Only one opinion, but The Princess Bride comes out on top according to this list (and I'm sure there are plenty on here who would share that opinion).
http://cinemaroll.com/cinemarolling/top-five-fencing-scenes-in-film/
It's definitely one of the greatest. Not only for the skill itself but for the fact that BOTH fighters have to be able to fight left and right-handed.
My policy on honesty and asskicking: if you ask for it, then I have to let you have it.
I think Robin hood still comes out on top. Look at all the other robin hoods and nothing comes close. I would call them a tie
shareBest fencing scene, best swordfight, best duel, best battle scene, I think it holds all of those titles.
shareMark of Zorro is also amazing. And the final stab looks like its real.
But PB's fencing scene is my favourite.
Does it convince people who are actually fencers, though? I truly detest when actors fake playing a violin because 99% of them don't even get it close.
"Ready?" "Ready, Freddy." "Dorothy, they know." RIP BA and LN.
I fenced for a few years and I'm impressed :) It's not "realistic" in the sense that they're NOT trying to kill each other, and it shows. But it definitely looks like two skilled swordsmen testing each other.
Of course there's the matter of dramatic visuals/extra flourishes with their swords. And if you look closely you can see Cary Elwes has some slight trouble with footwork in his left-hand stance. But on the whole, they really do look like they know what they're doing.
Does it convince people who are actually fencers, though?
It definitely ranks up near the top if for no other reason that the actors did nearly the whole thing themselves, and didn't rely on stuntmen. I've heard the only part that uses a stuntman is the part where they flip around on the horizontal bar.
shareThe duel between Westly and Inigo is my favorite swordfighting scene ever. They're both good guys, so it's hard to know which one to root for. They're both amazing fencers...and who foresaw the moment where they both admit they are not left-handed?
Just excellent!!
Mace Windo would beat the heck out of both Westley and Inigo any day.
shareThis was indeed a great sword fight. I've also always been partial to the Flynn-Rathbone fights in both Captain Blood and Adventures of Robin Hood. And the fight in Scaramouche is very good as well.
shareMace Windu would last about all of five seconds in a duel with either Indigo or the Man In Black, Sam Jackson can't sword-fight, he swings a sword like he was trying to chop down a tree. He'd be pierced and dying in seconds unless the duellist was toying with him.
That's a great list and well written to boot. I haven't seen Scaramouche but otherwise I'd say the author is spot on. The fight between Indigo and the Man in Black is my favourite movie duel and the dialogue between the two contestants is some of my favourite movie dialogue too, it's a brilliant bit of film making.
They mention in a new interview that both Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin did all the sword fighting except for the flip with the bar. They actually got so good and fast at it with both left and right hands that Rob Reiner said they did it too fast and needed to add more to it.
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