THE DUELLISTS
UK, 1977, 101 minutes, Colour.
Keith Carradine, Harvey Keitel, Albert Finney, Edward Fox, Cristina Raines, Robert Stephens, Tom Conti, John McEnery?, Diana Quick, Jenny Runacre, Alan Webb, Arthur Dignam. Narrated by Stacy Keach.
Directed by Ridley Scott.
The Duellists is a masculine story/theme of an ordinary young soldier in Napoleonic times challenged fatuously and arrogantly to a duel by an obsessive ruffian soldier and haunted and forced to fight him over many years. The soldier grows from fear and honour stances through brutality to self-control. Keith Carradine is unusual casting in this role. From a story by Conrad, and exquisitely photographed (as if one were in a moving gallery of 19th century paintings), there is excellent British star support in featured roles. The plot seems an allegory of Napoleon's ruffian rise to power and over-reaching himself in exile. Harvey Keitel is the aggressive duellist.
1. The overall impact of the film.. historical drama, personal study, war, duelling as a symbol of past society and honour? A man's film?
2. Conrad's title of 'The Duel'? The personalisation in the film's title? The way the duels were presented visually, at the various points of the screenplay?
3. Visual impact of the film, the patterning on paintings, costume, decor? An 18th. and 19th. century atmosphere? The Napoleonic wars, soldiers? Towns and cities? Rich estates? Classes? The patterns and visuals of the war e.g. in Russia?
4. The significance of the Napoleonic background of the film? Napoleon as an upstart, duelling with the aristocratic powers of Europe, being imprisoned? St. Helena? Feraud as a symbol of Napoleon and parallelling his career and personality? His style?
5. The significance of war - the purpose of the Napoleonic wars, the expansion of empire, countries defending themselves? The Royalists and their attitudes, the Revolutionaries? The realists adapting themselves to the situations?
6. A portrait of men in war? Their lives, growth and change, destiny and fate?
7. Themes of honour, control, dignity? The standards of values of d'Hubert? The contrast with Feraud? Audience response to this kind of 19th. century honour? The law and its attitude towards duelling?
8. The narrative flow of the film, the narration by Stacey Keach, the episodic screenplay, the movement to the various places and their linking with the wars, the passing of the years and the audience glimpsing the main characters at periods of their life? The overall effect of this episodic presentation?
9. The importance of the initial duel, its visual impact, audience feeling the nature of duels in fighting, to the death, skill, violence? The later duels and their increased violence? The point of the duel, the lack of point? The nature of aggression and honour linked with aggression? Was there just cause for this kind of clash? For its continuity over so many years?
10. Feraud and his background, class? In the salon, an ordinary soldier, his bitterness, the street and house sequences, the challenge to d'Hubert? The cocky and strutting personality, arrogance, bitterness, chip on his shoulder about the aristocracy? The continual bitterness towards d'Hubert?
11. The film's showing Feraud through the years, the effect of his moods, of d'Hubert’s continued attitude towards him and his fear for its repercussions? The clashes with him by sword, sabre, on horseback? The irony of their meeting in Russia and their having to fight side by side and survive? The effect of the Napoleonic defeat on each of them?
12. Feraud's background as prisoner, being saved, the compulsion to duelling - the pistols? Seeming to be dead but his continuing to live? (and the Napoleonic similarities?)
13. D'Hubert as central to the film yet always seen and understood in the light of Feraud and his hostility? His background, aristocracy, his work, involved in the wars, sense of honour, his wounds? His being treated by the Frenchwoman?
14. The passing of the years and their effect on him, the woman and the choices offered to him? How well did the film highlight his character through the episodes - e. g. cards, his return?
15. How aggressive was d'Hubert? His continuing his military practice, his superiority, his superiority at the end and his domination of Feraud?
16. The contrast of his rise in the military, his success, rank, the experience of Russia?
17. Did he mature over the years? Seeing him at home, cripple, his sister, the love sequences with Adele, his relationship with his uncle? His becoming a Royalist, the prospects of marriage?
18. The libels, loyalties, the fact of his survival?
19. The encounter with the various officials and their posts of command, his learning that Feraud was to be tried as a Bonapartist? The irony of their rank of General? His interventions with Fouche to secure Feraud's release? The encounters with the doctor? The repercussions of the release and the duel? The contribution of the minor characters - the Colonel and the spy, the amiable second and the Captain encountered by d'Hubert, the chevalier?
20. Adele and her child? A future for d'Hubert?
21. The build-up to the final duel, the clash, the forgiveness? The symbolism of the orange?
22. A portrait of men and the impulsiveness of youth, living their adult lives with grudges and bitterness, sense of honour, self-importance? The instinctive man vs the man of reason and spirit? How successful an adaptation of Conrad's writing?
