Epic Sword Fights

[MilkManPictures]

I'm working on my first feature length film and it has an epic sword fight at the end. Been going through a lot of films looking for great sword fights that I could borrow ideas from. Not just choreography but editing technique and camera tricks as well.

Thought I'd throw it out to the forum and see if you guys/gals had any film suggestions.

[Ash]

It's not really an epic swordfight, but it is good.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7zvffHu_wo



And here's a good one from Die Another Day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TmhJ4FjmSI

[Ash]

Ah, I'd forgotten about Zorro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SF-5Tq1E70



And how about the fight scene from Kill Bill Vol. 1...
That one really was epic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdjuS17DGlA

[MilkManPictures]

Yeah, My DP and I are borrow/ building upon some stuff from Kill Bill.

Forgot about Zorro and didn't think to check Bond. Thanks!

[RCMerchant]

Here's a good one....if you want to use skeletons,that is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yYeZMx1Y7U

[schmendrik]

I'm a fan of Japanese Kendo. Some good stuff in the silly Rutger Hauer movie BLIND FURY. His epic battle is with Sho Kosugi, who has shown us actual ninjutsu in a number of ninja movies (ENTER THE NINJA, REVENGE OF THE NINJA, NINE DEATHS OF THE NINJA). Robert Mitchum took up the sword in THE YAKUZA. Then there are recent mainstream Chinese hits like CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON and HERO (Jet Li). And then there's KILL BILL of course.

[WingedSerpent]

I like the Euopean styles of fencing-foil, epee, and sabre. 
Fournatley, in one of my books, there is a list of movies that feature fencing.  Most are older films, becasue fencing has also been in a long tradition of stage roles where many early films took their influnence ans inspiration.

Some of the films include
The Three Musketeers with Douglas Fairbanks
The Corsican Brothers

The Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn

Those two names so up a lot so, you might want to research them.

A movie called Scaramouche (1952) with Stewart Granger has one of the longest sword fights at the time it was made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2r7hq5Wkrs

[Hammock Rider]

This isn't just a good fight scene, it's one of my favorite scenes in all of moviedom, from Adventures of Robin Hood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yRfqkybud4&feature=related

Here you have a truly epic swordfight from the same movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oik_K3bYAGs&feature=related

And a great swordfight from Rob Roy. If you know the movie, it has great emotional content.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVaslN1NiT0&feature=PlayList&p=8FF24681754BFE82&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=33

[Jim H]

It'd help if you could give us an idea of what kind of action sequence it will be.  Realistic?  Fantasy?  Etc.

Spoilers for The Blade (not the Wesley Snipes one)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUVjJypC_LY

This ending sword duel is one of the best action sequences ever created.  It's pretty amazing on every level, and incredibly complex in its execution.  It's worth going through frame-by-frame for learning about constructive editing in a sequence like this.  I particularly like how in a few shots they use doubles to allow the hero to fly in and out of shot more quickly.

For a more realistic duel, and probably the best pre-50s action sequence I've seen:

Spoilers for Mark of Zorro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VTyPWvyAF8

Great choreography and great performance.  I might also note that Tyrone Power was doubled in a couple of those shots, but Basil Rathbone never was - as he was a really great screen fencer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV_820uuz-k

You can learn a great deal about cinematography and choreography, but you'll be hard pressed to find a screen sword fighter as good as Shintaro Katsu in the Zatoichi films.

[Neville]

I think (simplifying a great deal) that there are two schools of thought about this:

1) Classical: If your actors can take the time to train, film them from a distance enough to show them both in the same shot. Make shorter and more detailed cuts for emphasis (i.e. expressions of fury, fatigue, hatred, feet advancing or retreating, etc.) or to hint who has the upper hand.

2) Fractured: You've seen "Gladiator", haven't you? Take the camera as close as you can to the fighters, cut with almost every movement they make. The advantage is that your actors don't need to train much, the biggest problem is that you'd better make a storyboard first with the fighting choreography or the editing process is going to be a nightmare. Also make sure the shots are not that jumpy or short that they prevent viewers to know what's going on.

[MilkManPictures]

I want to thank everybody for their ideas and insight.

The film is a sci-fi/horror love story...

The sword fight will be more fantasy based and we are going with the quick cut style.
One of the films we have been looking at quite a bit is "Versus".

Anyway, thanks again for all your ideas. Keep them coming if you got them.

[Cthulhu]

Try Highlander.
And if I remember correctly, there are a few cool swordfights in Shogun assassin.

[Neville]

"Azumi" is another good one, if you're looking for samurai swordplay with a twist.

[Chang Saam]

My all-time favorite sword duel is from my all-time favorite movie, Last Hurrah For Chivalry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzEOsh5Vhe0

Oops, missed the Sci-fi/horror reply you made. Hopefully you can still get something out of this.

[metalmonster]

The Movie DRAGONHEART Has A Couple Of Really Well Choreographed Sword Fight Scenes