
Having brought the world of cinematographic classics as Stranger,, Gladiator, And The MartianRidley Scott stands out as one of the most gifted directors of his generation. With a unique talent in the adaptation of historical stories, immersing the public in worlds like ancient Rome and Jerusalem of the Crusade era, the director has little equals. With a career that covers almost five decades, Revisiting your first feature film reminds fans one of the most underestimated period dramas ever made.
Thanks to films like Gladiator,, Black Hawk down, And The MartianRidley Scott has proven his forces as a visionary director. With a penchant for historical epics and science fiction, its fans base is as diverse as they are passionate, with much concerning its name as a reliable quality indicator. While the modern public had used its big budget and tobacco-office epics at the box office, some of its best work is more targeted and moderate than tastes Kingdom. A look at his first feature film is the best proof of this because he directed a drama of revenge which is perfect for all those who love a good time. Forty-eight years later, it is always one of the best things he has ever done, and it is a much better Napoleonic piece than her 2023 Napoleon.
Ridley Scott’s influence on cinema has some equals
The director brings an epic vision to the big screen
Historical epics of Ridley Scott |
Streaming |
Gladiator |
Video Prime, Fubo, Paramount +, Youtubetv and Kanopy |
Kingdom |
Hulu |
Napoleon |
Appletv + |
Since the staging Stranger In 1979, Ridley Scott constantly acquired the reputation of one of the greatest living directors in the world. After starting the emblematic science fiction franchise of horror, he quickly returned another classic in 1982 Blade runnerWho threw Harrison Ford as a cyberpunk bonuse hunter. Although it is a financial flop, He almost instantly won a cult afterwards, some praising him as the best science fiction film of the 80s. His filmography between 1983 and 2000 is widely considered a mixed bag of his career, with films like Legend,, Black rain, And Someone to watch over me be among his less acclaimed projects.
Although he has already gained a lot of respect through his science fiction films, Ridley Scott’s career has climbed into the success of Gladiator in 2000. Casting Russell Crowe as an avenging gladiator in ancient Rome, Scott’s film has reinvented and rejuvenated the sword genre and sandals almost overnight. Here he paved the way for a decade of imitators, Troy And Alexander has 300 And Titans confrontationWho have all tried to provide the same epic approach to history. However, almost all of these pale elements in relation to the scale, influence and success of the 2000 film. Scott himself followed his gender management in the 2004 film KingdomWho threw Orlando Bloom, fresh Rings And Caribbean pirateslike a crossed knight.
Ridley Scott’s most recent films have been somewhat divisor, with high praise for The Martian As a best science fiction film of the 2010s, mixed views of Stranger prequel Prometheus, and general disgust for Napoleon. However, his talents as a director are rarely questioned, with more criticism taken from the scripts themselves than his treatment of stories. Despite nearly five decades of success and some of the most influential films of their respective decades, One of Scott’s best historical dramas was in fact the first film he made in 1977.
The Duellists are a story of honor and revenge
Two French soldiers are locked in a quarrel of several years
Writer |
IMDB evaluation |
Streaming |
Year |
Gerald Vaughan-Hughes |
7.4 / 10 |
Kanopia |
1977 |
Located in 1800 Napoleonia France, The Dullists Open on a duel between Lieutenant Gabriel Feraud and the nephew of the mayor of Strasbourg, in which the latter is seriously injured. When the word reaches the general of his regiment, Feraud is put in a state of arrest, of which he is informed by another lieutenant, Armand d’Hubert. However, When the Order is transmitted to him, the Duelist is used personal and defies his arrest agent to fight. Despite his reluctance to participate, Hubert is nevertheless forced to defend himself and just survives the meeting when he cuts his opponent’s wrist, leaving him unable to continue. He begins the quarrel between the two men, will be trained by what he considers his dishonor to the hands of his rival.
The next time the meeting of pairs was in Augsburg in 1801, when, after a break due to the war, will arrive, Place d’Hubert and made his second challenge. This time, men are fighting in a field and, after only a few swings of his sword, Gabriel injures Armand, and their quarrel is again delayed, the next resulting in a dead end. When the latter is promoted to captain, It is protected by the army code which prohibits duels between different ranks. Five years go as far as Hubert crosses the paths again with his enemy, now himself in the rank of captain, and does it again, injuring him this time while they are fighting on horseback. During the invasion of Russia by France in 1812, men worked together for the first time on a mission against certain Cossacks. Despite a brief teamwork, their rivalry persists.
The third act of the film sees the two men promoted to the rank of general, and the fall of Napoleon, with King Louis the eighteenth sovereign. After sparing his rival of persecution under the new government, of Hubert tries to continue his life, now married to a woman named Adele and serving in the army of the new king. When Feraud sends men to deliver his last challenge, the rival accepts and prepares for fateful confrontation. Using the pistols this time, men meet in certain old ruins to settle their quarrel once and for all.
Why are the delists so good
Ridley Scott’s low -budget drama is incredibly concentrated
Main casting |
Character |
Harvey Keitel |
Gabriel Feraud |
Keith Carradine |
Hubert Armand |
Christina Raines |
Adele d’Hubert |
Albert Finney |
Joseph Fouché |
One of the defects some of the lowest period dramas is often the victim is to be too wide in their history, transforming an outstanding or too long exploration of their environments. Although some films can be boring, others are downright pretentious both in their history and on an excessively large scale, sometimes asking too much audience. This is not the case in The DullistsWhich is commendable for his concentration on the question at hand: Hubert and Feraud. Where some writers and directors may have been tempted to be turned away with large looks on the Napoleonic wars or the personal life of the characters, the story guarantees that there is never a boring moment. By not focusing on the broader context of the political environment at the time, there is a more coherent story focused on the characters, ensuring that the public feels invested until the end.
The Dullists The emphasis is undoubtedly linked to its relatively low budget, working with only $ 900,000 (less than $ 5 million today). This has assured an accent on men and their fight, with almost all the scene linked to their next duel in one way or another. One of the forces of the film is the way she develops a credible look at the sensitivities, values and motivations of men in Napoleonic France. There is no shortage of film -based films that engage too much in the presence, applying modern virtues and sensitivities to the past. This is not the case with Scott’s film, which offers a remarkable degree of immersion in its context. For any occasional observer, the film is as close to 19th century France as possible. The duels themselves are well choreographed without feeling sensationalist, often capturing the emotions of men in a founded style.
Historical epics are the strength of Ridley Scott
The director has a penchant for the great narration
Although this is not his first historical epic, Gladiator was the film that showed the world that Ridley Scott was particularly talented in the genre. Return his career to 1977 points to the film of the film which helped the director, namely history. Although the film is a targeted examination of two men, The Dullists is one of the most impressive cases of a small budget film giving a feeling of greatness through its constantly evolving landscapes. For this reason and many others, the drama of the classic period desperately needs more love of modern public.
Scott remains one of the most bancable administrators in Hollywood, and its versatility is unparalleled. Without its influence, genres like science fiction and horror would be worse for wear and tear, and the public would have lost some of the greatest films of all time. Although some may prefer modern epic masterpieces as Gladiator,, The Dullists proved that Ridley Scott is a brilliant director from the start.