Customer Reviews

Myth Of The Sword [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
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3 star:		(1)
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Hank Reinhardt has spent a lifetime studying the history, development, and use of the sword from antiquity down to modern times. The Myth Of The Sword is an impressive and visual, 90-minute tour-de-force video presentation that combines Reinhardt's expert commentary with live-action demonstrations, beautiful examples of the various kinds and categories of swords, concomitant develop of sword-related armor, and the manufactured properties of specific types of swords ranging from Japanese katanas to European broadswords, sabers, and rapiers. Of special interest is Reinhardt's debunking of Hollywood induced misinformation about how swords were really used in combat. The Myth Of The Sword is "must" viewing for students of the sword, members of such organizations as the Society For Creative Anachronism, authors of historical novels with sword play scenarios, as well as the script writers, producers, directors, and actors of films with sword fight or fencing sequences.

I'm mostly disappointed with this video. A good 80% of the video time is simply a close-up of Hank Reinhardt's face, as he talks to a point a few feet to the side of the camera. Another 10% is made up of pans across still images from historical drawings. The remaining video time is actual live action. What Hank is saying is usually interesting... but considering how little sword use they actually shot, I'm left wondering: Why didn't he just write a book with this material?

Hank Reinhardt has spent a lifetime studying the history, development, and use of the sword from antiquity down to modern times. The Myth Of The Sword is an impressive and visual, 90-minute tour-de-force video presentation that combines Reinhardt's expert commentary with live-action demonstrations, beautiful examples of the various kinds and categories of swords, concomitant develop of sword-related armor, and the manufactured properties of specific types of swords ranging from Japanese katanas to European broadswords, sabers, and rapiers. Of special interest is Reinhardt's debunking of Hollywood induced misinformation about how swords were really used in combat. The Myth Of The Sword is "must" viewing for students of the sword, members of such organizations as the Society For Creative Anachronism, authors of historical novels with sword play scenarios, as well as the script writers, producers, directors, and actors of films with sword fight or fencing sequences.

I bought another of Mr. Reinhardt's tapes "Viking Sword" years ago and thought it was pretty informative, well done too. I saw this one and decided to get it too, not as good a choice I found.

Much of the tape consists of Mr. Reinhardt sitting in a room somewhere talking about the history of swords, a lot of talking. The man has a lot to say but the camera work seemed amateurish to me, it has the man facing off to the left of the screen. The sound (could have been my hearing in part)wasn't the best- there is no closed captioning.

You get some demonstrations of various swords and techniques of use, several still shots too. The story itself is divided into several chapters, each starts off with some information presented in old English style script (read fast, you won't have much time).

I think it would've made a pretty good book, I was certainly disappointed with the program in video form.