The Duellists DVD Review:


The Movie

The year was 1977. At the time no one heard of or knew about Ridley Scott. However, after the release of The Duellists people started to notice the talent in him. This film is a great character study of two completely different men in a time plagued by grim life and violence. Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel are excellent as D'Hubert and Feraud, respectively.

The Duellists takes place during the grand, sweeping Napoleonic age and spans well over ten years. When D'Hubert, an officer in the French army, unwittingly insults another officer a life-long hatred results. The other officer, Feraud, has a bad temper and is prone to violent acts. Both these men cross swords time and time again in an attempt to achieve justice and preserve their respective honor. The film spends a fine two hours chronicling these fights and their struggle to gain the upper hand.

Ridley Scott and his production team captured beautiful landscapes on film. These landscapes accentuate the film's violent and mysterious time period. They also created exciting fights and moments of intense action. The Duellists is a stunning visual achievement.

However, the story and script takes center stage. Without the intellectual characters and dialogue, The Duellists would have suffered a major setback, but this is not the case. This film succeeds on many levels and really deserves much more recognition among Scott's other praised films.

8 out of 10

The Video

Presented in the 1.85:1 format, the picture looks good considering its age. Picture quality is pretty good, but tiny, black scratches are noticeable throughout the film. Enhancing the picture are the beautiful sets and locations used.

8 out of 10

The Audio

The Dolby Digital track makes great use of the front and rear speakers. The lovely sound design and sound effects flourish well over the many fighting duels. This track impressed me very much and deserves praise.

9 out of 10

The Extras

Labeled a special collector's edition, The Duellists is filled with worthy and exciting extras.

- Commentary by Director Ridley Scott

- Commentary and Isolated score by Howard Blake

- Duelling Directors: Ridley Scott and Kevin Reynolds featurette

- "Boy and Bicycle" - Ridley Scott's first short film

- Photo Galleries

- Storyboards

- Theatrical trailers

8 out of 10

Overall

The Duellists is a very good film. It's as simple as that. The two central characters are portrayed well by Carradine and Keitel. Scott has created a visually stunning film. Picture and audio quality impressed.

Overall DVD Rating: 8 out of 10

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