Product Details

• Actors: Stacy Keach
• Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Winstar
• DVD Release Date: October 26, 2004
• Run Time: 150 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B0002VEYZE
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #141,363 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

World renowned experts recreate actual demonstrations of combat skills. Dramatic reenactments bring the swordsmen, knights in armor and pistol duelists from different eras into fascinating contemporary focus. Includes: Duels of Chivalry - Explores the origins of dueling in the Age of Knights and the Teutonic tradition of "trial by combat." Famous duels include the vicious Holmganga knife duel and Jarnac versus La Chastaigneraye, the finest French swordsman of the time. Duels of Honor - Europe, from the 16th century renaissance through today. Reenactments include the famed duel between Barons Von Ropp and Trautmansdorf; plus, duelists of today who practice the amazing tradition of the Mensur, the bloody student duel. and Dueling in the New World - Travel across the US and see how throughout history politicians, poets, soldiers, editors and even doctors dueled and often died proving their courage. Duels include the pistol duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton; the match between Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickinson; and the California Gold Fields where gold fever created a dueling mania.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Deadly Duels, November 26, 2004

By	Steven Hellerstedt "SH" - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

DEADLY DUELS is, apparently, a video release of a three-part documentary that ran on the Discovery Channel a few years ago. Stacy Keach provides the off-screen narration, plenty of heads talk, and a number of famous duels are reenacted. The reenactments are augmented by many period illustrations. In other words, your standard, traditional television documentary approach.
Many of the dueling scenes suffer from some pretty rough editing - a sword is raised above a head, feet scuffle, close-up of a combatant's eyes. It's a commonly enough used cheat, a good technique if you don't want to throw many resources at it and want to keep everybody from getting too nicked up. Not so good if you want to impress a memory on the audience, or distinguish yourself. Another unfortunate aspect is the tendency of DEADLY DUELS to repeat itself, especially at the start of the second and third episodes. I guess one doesn't edit for a video release, even though the video viewer will probably watch all in one setting.
DEADLY DUELS is moderately entertaining and informative.