MovieChat Forums > The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971) Discussion > Best sword fight in cinema?

Best sword fight in cinema?

posted 15 years ago by Boricanator
9 replies | jump to latest

Spoilers*

Honestly, to me this movie had the best sword fight ever. I'm referring to the fight between Macbeth and Macduff.

I have seen many sword fights in movies (Romeo and Juliet (1968), Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Carribean, the Patriot...ect[other not so popular movies].) and I have never seen a more realistic and raw sword fight. Everything else fails in comparison.

Second, I would put the fight between Romeo and Tybalt in the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet.

Does anybody agree, or is this considered to be one of the best sword fights filmed in cinema?

[–] richard-III 15 years ago

My thoughts exactly!

I am not an expert on sword fighting (though I've done some with the sabre and the floret), but this works - visually as well as emotionally. Sword fighting in a real situation gives, I guess, much more anxiety than the Highlander tricks you see happen in most movies. Polanski went for dramatical realism.

Also nice are By The Sword, The Duellists (and the 1968 Romeo And Juliet you mentioned) and in an asian direction, the Kurosawa films like The Seven Samurai.

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[–] BoomerMovieFan 15 years ago

I'll have to pay mor attention the next time I see this version of Macbeth.

I know he's been dead for a long time now but one of the best sword fighters in the movies was Basil Rathbone.

If you every have the opportunity, see him duel in ROBIN HOOD and ZORRO. His role in THE COURT JESTER is a self-parody but well worth seeing.

[–] MidniteRambler 14 years ago

The best sword fight in cinematic history imo is the one between Liam Neeson and Tim Roth in Rob Roy. It has come top of the list in many polls and is superior to the fight in MacBeth.

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[–] rwsmith29456 13 years ago

I agree. Both are very realistic. I like it because rather than brandishing their swords they try to absolutely kill hell out of each other with anything they can.

[–] denham 11 years ago

Excellent, more a fight using swords than a straight swordfight. Inventive, maintains interest, and not too implausible.

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[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] charlesdusk 9 years ago

Really? I thought it was awful, and goofy at times. I and I don't care if it's realistic or not. They didn't seem to have had any training or whatever.

[–] Orbtastic 9 years ago

Princess Bride.
The 30s Robin Hood.

[–] spud-boy 8 years ago

Some of the sword fights in the Three Musketeers and the Four Musketeers were pretty good...especially the final fight between Christopher Lee and Michael York.