Customer Reviews

Fight Direction for Stage and Screen

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I bought this for all the wrong reasons. I have zero interest in fight choreography, preferring combat sports. I bought it because I am a long-term fan of Hobbs' work. Reading this not only opens to the outsider part of the film crew not covered, but shows the tremendous amount of work, detail, planning, thought, and creativity that goes into a stage or screen fight that excites both the least and most knowledgeable members of the audience. There's also some fairly funny anecdotes.

For those looking for fight help, Hobbs emphasizes safety, acting, concentration, and rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing. He gives no set patterns, except by examples. He covers all the basic techniques for slapping, punch-outs, and the sort of sword-work required for period plays. There's even "how to strangle" for those doing "Othello." He does expect the user of this book to then go forth and plan his or her own fights, and to continue to research far beyond this book. He does not attempt to be the only book you need. As a result, it's very accessible for the newbie.

As a history buff, I found the old engravings and photos from stage plays fascinating, too.

William Hobbs is one of the masters of modern theatrical fencing. His work in "The Three" and "Four Muskteers," "Excalibur," and "Willow," among other major films, speaks for itself. If you're interested in developing your fencing skills for either stage or film, this book is a must. As the author of "The Encyclopedia of the Sword," "The Art and Science of Fencing," and "The Inner Game of Fencing;" and as the Editor-in-Chief of "Fencers Quarterly Magazine," I recommend this book highly.

William Hobbs has done a great job with this book. He blends theory and anecdote into a wonderfully readable book. This is the first "textbook" that I was unable to put down once I started reading it. Particularly interesting are his stories about staging fights in the various movies he has worked in. This is a worthwhile addition any actor's or fencer's library.

An informative book that covers many areas in theatrical fencing. Having done a small number of choregraphed duels it was informative reading about the challenges that can exist for the fight director. W. Hobbs seems to have been a pioneer in fight direction and his emphasis on safety is understandable after reading the foreword by Laurence Olivier. He touches on many subjects which are often covered in other books to a greater degree but he sets the scene in the 80's while other books on the same subject are published in the last 3-5 years. A good book introducing the art of Fight Direction and the work behind the scenes that make a great film or stage fight.