Shootouts are cool, fists fights are neat, but there are few things in action cinema more riveting than a great sword fight. In some ways, they’re the best of both worlds. They’re over the top, elegant, violent, subtle and often display the best cinematic choreography and cinematography the medium can muster. But, how do we celebrate such feats? How do we honor the Darth Maul battle with Obi Wan and Qui-Gon? The Beatrix vs. Cottonmouth duel in Kill Bill? The glory of Hellboy’s blade skills? The hilarity of Jack Sparrow’s “talent?†Well, how about an epic montage that brings them all together with a host of other blade battles throughout movie history?
You have to love the editing in this one. It’s just the perfect kind of video that allows you to sit back and admire something we all take for granted far too often. And that music… really, it’s the Santa Esmeralda track – “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood†– that really sells this one for us. It’s joyous, but also complicated. Elegant, but powerful. You know, like a sword fight.
Come to think about it, it’s been a while since last we got a really great sword fight on screen lately. There’s plenty of decent fist fights and gun battles that come to mind, but sword play? Sure, there’s a handful of examples on the likes of Game of Thrones, but what about the silver screen? Perhaps in addition to a new Avengers and Star Wars film, 2015 can also bring a fresh take on the sword fight to the movie theater.
What’s your favorite cinematic sword fight? Let us know in the comments below.
Great video, though I’d have chosen another track. My favorite sword duel is somehow from Rob Roy (1995), which is in there for a split second. The Duellists (1977) is also excellent for classical fencing.
Where is the list that tells me what all those fantastic films are! I know what some of them were but not all of them!
Look at it in vimeo directly and you will see the list http://vimeo.com/99113746
Where is the scene of the Black knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail?
My favorite can be summed up in 3 words “As you wish”
There can only be one
better fights in the TV show.
3 Zhang Ziyi movies! But some great oldies missing.
Great editing in this montage. I would have loved more Kurasawa, especially from “Yojimbo” and “The Seven Samurai”.
Good montage. Terrible song.
Predator vs Hanzo should have made this list
Best post I have seen from Nerdist
Totally confirms that the Lightsaber is THE coolest weapon in movie history.
They should end with this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YyBtMxZgQs
agreed
I can’t believe they left out Yoda vs Count Dooku.
yeah, thats a big miss
That fight between Michelle Yeoh and Ziyi Zhang still takes my breath away.
Very cool montage. I have to admit with the “cover image” of Maul when I first started watching I had my sound off and I was humming Duel of the Fates and I actually think that music would work just as well with clip (i’m sure there is a licensing issue…)
Ok, actually decided to test that theory, and it actually works really well! Start the tune and after the initial vocal parts (0.15) start the video. It doesn’t fit perfectly at times (especially the ending), but it’s really close and some of the moments are spot on! Brings a new tone to the video which I think is better (sword fights are usually to the death so very serious!), but that’s just me. Wonder if anyone else would try this and what they might think….
Try the techno remix, it gives a little extra kick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EAzgAx0KHM
LOL. Interesting but not quite my style preference (I’m of the age that I grew up with John Williams so that style of soundtrack will always be my fav…) But I was wondering if there were other musical pieces that would work well with the clip….
Good montage, but you left out the great Toshiro Mufune. I’d recommend the four-against-one fight at the beginning of Yojimbo that was adapted as the first spaghetti western, A Fistful of Dollars.