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Post by Jason Aiken on Oct 1, 2023 19:57:20 GMT -5
This popped up on my YouTube feed, another Polish film that seems to have accurate swordplay Zrodzeni do Szabli / Born to the Sabre Full fight:
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Post by Von K on Oct 2, 2023 13:14:08 GMT -5
Damned impressive sword swinging there kemp, thanks for the re-post. And they used to think swinging nunchucks was dangerous!
Here's one Hun posted in the Red Sonja movie thread a few years back which you might remember:
Kazachka ¦ Russian beauty performed dance of sabers
Notice the second sword dancer, the red head, there you go, Red Sonja. Apparently, variations of the sword dance appear in various parts of Europe, Africa and Asia. Sword Dance by Paul Joanovitch depicting Albanian and Montenegrin sword dances. Sword dances remind me of the dance of blades in Poul Anderson's The Broken Sword - a dangerous group dance requiring split second timing from all participants:
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Post by Von K on Oct 2, 2023 13:18:52 GMT -5
This popped up on my YouTube feed, another Polish film that seems to have accurate swordplay Zrodzeni do Szabli / Born to the Sabre Full fight: Thanks for the unedited version Jason.
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Post by kemp on Oct 8, 2023 18:26:06 GMT -5
Sword dances remind me of the dance of blades in Poul Anderson's The Broken Sword - a dangerous group dance requiring split second timing from all participants:
Been a long time since I read The Broken Sword, I forgot about that sequence.
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Post by kemp on Oct 29, 2023 19:42:57 GMT -5
From the 80's Willow movie. A fight scene in a fantasy movie, and even though much of this over the top mayhem, the great thing about the fight sequence is that it's quick and to the point. Every swing of the blade gives some impact or result, as opposed to an endless and unrealistic display of back and forth exchange.
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Post by Von K on Dec 3, 2023 17:13:48 GMT -5
From the 80's Willow movie. A fight scene in a fantasy movie, and even though much of this over the top mayhem, the great thing about the fight sequence is that it's quick and to the point. Every swing of the blade gives some impact or result, as opposed to an endless and unrealistic display of back and forth exchange. Ah, the original Willow, a classic. Last re-watched this with some friends about eight years ago. Late reply but thanks Kemp.
Here's one I think you might like - courtesy of a link posted over at the excellent DMR Books blog:
Why Macbeth Has The Best Fight Scene in Cinema History.
I think the guy makes some great points and observations
I had this movie on VHS when I was young and into Shakespeare and re-watched it quite a few times.
Could probably classify Macbeth as proto Swords and Sorcery to a certain degree.
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Post by kemp on Dec 4, 2023 4:04:15 GMT -5
Ah, the original Willow, a classic. Last re-watched this with some friends about eight years ago. Late reply but thanks Kemp.
Here's one I think you might like - courtesy of a link posted over at the excellent DMR Books blog:
Why Macbeth Has The Best Fight Scene in Cinema History.
I think the guy makes some great points and observations
I had this movie on VHS when I was young and into Shakespeare and re-watched it quite a few times.
Could probably classify Macbeth as proto Swords and Sorcery to a certain degree.
I liked Shakespeare's works as a kid, watched the Othello 1951 film with Orson Welles, a few live plays, amongst others, even had the graphic comicbook King Lear illustrated by Ian Pollock, but I digress. I will need to watch this version of Macbeth in the near future. Note how some of the sword blows were nicely absorbed by the actual metal armour worn by the actors. I also like how they depicted the fatigue and exhaustion setting in as the fight continued, technique suffering as the fighters tired, hard blows, sword caught in armour joints, slowed weapons deflected by hands when an opponent gets in real close rendering the sword ineffective when there is little room to thrust or to swing the blade for a cutting motion, opportunities seized. I can see what you mean by proto sword and sorcery, reminds me a little of some of the fight scenes in heroic fantasy films from the 80's onwards.
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Post by Von K on Dec 4, 2023 20:23:02 GMT -5
Ah, the original Willow, a classic. Last re-watched this with some friends about eight years ago. Late reply but thanks Kemp.
Here's one I think you might like - courtesy of a link posted over at the excellent DMR Books blog:
Why Macbeth Has The Best Fight Scene in Cinema History.
I think the guy makes some great points and observations
I had this movie on VHS when I was young and into Shakespeare and re-watched it quite a few times.
Could probably classify Macbeth as proto Swords and Sorcery to a certain degree.
I liked Shakespeare's works as a kid, watched the Othello 1951 film with Orson Welles, a few live plays, amongst others, even had the graphic comicbook King Lear illustrated by Ian Pollock, but I digress. I will need to watch this version of Macbeth in the near future. Note how some of the sword blows were nicely absorbed by the actual metal armour worn by the actors. I also like how they depicted the fatigue and exhaustion setting in as the fight continued, technique suffering as the fighters tired, hard blows, sword caught in armour joints, slowed weapons deflected by hands when an opponent gets in real close rendering the sword ineffective when there is little room to thrust or to swing the blade for a cutting motion, opportunities seized. I can see what you mean by proto sword and sorcery, reminds me a little of some of the fight scenes in heroic fantasy films from the 80's onwards. Great overview there kemp. I'm gonna have to track down this movie and give it a rewatch too.
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Post by kemp on Feb 7, 2024 21:41:24 GMT -5
I remember this scene from the movie Gangs of New York. Basically the one where Irish immigrants arriving into the US by way of New York were being press ganged into service into the Union army during the Civil War.
I only recalled the above after reading some current reports about people being taken off the Ukrainian streets and forced to fight the Russians on the front lines, and on the other side Russian prisoners sent to fight the Ukrainians, talks about a possible push for conscription in various western nations, but what made me think about that particular scene was the Mexican/US border issue, new arrivals, mostly young men, streaming into the US and unsubstantiated claims that this is where the US will draw new recruits for the war machine, 'you serve you get automatic citizenship on the spot' type of thing, which makes sense from a cold and calculated sort of way to get more troops.
The historically accuracy of that scene from the flick is up for debate, but I have read that on March 3, 1863, the US Congress passed the Enrollment Act which required single men age 20 to 45 and married men up to age 35 to register for the draft, and that angered many in the north, especially Irish immigrants who had accepted U.S. citizenship, not realizing that citizenship also made immigrants liable for the draft.The draft riots were also depicted in the movie.
All up 150,000 Irishmen served in the Union Army, much less on the Confederate side, around 20,000.
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Post by kemp on Feb 7, 2024 21:43:38 GMT -5
'Sláinte! Celebrating the Irish Brigade’s Contributions to America' 'What became known as the Irish Brigade was formed almost entirely by Irish-Americans from five units: The 63rd, 69th and 88th New York Infantry Regiments, and eventually the 116th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment and the 28th Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry, a group famous for yelling “Faugh a Ballagh,” a Gaelic battle cry meaning “clear the way.”' 'In September 1862, the Irish Brigade helped lead the pursuit of the Confederate rebels in the bloody Battle of Antietam. While heavy casualties were claimed on both sides, the Union was able to force Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee to abandon his invasion of the north, retreating back to Virginia.' www.defense.gov/News/Inside-DOD/Blog/Article/2100249/slinte-celebrating-the-irish-brigades-contributions-to-america/
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