill Vol 1. They are an entire world to explore in themselves, so if people like them you can just keep on watching more and more of them.
posted by billjings at 1:15 PM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
These movies are the direct inspiration for all the bravura combat sequences in Kill Bill Vol 1. They are an entire world to explore in themselves, so if people like them you can just keep on watching more and more of them.
posted by billjings at 1:15 PM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
If you're also interested in just collecting classic duels, Potop, The Deluge is highly rated by guys who comment on swordfights in YouTube comments. I cannot speak to whether the celebrated duel is the only swordplay in the film, however.
posted by Caxton1476 at 1:22 PM on January 25, 2023
posted by Caxton1476 at 1:22 PM on January 25, 2023
I haven't seen it, but Alatriste (aka Captain Alatriste: The Spanish Musketeer) has some well-reviewed swordfights and stars Viggo Mortensen.
posted by mogget at 1:54 PM on January 25, 2023
posted by mogget at 1:54 PM on January 25, 2023
Best answer: I will third The Duellists. There is a sword fight every... half an hour maybe? They fight at least four times, IIRC. Once even on horseback!
posted by Stuka at 3:04 PM on January 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Stuka at 3:04 PM on January 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Into the Badlands
it's a TV show not a movie, not all sword fighting (martial arts sometimes with swords, other weapons, hands... the world building conceit is that there are no guns thus martial arts), a bit bloody, but there's usually 2 or 3 big fight scenes per episode and the choreography is really well done
posted by kokaku at 3:21 PM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
it's a TV show not a movie, not all sword fighting (martial arts sometimes with swords, other weapons, hands... the world building conceit is that there are no guns thus martial arts), a bit bloody, but there's usually 2 or 3 big fight scenes per episode and the choreography is really well done
posted by kokaku at 3:21 PM on January 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
Samurai movies like Yojimbo come to mind. Also, The Last Samurai (2003). The Mark of Zorro (1940) and The Mask of Zorro (1998).
posted by gudrun at 3:48 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by gudrun at 3:48 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Korean film The Swordsman (2020) is a recent one with some pretty good fights, though as a movie it's only so-so.
I'm a huge fan of the Zatoichi films, which if you're not familiar are a long-running series of samurai-era films from the '60s and '70s following the adventures of a blind swordsman (and masseur). The swordfights are usually fast due to his signature quick draw and overpowering skill, but one with a good amount of fights (as well as my favorite sword trick) is Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (1964), my favorite. The one with the most fighting though (certainly the most blood) is probably 1989's Zatoichi: Darkness is his Ally, the last of the Shintaro Katsu films. (I would advise avoiding the 2003 one at all costs. Digital swords.)
The 2010 version of 13 Assassins (Jûsan-nin no shikaku) is directed by none other than Takashi Miike and was really very good, lots of swordfighting and skulduggery.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 4:06 PM on January 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
I'm a huge fan of the Zatoichi films, which if you're not familiar are a long-running series of samurai-era films from the '60s and '70s following the adventures of a blind swordsman (and masseur). The swordfights are usually fast due to his signature quick draw and overpowering skill, but one with a good amount of fights (as well as my favorite sword trick) is Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (1964), my favorite. The one with the most fighting though (certainly the most blood) is probably 1989's Zatoichi: Darkness is his Ally, the last of the Shintaro Katsu films. (I would advise avoiding the 2003 one at all costs. Digital swords.)
The 2010 version of 13 Assassins (Jûsan-nin no shikaku) is directed by none other than Takashi Miike and was really very good, lots of swordfighting and skulduggery.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 4:06 PM on January 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: SPrintF, the original Pirates of the Caribbean is around the low end of the desired the range here, per the movie night's participants. There's at least 3 swordfights, and they're prominent. (It was already shortlisted.)
posted by 4th number at 4:28 PM on January 25, 2023
posted by 4th number at 4:28 PM on January 25, 2023
There was a live action Blade of the Immortal adaptation (trailer) that probably works.
posted by juv3nal at 5:59 PM on January 25, 2023
posted by juv3nal at 5:59 PM on January 25, 2023
The Musketeer from 2001 has a lot of wire-fu style fencing choreography. Here's the trailer so you can see if you'd like it.
posted by ambulatorybird at 7:43 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by ambulatorybird at 7:43 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you'll take animation Princess Mononoke has a quite a few sword fighting scenes as I recall.
And if you're willing to go all Shakespeare the Kenneth Branagh Henry V should have quite a lot of sword action. Most of the History plays will involve sword fighting at some point.
posted by brookeb at 9:52 PM on January 25, 2023
And if you're willing to go all Shakespeare the Kenneth Branagh Henry V should have quite a lot of sword action. Most of the History plays will involve sword fighting at some point.
posted by brookeb at 9:52 PM on January 25, 2023
Lone Wolf and Cub movies
posted by oldnumberseven at 11:26 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by oldnumberseven at 11:26 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
I feel like my life has been leading up to recommending By the Sword starring F. Murray Abraham and Eric Roberts. The most ridiculous (and possibly only!) fencing movie ever made.
posted by JuliaKM at 6:28 AM on January 26, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by JuliaKM at 6:28 AM on January 26, 2023 [7 favorites]
I've been wanting to write an extensive answer here, but just haven't had the time. I'll just say for now: for extreme swordplay films, you need Hong Kong cinema's wuxia pian genre, and you need the Japanese swordplay subgenre, especially films from the 1960s, and especially bSword of Doom.
But the swordiest subway stop in Swordtown is, without question, Tsui Hark's film The Blade. (Not to be confused with the Wesley Snipes films.) It is swordplay INSANITY, and one of the most visually striking films I've ever seen.
posted by Dr. Wu at 2:44 PM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
But the swordiest subway stop in Swordtown is, without question, Tsui Hark's film The Blade. (Not to be confused with the Wesley Snipes films.) It is swordplay INSANITY, and one of the most visually striking films I've ever seen.
posted by Dr. Wu at 2:44 PM on January 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
I just watched the Richard Lester Three Musketeers movie(s) on Amazon Prime the other week so it’s possibly still there.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 3:40 PM on January 26, 2023
posted by kitten kaboodle at 3:40 PM on January 26, 2023
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posted by cakelite at 11:55 AM on January 25, 2023 [7 favorites]