The Duellists

For the Iron Maiden song, see Powerslave.

The Duellists
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRidley Scott
Screenplay byGerald Vaughan-Hughes
Based on"The Duel"
by Joseph Conrad
Produced byDavid Puttnam
Starring
CinematographyFrank Tidy
Edited byMichael Bradsell (sup.)
Pamela Power
Music byHoward Blake
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
  • 22 May 1977 (1977-05-22) (Cannes)
  • 2 February 1978 (1978-02-02) (U.K.)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$900,000[2]

The Duellists is a 1977 British historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott and produced by David Puttnam. Set in France during the Napoleonic Wars, the film focuses on a series of duels between two rival officers, the obsessive Bonapartist Gabriel Feraud (played by Harvey Keitel) and aristocratic Armand d'Hubert (Keith Carradine), that spans nearly 20 years and reflects the political tumult of early 19th-century France. The film is based on Joseph Conrad's short story "The Duel" (titled "Point of Honor" in the United States), first published in A Set of Six.

Scott's feature directorial debut, the film unanimously won the award for Best Debut Film at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for the Palme d'Or.[3] The Duellists earned widespread acclaim from critics, who praised Scott's direction and visuals, and the film's historical authenticity.[4][5] The fight choreography, by master swordsman William Hobbs, is considered one of the most accurate depictions of dueling in film.[5] At the 32nd British Academy Film Awards, the film received BAFTA nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design.

  1. ^ "The Duellists (1977)". BFI. Archived from the original on 27 May 2016.
  2. ^ ""The Duellists"". Deep Focus Review. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Duellists". Festival-Cannes.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference RT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Barkman, Barkman & Kang 2013, pp. 171–178.