In 1800 France, an officer with Napoleon's Army is sent as a messenger to locate and instruct a fellow officer that he is to be arrested for the killing of the mayor's nephew in a duel; taking personal offense at the way in which this was handled, the second officer--who harbors an unexplained psychotic side--challenges the messenger to a duel with swords in the courtyard...but this time loses face (though not his life). Perhaps proving that bullying went on even in 19th century France, Ridley Scott's directorial debut is adroitly cognizant of time and place, beautifully detailed and spread out in sumptuously muted colors, yet doesn't have anything gripping going on underneath its facade. Keith Carradine's peace-seeking officer, without really knowing why Harvey Keitel is his sudden 'sworn enemy' (or being able to articulate what the feud is all about), extends numerous offers to patch things up, yet is called upon to defend his honor over and over throughout many years' time. One can become absorbed in the plotting, or by the intense dueling (which is well-choreographed), however this may come at the expense of understanding these characters. Expanded from Joseph Conrad's short story "The Duel", the movie is paced well and, despite not passing for French, performed admirably by the leads. Unfortunately, since we are not privy to motivation, it fails to work as a study of character. **1/2 from ****
Review of The Duellists
