Overview
A gripping tale of honor and rivalry set against the backdrop of war.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- stylized
- austere
- tense
- historical film night
- cinema study
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Ridley Scott's strikingly stylized period visuals, authentic military detail, effective performances, and unusually compelling treatment of obsessive honor, while some found the film overly mannered or emotionally superficial.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ridley Scott uses painterly compositions, elaborate uniforms, atmospheric landscapes, and grand military staging to establish mood and psychological distance.
D'Hubert and Feraud repeatedly duel over honor, status, and resentment across their military careers.
The film is noted for historically accurate Napoleonic uniforms, military behavior, and early-nineteenth-century fencing techniques.
A minor insult initiates a lifelong series of duels that repeatedly reshapes both officers' lives.
Films like The Duellists, and why
Barry Lyndon
Both are richly visual historical dramas shaped by formal codes of honor, social ritual, and obsessive masculine rivalry.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Both are immersive Napoleonic-era period films emphasizing military conduct, historical authenticity, and stylized tableaux.
The Last Duel
Both explore aristocratic honor, dueling, and rigid social hierarchies through elegant period filmmaking and restrained dramatic tension.
The Count of Monte Cristo
Both are literary historical dramas about destructive obsession and the psychological consequences of rigid codes.
Movie Details
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Release Date
- 1977-08-31
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (661)
Cast
- Keith Carradine
- Harvey Keitel
- Albert Finney
- Edward Fox
- Cristina Raines
- Robert Stephens
- Tom Conti
- John McEnery
- Diana Quick
- Alun Armstrong
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Duellists about?
- Two French officers turn a minor insult into a lifelong ritual of duels amid the upheavals of Napoleonic Europe.
- What is The Duellists like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Duellists as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Duellists violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Duellists as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Duellists?
- Critics broadly praised Ridley Scott's strikingly stylized period visuals, authentic military detail, effective performances, and unusually compelling treatment of obsessive honor, while some found the film overly mannered or emotionally superficial.
- Which films are like The Duellists?
- Films with a similar feel include Barry Lyndon, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Last Duel, and The Count of Monte Cristo.
- How long is The Duellists?
- The Duellists runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Duellists?
- In United States, The Duellists streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
