THE DUELLISTS: Blu-ray (Paramount, 1977) ViaVision 'Imprint' Series
Ridley Scott’s The Duellists (1977) is of such
a directly discernible, and, even more rarely achieved quality, and this - on a
relatively minuscule budget of $900,000 - that one sincerely wishes it could
have been just a bit better. The superbly stylized visuals are by
cinematographer, Frank Tidy who – often working with nothing more than a
fog-making machine and his painterly eye, to capture a Vermeer-like
characteristic in half-lit interiors, moodily filtered by dim sun and/or
candlelight, nevertheless, brings forth a stunningly handsome production, ably
abetted by Peter J. Hampton’s production design, Bryan Graves’ art direction, and,
Tom Rand’s costume design. Gerald Vaughan-Hughes’ screenplay, loosely based on
Joseph Conrad’s short story, ‘The Duel’ (a.k.a. ‘Point of Honor/Set
of Six’) is well-anchored in the tradition of period costume drama, made
all the more palpable when one realizes Conrad’s tale is as grounded in the
real-life animosity between Pierre-Antoine Dupont and Francois Louis Fournier-Sarlovèze,
two gentleman officers during the Napoleonic war. As the real-life story goes, Dupont
had the unfortunate task of informing Fournier of a distasteful memorandum, to
which the hot-headed Fournier took swift umbrage and thereafter elected to seek
his satisfaction by challenging its messenger to a duel. A succession of
encounters then followed, 30 all told, spanning 19 years and waged with pistol
and sword. Détente was narrowly achieved only after Dupont overcame Fournier, compelling
him into an assurance of surrender.
The main problem I have with The Duellists is
its stars, Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine – two actors of considerable
flair, though, arguably, looking out of place in their vintage military duds
and dreidel-braided coiffeurs. The more I observe Keitel and Carradine, the less
I find them believable, instead standing in relief of their surroundings; two Americans,
cut and pasted into a French novel, with little hope of entirely assimilating
into either the temperament or vernacular of their characters. Carradine, in
particular, has that mid-70’s ‘moon doggy’ afterglow that does not bode well at
all for his alter ego. Nor does he even try to affect a more continental flare
to override his scruffy cowabunga-California ‘surfer dude’ looks. Carradine is
Lieutenant Armand d'Hubert of the 3rd Hussars, a rather reluctant
sort, more or less devoted to ‘manly’ pursuits that help to stroke his ego. A
more reluctant fighter, d’Hubert views his military status as chiefly a way to
procure many lovers on the side. Keitel is his nemesis, Lieutenant Gabriel
Feraud of the 7th Hussars, steely-eyed, brutal and pit-bullish to a
fault. He has no external interests. The movie begins in earnest in Strasbourg,
circa 1800, a lonely farm girl, guiding a gaggle of geese along the dirt road,
stumbling upon crossed swords in a duel already in progress between Feraud and
the nephew (Matthew Guinness – Alec Guinness’ son) of the city's
mayor. Under pressure from the mayor, Brigadier-General Treillard (Robert Stephens) orders one of his staff officers, Lieutenant Armand
d'Hubert to place Feraud under house arrest. Alas, Feraud takes d’Hubert’s
orders personally, especially as they are dispatched in the home of Madame de
Lionne (Jenny Runacre), a prominent citizen. Matters are further
complicated when d'Hubert delays in responding to Feraud’s test of his
loyalties toward the Emperor Napoleon. In reply, Feraud challenges d'Hubert to
a duel. During the conflict, d'Hubert slashes Feraud’s forearm, but is delayed
from finishing the job by Feraud’s mistress (Gay Hamilton). Disgusted by their
behavior, Treillard returns d’Hubert to active duty with his regiment.
Six months pass before their paths cross again, this
time in Augsburg, 1801. Another duel – this time in Feraud’s favor, seriously
injuring d'Hubert in the chest. While convalescing, d'Hubert employs a fencing
master (W. Morgan Sheppard) to hone his craft. Fully
recovered, and – you guessed it - another duel, staged in a cellar with heavy sabers,
this time Feraud and d’Hubert are evenly suited; Feraud, impressed by d’Hubert’s
skill, the two incensed and reduced to a blood-soaked standstill at a point of
exhaustion. Not long thereafter, d'Hubert learns he is to be promoted to the
rank of Captain. The relief is two-fold, as military discipline forbids
officers of different ranks from dueling. We advance to 1806 and Lübeck, d’Hubert
startled to learn Feraud has also achieved the rank of Captain – thus, allowing
for their venomous history to continue. As he is to be made a Major in two
weeks, d'Hubert tries to avoid Feraud, but is spotted by his perpetual second
(Maurice Colbourne). Feraud challenges d’Hubert to a saber duel, this one on horseback. Weary, but accepting, d'Hubert manages to wound
Feraud in the forehead. Blinded by the blood streaming into his eyes, Feraud is
forced to withdraw. D'Hubert chalks this one up as a victory. Afterward,
Feraud's regiment is posted to Spain, while d'Hubert remains in Northern
Europe.
Alas, fate will not leave well enough alone. Hence, another
chance meet, during the French Army's retreat from Moscow in 1812. Only now,
Feraud and d’Hubert are forced into a bond against the Russian Cossacks. The
men are successful at driving back the enemy, although their mutual animosity
has hardly abated. Two years later, with Napoleon's exile to Elba, d'Hubert is made
a Brigadier-General, recovering from a flesh wound at his sister, Leonie’s
(Meg Wynn Owen) home in Tours. She introduces him to
Adele (Cristina Raines), the niece of her neighbor. Romance
blossoms and d’Hubert and Adele are wed. Bliss, however, is short-lived as
Napoleon's imminent return causes d'Hubert to refuses his active command. Feraud,
a Bonapartist Brigadier-General, suggests he always knew d’Hubert was a traitor.
After Napoleon’s crushing defeat at Waterloo, d'Hubert joins Louis XVIII’s army
while Feraud is arrested and expected to be executed. Instead, d'Hubert pleads
clemency for Feraud to the Minister of Police, Joseph Fouché (Albert Finney) who
releases Feraud on parole. Unknowing of d’Hubert’s complicity in restoring his
freedom, Feraud pursues yet another vendetta against him, and – yes – another duel,
this time, with pistols. The old adversaries meet inside a ruined château. Unsuccessfully,
Feraud discharges both pistols. Now, d'Hubert catches Feraud at point blank
range. But instead of assassinating him, d'Hubert declares that tradition
dictates he now owns Feraud's life, thereupon holding dominion over its terms.
As such, d’Hubert orders that in all future dealings with him, Feraud will
conduct himself ‘as a dead man’. Supremely contented, for he has indeed
won a final victory over his foe, d’Hubert returns to his happy marriage,
leaving a friendless Feraud to ferment in his own juices, unable to see beyond
the fixation that has consumed his life for nearly two decades.
The Duellists is an opulently formalized and striking debut for Ridley
Scott, a movie that, on less than one-tenth of the formidable budget allocated
Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1975), nevertheless manages to tap into
much of its essential flavor, seemingly without sacrificing the visual
integrity of the piece. Employing some clever camera trickery, as in one scene,
where the action is photographed from the vantage of the inside of a tent,
looking out onto a battlefield, with Scott strategically placing only a handful
of extras (all he had) in the background to suggest a vast regiment at rest, The
Duellists has its period look down pat, and moreover, conveys a sense of
grandeur to obfuscate its meager budget. Frank Tidy’s cinematography bottles the
quintessence of an epic without actually spending the time or money to reveal
anything except what is skillfully situated within the frame’s careful
compositions. Tidy’s darkly lit interiors are as spookily striking as his exhalations
of the natural world, often shooting under a heavy mist or half-golden retreat
of sunset. Conspiring with Scott on this keen camera eye, results in some of
the most attention-grabbing representations ever put on the screen. Alas, too
much of a good thing is sometimes simply that - ‘too much’, and, The Duellists
intermittently leans toward a theatrical bent, adding more artifice than earthiness
to what is essentially a revenge/tragedy. Diffusing the strain of barbarism further
are Keitel and Carradine who, at every opportunity, speak in a patois so of the
moment, circa 1977, their performances completely lack in that magnificent figment
for a nineteenth-century European wit and sophistication.
The Duellists gets reissued by Aussie label, ViaVision as part of
their first wave of Imprint catalog releases from Paramount (in North America,
the movie received a Blu-ray from Shout! Factory). ViaVision’s is ‘region free’
and will play anywhere in the world. The results are impressive, capturing these
moody mirages in Frank Tidy’s gorgeous cinematography. Fine details abound,
colors are subtly nuanced while remaining richly saturated. Flesh tones are
strikingly natural. Verdant greens, deep amber and shadowy blacks envelope as
they should. Even during the most dimly lit scene, fine details pop with a
light smattering of film grain appearing very indigenous to its source. The
LCMP 2.0 mono audio is a minor revelation. Occasionally, dialogue is difficult
to discern at lower listening levels. But Howard Blake’s score sounds
incredible, and the soundtrack, on the whole, has a nicely dated mid-70’s
characteristic. Extras include a pair of audio commentaries – one, devoted to Ridley
Scott’s reflections, the other, along with an isolated score, hosted by Howard
Blake. In addition, we get two interviews – the first, featuring Keith
Carradine, the latter, a conversation piece between directors, Kevin Reynolds
and Ridley Scott. Last, some photo galleries and a theatrical trailer. Bottom
line: while The Duellists has its fans, I do not count myself among
them. The picture is impressively mounted, with some thoroughly impressive
action sequences, but otherwise, emerges as a bit of a slog and a snore. This
Blu-ray gives an accurate representation of the movie. Judge and buy
accordingly.
FILM RATING (out of 5 – 5 being the best)
2.5
VIDEO/AUDIO
5
EXTRAS
3.5
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