Lost Treasures
The Duellist (1977)
director: ridley scott
cast:keith carradine, harvey keitel, edward fox, cristina raines, robert stephens, diana quick, tom conti, albert finney, pete postlethwaite
A
thirty-year obsession of savage duels-to-the-death sparked by an imagined
insult could only come from a true story. Joseph Conrad (“Heart of Darkness”)
wrote “The Duel” about two real life officers during the Napoleonic War. It
is an eccentric tale of a ludicrous dispute and vendetta between two noblemen
soldiers over the course of their adult lives that nearly consumes them both.
“The Duellists” (1977) is the directorial debut of Ridley Scott (“Alien,”
“Blade Runner,” “Thelma & Louise”) and began an eclectic career for the ex-commercial
director. Can you say, “G.I. Jane”? Keith Carradine stars as French soldier
Armand d’Hubert (try imagining that one) and Harvey Keitel is Lieutenant Gabriel
Feraud (New York accent et all) a fellow officer who become wrapped up in
a war of words, honor and sabers.
A
beautiful and haunting theme introduces a lame voice over that starts up the
story beginning in 1800, the year Napoleon became the ruler of France. Scott
delivers with his quintessential every-shot-is-a-Caravaggio-painting style
of filmmaking. D’Hubert is sent to tell Feraud that he is under house arrest
for fighting a duel in the morning and must return from his mistress’ side.
A clear insult and breach of honor and manhood (?). This act sets in motion
the dueling warriors. A wonderful parallel is created through the reflection
of this personal battle and the rein of Napoleon. Feraud does everything he
can for his emperor while trying to destroy d’Hubert whose loyalties waver.
At one point Keitel even looks like Napoleon! Subtlety with a sledgehammer.
Each duel through the years is more heated than the last. The subtext of the power struggles of France are mirrored in each challenge. How didactic! Sometimes it is hard to believe in the “French” nobility of these two gentlemen when everyone around them has British accents and they just stumble along butchering the dialogue at every turn. The exhausting duel in the cavern/stable/basement (?) is one of the most brutal and the best. A steady stream of sunlight flickers in with the HMI light in the background as the two battle it out and blood streams everywhere. Scott had the sabers wired with batteries to produce sparks. Keitel complained about being heavily shocked more than once.
As
the two move up in the ranks together, thus allowing them to continue the
ongoing duels, a strange “friendship” is produced. D’Hubert on more than one
occasion tries to bury the hatchet but Feraud will have none of it. This is
where the queer homo-erotic connection is made between the effeminate Carradine
and the too-tough-for-words Keitel. Harvey’s bizarre attraction to Keith is
a classic example of homophobia.
It is an exoticly cold and moody film steeped in misty morning light. And that brings us to the string of graduated filter shots. And boy, when they start getting used, look out! A graduated filter is a piece of glass that fits on a camera lens with the top half being a dark color and slowly lightens up like a pair of cheap sunglasses. In viewing some of these beauties I wondered if the assistant cameraman couldn’t loosen the damn thing and just left it on the lens for the rest of the shoot. Especially bizarre are the pan shots across buildings, trees and mountains ranges. During the mid-seventies in British television these were probably the rage, but in modern cinema you wonder what could they have been thinking. The strange thing is many cinematography books use “The Duellists” as an example of great motion picture photography. I agree as long as an asterisk can be added about those damn filters.
Okay,
off the soapbox. The movie boasts the appearance of Albert Finney among the
stars. Appearance is a good word, he’s in one scene! Tom Conti shines as the
flute playing doctor, Jacquin. Pete Postlethwaite (credited as Peter) has
a small cameo as a one-eyed Renfield-type character. The film garnered Ridley
Scott with the Best First Work prize at the Cannes International Film Festival
in 1977. So, where the hell did I leave off. Oh, now d’Hubert and Ferard are
still dueling it out year after year, decade after decade. Scott (or rather
Conrad) gives us the future of France as the willing-to-forgive Carradine
gets married and starts a family, while the embittered Keitel sulks and is
sentenced to death for his loyalty to Napoleon. In one of the most striking
moments, Carradine using his clout saves Keitel from the guillotine with the
one request that he is never told who saved his life. This poignant personal
gesture is rewarded with the lunatic Keitel forcing Carradine into one final
duel. You’ll just have to go out and rent this one to find out how it all
gets resolved. -- Guido Sanchez
© 1999 Hollywood Outsider